Kansas State and Iowa State are set to kick off the 2025 college football season in Dublin, Ireland. The Wildcats will need to begin Week 0 without one of their best players in starting left tackle George Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick spent most of the summer dealing with an unspecified medical issue after being hospitalized during a spring practice session. He has since rejoined the team but will be out for the Week 0 contest, On3 Sports' Pete Nakos reported.
Fitzpatrick, a former four-star recruit, started his career at Ohio State, where he has spent the last three seasons. He committed to Kansas State in the college football transfer portal and was immediately expected to be a key part of an elite offensive line. However, he now remains without an official return timeline.
Without Fitzpatrick in the lineup, Kansas State will turn to junior John Pastore, who appeared in nine games in 2024. Although preparing for his first career start, Pastore has been practicing with the first-team offense since Fitzpatrick left the team early in the offseason.
Pastore will join Sam Hecht, JB Nelson, Taylor Poitier and Terrence Enos in the Wildcats' starting offensive line. Led by Hecht, a 2024 second-team All-Big 12 center, the group is widely regarded as one of the best units in the conference.
Kansas State, Iowa State kicking off 2025 college football season
Kansas State and Iowa State will begin the 2025 college football season in Ireland, marking the fourth consecutive year a game will be held in the Aviva Stadium. Ireland has hosted seven college football games since 2012, with the 2025 season opener the 11th game in the country overall.
The Wildcats and Cyclones are both coming off stellar 2024 campaigns and find themselves in the preseason rankings. Kansas State will begin the year at No. 17, with Iowa State five spots behind at No. 22.
Both teams also boast two of the best quarterbacks in the conference. Avery Johnson and Rocco Becht are both preseason All-Big 12 candidates and in lockstep with Arizona State's Sam Leavitt as the conference's best signal-caller.
Despite the injury to Fitzgerald, Kansas State is still closing as a three-point favorite. The Wildcats remain a popular preseason pick to win the Big 12 three years after last taking the crown.
