MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State’s Consensus All-American offensive lineman Cooper Beebe added to his off-the-field accolades on Thursday, as he was named the 2023 Big 12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches, the conference office announced.
Beebe is the third Wildcat to be named the Big 12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year since the award’s inception in 2012, as the Kansas City, Kansas, product joins wide receiver Tyler Lockett (2014) and offensive lineman Adam Holtorf (2019). Kansas State’s three Big 12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year honorees are the most in the conference, bettering the two put together by Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Texas.
Beebe was a finalist for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy, which is often referred to as the “Academic Heisman,” while he earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 each of the last four seasons and Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Communicators in both 2022 and 2023. A 2023 K-State graduate with a degree in social studies education, Beebe held a 3.84 GPA and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction.
Just as impressive as he feats in the classroom, Beebe will go down as one of the best offensive linemen in school history, having played in 51 games with 48 starts and helping the Wildcats earn a 2022 Big 12 Championship and a pair of bowl victories over the last three seasons. Beebe became the first K-State offensive lineman in school history to be named a Consensus All-American when he earned the nod in 2023, while he was also a finalist for the Outland Trophy and semifinalist for the Lombardi Award.
Beebe was named the 2022 and 2023 Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year, one of just five players to earn the honor in consecutive seasons since the award began in 2006. He is also only just the second offensive lineman in school history to earn three-straight All-Big 12 First Team honors, joining Dalton Risner (2016-18). In addition to helping the Wildcats set multiple school records in the rushing game, Beebe was also an accomplished pass blocker as he allowed only five sacks among his 1,488 career pass blocking snaps (according to Pro Football Focus), including just one in his final 42 games.
– k-statesports.com –
RYAN LACKEY
Associate Athletics Director for Communications