Kansas State Football: Depth Chart Review vs Tulane- Defense

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Defensive Line

*Starters bolded

Defensive End

1. Wendell Gregory:Snaps – 50 – Tackles – 4 – T.F.L. – 3 – Sacks – .5
2. Darien Whitaker Jr.:Snaps – 43 – Tackles – 3 – T.F.L. – 1.5 – Sacks – 1.5
3. Jayden Bryant: Snaps – 29 – Tackles – 4 – T.F.L. – 2 – Sacks – 2
4. Elijah Hill: Snaps – 11 – Tackles – 1 – T.F.L. – 1 – Sacks – 1

Grade: A

I split the defensive ends and interior defensive linemen because one group dominated the game while the other struggled. The Defensive ends contributed 7.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks. That’s domination. Gregory and Whitaker look like an elite defensive end pairing, with Bryant and Hill providing quality depth. The Wildcats are 3rd in the nation in tackles for loss. I’m pretty sure they’re around the top in sacks as well, but the NCAA’s stats website is refusing to give up the data.

Gregory and Whitaker Jr. are the clear headliners, but don’t sleep on Jayden Bryant. He brought some extra juice to the pass rush as well. Tulane struggled to find him when he was on the field.

This group is playing like one of the nation’s best defensive end groups and, in fact, might be one of the best defensive end groups in the nation.

Nose Tackle

1. Kamari Burns: Snaps – 34 – Tackles – 2 – T.F.L. – .5
2. Austin Ramsey: Snaps – 3 – No Stats

Defensive Tackle

1. Travis Bates:Snaps – 52 – No Stats
2. Eli Jackson: Snaps – 21 –Tackles – 1
3. De’Arieun Hicks: Snaps – 5 – No Stats

Grade: C-

If you’re looking for something to worry about, I’ve got you. The interior defensive line struggled mightily in this one. Travis Bates looked like a defensive end playing defensive tackle while struggling to get off blocks in the run game. PFF credited him with 2 QB hurries, which is great for a defensive tackle, but he also missed 2 tackles, which isn’t so great. 52 snaps with no recordable stats isn’t a great outing.

Kamari Burns wasn’t much better. He was credited with 2 stops, but like Bates, he also had 2 missed tackles. Burns did a better job of holding his ground, but Tulane was able to find some space in the A and B gaps. Eli Jackson did some good things in his 21 snaps, but man, Burns has to stay healthy because a Jackson and Bates pairing would be an open invitation to run inside.

If I were an opposing offensive coordinator, my entire focus would be finding ways to exploit K-State’s undersized and thin (in terms of depth) interior line. Tulane’s offensive line got some real push up the middle, and their backs were able to hit holes at full speed, making tackling at the second level difficult for the linebackers and safeties.

The coaching staff will have to work around this issue all season. They really need another run-stuffing defensive tackle to emerge. The Wildcats may be the only P4 team in the nation where 2 of the top 3 defensive tackles on the roster are significantly under 300 pounds.

Linebacker

Middle Linebacker

1. Gabe Powers: Snaps – 61 – Tackles – 4 – T.F.L. – 1.5 – Sacks – 0 – Force Fumbles – 1

Weak Side Linebacker

1. Mekhi Mason: Snaps – 43 – Tackles – 4 – T.F.L. – 1 – Sacks – 1
2. Rex Van Wyhe: Snaps – 22 – Tackles – 5 – T.F.L. – 1 – Sacks – 0

Grade: C

Speaking of undersized, Mason and Powers are fine individually, but as a pair, they play better running sideline to sideline than getting downhill and taking on running backs in the hole. Ideally, one of them would carry a little more weight in their rear end to hold up against a power running attack. Powers got dinged for 2 missed tackles, and while Mason didn’t miss any tackles, it felt like he wasn’t in position to make as many as he should have in the run game.

Thankfully, Rex Van Wyhe has emerged as a functional running-stuffing option at linebacker. He made the most of his 22 snaps and, at 245 pounds, is better suited to take on offensive linemen head-on. Van Wyhe played the best game of his Kansas State career against Tulane and could see more action moving forward, especially against run-oriented teams.

Depth is also a major concern at this spot.

Secondary

Cornerback

1. Zashon Rich:Snaps – 62 – Tackles – 3
2. Kaleb Patterson:Snaps – 62 – Tackles – 2 – Pass Break-Ups – 1
3. Nick McClellan: Snaps – 5 – No Stats

Nickel Corner

1. JoJo Scott:Snaps – 55 – Tackles – 2 – Pass Break-Ups – 1

Corner Grade: B

Rich was targeted 3 times and gave up 3 receptions. That seems bad until you realize those 3 receptions totaled 20 yards, with a long of 12. Tulane decided not to challenge CB1, which was a smart decision.

Since the ball wasn’t heading Zashon’s way, Kaleb Patterson and JoJo Scott saw plenty of action. Patterson was targeted 5 times and gave up 2 receptions. Unfortunately, those two receptions totaled 41 yards. JoJo Scott was targeted 6 times and gave up 2 receptions. Unfortunately, those two receptions totaled 52 yards, including a 41-yarder.

The thing about playing with a legit lockdown corner like Rich is that the ball tends to head your way more often than usual. Patterson and Scott are going to be tested by every team on Kansas State’s schedule. Rich, Patterson, and Scott pretty much went the distance on Saturday. Tulane’s offense didn’t require more than 3 corners on the field.

The coaching staff brought in Ben Osueke, who started 12 games for Temple last season and was on the All-AAC 3rd team in 2025, last week. I’ll be interested to see if he makes it onto the field against Cincinnati.

Safety

1. Koy Beasley:Snaps – 57 – Tackles – 5

Safety

1. Wesley Fair: Snaps – 51 – Tackles – 8 – T.F.L. – .5
2. Logan Bartley: Snaps – 16 – Tackles – 3

Safety Grade: A

Beasley is an interesting case. He was a 4-star, top-150 recruit and was considered the 6th-best player in Ohio coming out of high school. He signed with Ryan Walters and Purdue, witnessed the football equivalent of the Hindenburg as a freshman, and hit the eject button. After a year of football rehab at Miami, Ohio, he’s starting for Kansas State. This dude was one of the fastest players in the class of 2024, and he sort of fell into Kansas State’s lap, almost as an afterthought. Now you’re starting to see what all of the recruiting fuss was about. His speed is a difference-maker in the back end. He can outrun 99% of receivers. Seriously, no one is throwing the ball over his head. He’s not very big and is going to miss some tackles in run support (he missed 2 against Tulane), but that’s why guys like Logan Bartley are on the roster. To steal from the running backs, Beasley is the lighting and Bartley is the thunder.

Unfortunately, the thunder went down with an injury early, but most teams can’t bring their 2025 starter off the bench if their 2026 starter gets hurt. Fair’s 8 tackles led the Wildcats, and he was also credited with a team-high 3 “stops” by PFF, while only missing one tackle. Tulane targeted him once in the passing game and completed a 6-yard pass. I thought Bartley going down was going to be a big blow to the defense, but Fair stepped in and didn’t miss a beat.

Beasley kept a lid on the defense from his free safety position, and Fair terrorized the Green Wave around the line of scrimmage. After last season, the safety position felt all but safe, but it may be one of the deepest and most talented position groups on the roster with the addition of Beasley, the emergence of Bartley, and the dependability of Fair. That’s not even taking into consideration All-ACC honorable mention safety Ja’son Prevard and Georgia transfer Adrian Maddox, who at one point were considered potential starters for the Wildcats.

It’s truly an embarrassment of riches on the back end of the defense.

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