#86 Garrett Oakley

Redshirt Freshman | 6-5 | 228 lbs. | Columbus, Nebraska

Courtesy Kansas State Athletics

• Position: Tight End
• Previous College: None
• Projection: Scout Team
• Status: On Scholarship

Garrett Oakley (b. Nov. 30, 2003) is an explosive young tight end/H-back from Nebraska who redshirted and did not see any playing time in 2022 due to good depth at the position.

Oakley prepped under head coach Tyler Linder at Scotus Central Catholic High School, where he was rated the 21st-best tight end and the sixth-best player overall in the state of Nebraska for the Class of 2022 by ESPN. His play style is reminiscent of Sammy Wheeler’s.

He set the school records for career receptions (107) and receiving yards (1,640) for the Shamrocks, earning honorable mention all-state honors as both a sophomore and junior.

Oakley also competed in basketball — he was an honorable mention all-state pick — and track, in which he was a state qualifier.

He is majoring in business administration and plans to become a financial advisor.

Oakley, rated a 2-star player by Rivals but a 3-star by both 247 and ESPN, chose K-State over offers from North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, South Dakota and South Dakota State, plus interest from Arizona State, Minnesota and Utah. His primary recruiters were ex-offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham and offensive line coach Conor Riley.

Here’s what tight ends coach Brian Lepak said last year of Oakley and Brayden Loftin:

Our two incoming freshmen ... have performed really well. They’re continuing to learn and as young guys they have a way to go. Tight end for us is a developmental position and they’re really coming along and picking it up and learning how to play hard and that’s the great thing about how we practice. They get a lot of reps because we split the field. They’re coming along well.

And this is what Chris Klieman had to say about his newest tight end signee in 2021:

Garrett is also a player that came to camp. A really good athlete. Played on the ball, flexed out and created mismatches. Really excited to get Garrett to join (Loftin) and upgrade that tight end group with athleticism and size and physicality and ability to run.