The case for Kansas State lineman Cooper Beebe as best offensive player in Big 12

When Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels was named preseason Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year earlier this month you could hear grumbling from every corner of the conference.
What about Texas receiver Xavier Worthy? ... Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel got robbed! ... Why isn’t Kansas State quarterback Will Howard getting more love?
Interestingly, no one cried foul on behalf of perhaps the most deserving offensive player in the league: K-State’s Cooper Beebe.
The 6-foot-4 and 335-pound left guard, a graduate of Piper High, has been nothing short of dominant as a blocker for the Wildcats. Last season, he was a first-team All-American and the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year. He didn’t allow a single sack, he only committed one penalty and he paved the way for countless K-State touchdowns.
At one point, he sent a pair of Tulane defenders to the ground with one punishing shove. And now he’s back as a senior with big goals.
Some think he is a future first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
“I think Cooper is arguably the best player in this conference,” Howard said, “and I also think he is one of the best players in the country.”
Those who study Big 12 football year round tend to agree. One head football coach crossed paths with Beebe last week at Big 12 Media Days in Arlington, Texas, and then told his media assistant, “That guy is going to win the Outland Trophy,” which is awarded annually to the nation’s top interior offensive lineman.
Why, then, isn’t Beebe receiving more preseason buzz?
It all boils down to one thing: His position on the football field. If he played a more exciting position, one that allowed him to touch the ball every now and then and to score the occasional touchdown, he would almost certainly be mentioned in the same sentence as everyone else listed above.
When K-State coach Chris Klieman was asked if Beebe deserves consideration as the best offensive player in the Big 12 he reluctantly shook his head.
“Of course he does,” Klieman said. “But it will never happen, and Cooper knows that.”
Beebe understandably wishes things were different.
Why can’t an offensive lineman get the same kind of recognition as a quarterback or a running back or a wide receiver?
“I think it’s hard to compare positions, because everyone on the field has their role, but I feel like I play my role exceptionally well,” Beebe said. “Offensive linemen just don’t usually get any love. It’s hard to say why. If you put it out there (that I should be Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year) I bet K-State fans will back you up and make an argument for it. But it’s just tough to put an offensive lineman in that spot, because it’s the skill players who always get the love.”
Beebe did generate some noise on social media when K-State fans realized he wasn’t a unanimous pick for the preseason All-Big 12 team.
They weren’t happy about that. Neither was Beebe.
“I let the K-State fans do all the arguing and the debating for me and I just go out there and play football,” Beebe said. “But I will say that was tough to see. Fortunately, it’s a preseason thing so I’m going to go out there and have a great season and see if I can be a unanimous guy at the end of the year.”
His teammates are confident that Beebe will deliver another All-America season.
There is little reason to doubt him. Beebe has been outstanding ever since he found his footing after a few rocky games as a redshirt freshman. He hasn’t allowed a single sack in 803 consecutive downs as a pass-blocker dating back to 2020 and his pass-blocking grade of 94 led the nation last season at Pro Football Focus.
“Pound for pound he is one of the best players in the country,” K-State defensive back Kobe Savage said. “You can say that without any doubt. He is a huge linemen that plays a great technique. When you get him pulling around on a counter play, a split zone or a G play it’s not pretty for us on defense. He has such good technique and footwork that you can’t get by him. He always finds a way to get leverage on your.”
K-State linebacker Daniel Green agrees.
If Beebe isn’t one of the best offensive players in the Big 12, he doesn’t know who is.
“The hype is real with him,” Green said. “Cooper is really annoying in practice. I can’t tell you how many times he has gotten in the way of me making a play. But I love it because it makes me better when I’m going against the very best.”