Kansas
Rebuilding Kansas State football’s offensive line is not as daunting as it might appear
Kansas State football’s Conor Riley talks offensive line
Kansas State offensive coordinator Conor Riley sees versatility as a key component in rebuilding the Wildcats’ offensive line.
K-State Athletics
MANHATTAN — Chris Klieman was the first to admit that rebuilding Kansas State football’s offensive line after two years of stability left him a bit apprehensive.
But replacing four of five starters, including a two-time All-American and a second-round NFL Draft pick, might not be quite as daunting as one might suspect. For one thing, the group of returning players are not nearly as inexperienced or untested as such a turnover would suggest.
“Yeah, you lose that many starters, there is some anxiety a little bit,” Klieman said back in May, a month after the conclusion of spring practice. “But we’ve got a lot of guys that have started a lot of games for us and a lot of guys that have been in our system for an awful long time that they just need game reps.
“And so, our nonconference schedule, which would include a couple of really tough games, we’re going to put them under fire right away. I’m excited about the offensive line, but we’re going to play more guys.”
Kansas State football All-American Cooper Beebe not picky about where Cowboys use him
All-America guard Cooper Beebe has moved onto the Dallas Cowboys and left tackle KT Leveston was selected in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Rams. Christian Duffie was a three-year starter at right tackle and Hayden Gillum held down the center position for the past two seasons.
That leaves senior right guard Hadley Panzer as the lone full-time returning starter, and he will either move to left guard or center in 2024. But don’t forget that senior Carver Willis started the first seven games last year at right tackle while Duffie recovered from an offseason injury, and sixth-year super-senior Taylor Poitier was a regular in the rotation at right guard.
In fact, Poitier beat out Panzer for the starting right guard spot before suffering a second straight season-ending injury in the 2022 opener.
Also, don’t forget that new offensive coordinator Conor Riley is one of the most respected offensive line coaches in the business and has consistently delivered under similar circumstances.
Kansas State football adds offensive line transfer and 2024 high school receiver
Transfer Easton Kilty provides immediate help
Despite a promising group of replacements waiting in the wings, K-State turned to the transfer portal for reinforcements and landed a proven veteran in North Dakota’s Easton Kilty.
Kilty played every position but center for the Fighting Hawks and started every game last year at left tackle, where he projects for the Wildcats.
Who will be the offensive line starters in 2024?
The only wild card it would appear, is Panzer. Assuming Kilty opens at left tackle, Willis at right tackle and Poitier at right guard, where he spent most of the spring, Panzer will determine who is the fifth starter.
If Panzer is the center, look for junior Andrew Leingang to be the left guard. If Panzer is the left guard, junior Sam Hecht will start at center.
In his May interview, Klieman said the initial plan is for Panzer to be the left guard and Hecht the center, with Leingang serving as a backup at both guard and tackle.
Wildcats will rely on depth and versatility
A hallmark of Riley’s offensive linemen is versatility. Especially in the spring, he likes to have his players practice at multiple positions.
Leingang and Panzer both could see action in more than one spot. Another possibility to back up Hecht at center is sophomore Michael Capria. Other veterans who could vie for playing time are John Pastore, Drake Bequeaith, Alex Key, and Devin Vass.
“There’s just a lot of different people that can help us there,” Klieman said. “So, we’re just going to see how it shakes out in the fall.”
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
Kansas
Police identify man killed in Kansas shooting that injured four officers
The Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI) identified 22-year-old Stephen M. McMillan as the suspect who shot four officers who responded to a domestic dispute outside Carbondale, Kansas, on Saturday.
Three sheriff’s deputies and a state highway patrol trooper were injured and were taken to local area hospitals. McMillan was shot and killed at the scene.
Newsweek reached out by email to the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, who referred to the KBI for all queries. Newsweek reached out to KBI by email outside of normal business hours on Sunday afternoon for further information.
The Context
Carbondale lies around 16 miles south of Topeka.
Domestic disputes are highly sensitive situations that can escalate into violence, highlighting the need to approach them with as much care as possible to protect lives.
Politicians have often discussed domestic disputes as a major point of discussion on the use of force by police, with some officials such as New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani suggesting new approaches to policing that would focus on mental health and crisis response.
What To Know
Authorities responded to a domestic violence incident at a residence in northern Osage County at 10:24 a.m. local time on Saturday after a woman called 911 seeking help for a domestic disturbance.
A male civilian, on Sunday identified as McMillan, was found standing outside the residence in question and allegedly opened fire on the officers after 10 minutes, wounding three deputies from the Osage County Sheriff’s Office and a Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) trooper.
Additional law enforcement officers responded after the shooting occurred, discovering that the suspect had been shot and killed, while another civilian, on Sunday identified as McMillan’s 77-year-old grandfather, was wounded and taken to a hospital for treatment.
A KHP lieutenant was also involved in the shooting but was not injured.
On Sunday, the KBI revealed that two of the deputies had undergone surgery overnight and were listed in good condition, while the third deputy was discharged from the hospital, according to ABC News.
The trooper has also been released since his transfer to the University of Kansas Medical Center. McMillan’s grandfather remains hospitalized as of Saturday evening but is expected to survive.
The identities of the officers were not immediately released, according to The Topeka Capital-Journal. The KBI has taken over the investigation, with all law enforcement offices directing questions to KBI.

What Happens Next
The suspect’s motive and additional details of the domestic dispute remain unknown, but authorities will reveal more information as it becomes available.
In a statement posted to Facebook on Saturday, the KBI wrote that it “aims to discover all events leading up to the officer-involved shooting. In police use of force cases, the KBI releases details to the public as soon as possible.”
It continued: “This information is preliminary in nature, and is based on evidence collected and early statements of the parties involved, witnesses, medical personnel and others. It does not represent final or thorough findings which take several weeks to complete.”
Kansas
Kansas officers shot while responding to domestic violence call; Suspect dead
Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Erik Smith speaks at a news conference about a domestic violence incident that resulted in multiple casualties, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at the Carbondale City Library in Carbondale, Kan. (Credit: KBI)
CARBONDALE, Kan. – Four law enforcement officers were shot on Saturday morning while responding to a call at a home in a rural area south of Topeka, Kansas.
Dig deeper:
The shooting was around 10:30 a.m. Three Osage County sheriff’s deputies and one Kansas Highway Patrol trooper were shot, Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Melissa Underwood said.
A male suspect died from gunshot wounds, leaders from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and state Highway Patrol said. One other male was injured and taken to a hospital and is in stable condition, officials said.
Deputies and troopers were responding to a domestic violence incident north of Carbondale. They were on scene for several minutes when gunfire erupted, authorities said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded immediately to the call of the shooting, officials said.
The scene of the shooting is a house off a two-lane road that runs to Topeka. Authorities blocked off the road about six-tenths of a mile south of there.
What they’re saying:
Their conditions are “still very fluid,” Underwood said.
Big picture view:
The area of the shooting is a rural region close to U.S. Highway 75. There is no active threat to the public, Underwood said.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. Information in this story comes from statements by officials with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas Highway Patrol. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Kansas
Power Play Comes Alive in 6-3 Wichita Win at Kansas City | Pro Hockey News
INDEPENDENCE, MO – Wichita began a six-game road trip on Friday night, knocking off Kansas City, 6-3, at Cable Dahmer Arena.
Noah Beck and Declan Smith led the way with three points while Peter Bates added two helpers. Roddy Ross earned his second win of the season, stopping 29 shots.
Smith opened the scoring at 12:39 of the first period. Vanroboys won a battle in the corner to the left of Ian Shane. Houle found Smith in the slot, and he put a one-timer past him for his first of the season to make it 1-0.
In the second, Houle added to the lead just 29 seconds into the frame. Noah Beck danced around Landon McCallum at the blue line, fired a shot on net and Shane made the save. He couldn’t find the rebound, which popped into the crease. Houle pounced on it and made it 2-0.
Just over a minute later, David Cotton cut the lead to one. Jake McLaughlin raced up the ice and peeled back in the corner. McLaughlin fed a pass to Cotton at the right faceoff dot, and he beat Ross for his third of the year to make it 2-1.
Wichita re-gained a two-goal margin at 16:50 with a marker from Spencer Blackwell. Michal Stinil lifted a pass up in the air that got behind the defense. Blackwell beat Luke LaMaster to the puck and unloaded a shot past Shane to make it 3-1.
Kansas City fought back into the contest early in the third. Jackson Jutting took a shot that was initially blocked at the left point. He stayed with the play and fired it through traffic at 1:31 to make it 3-2.
Beck recorded his first of two at 3:32. Wichita won a faceoff to the left of Shane. Beck got to the loose puck in the slot and scored his fourth of the year to make it 4-2.
Jack Randl cut the lead back to one once again on the man advantage at 5:35. Bobo Carpenter let a shot go from the left circle that caught Ross’s leg pad. Randl got to a loose puck and put home a rebound for his fifth of the campaign to make it 4-3.
Wichita was awarded another power play when Hudson Wilson was called for slashing. He broke Smith’s stick in two pieces and gave the Thunder another opportunity. Kyle Crnkovic made a great play to steal the puck in the slot and kept the play alive. Bates fed it back to the blue line and Beck put one past Shane from the high slot for his fifth of the year to make it 5-3.
Smith added an empty netter at 19:25 and Wichita earned a 6-3 victory.
Wichita snapped a three-game road losing skid and evened the season-series with Kansas City at one win apiece.
Beck and Smith each tallied two goals and an assist. Blackwell scored his second of the year. Houle finished with a goal and an assist.
Wichita recorded two power play goals in a game for the first time this season and finished 2-for-6. Kansas City was 1-for-3 with the man advantage.
The two teams play once again tomorrow night at Cable Dahmer Arena to close a three-game series. Opening faceoff is set for 6:05 p.m.
Single game tickets for all games are on sale now. Our next homestand takes place starting on Wednesday, October 29 against the Florida Everblades. Buy tickets by clicking HERE.
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