Austin Romaine didn’t need long to make an impression on Texas Tech.
Ben Roberts remembers a moment from last season’s game against Kansas State, even if he can’t pin down the exact play that triggered it. What stuck with him was the reaction on the sideline at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
“That guy,” he said, “is pretty good.”
Romaine backed that up with 11 tackles that day for K-State, doing it while playing with a massive bandage wrapped around a broken hand. Kansas State still fell 43-20 as Texas Tech pulled away late, but Romaine left enough of a mark that the Red Raiders had a head start on knowing what they were getting when he arrived as a transfer this offseason.
Now he’s in Lubbock, adjusting to a new defense and already drawing praise from teammates who see the same edge that made him such a problem for opponents.
“When he got here, I knew he was a ballplayer,” Roberts said. “He’s one of those guys that comes in and just fits the program the way he’s supposed to.
He’s very intentional about the way that he goes about things. He’s competitive, and he wants to be great.
I have nothing but good things to say about him.”
For Kansas State fans, losing Romaine stung, especially with a conference rival involved. He piled up 184 tackles over three seasons with the Wildcats before deciding to finish his college career somewhere else. That kind of move has become part of the landscape in college sports.
Dylan Edwards is now playing running back for Kansas. Tre Spivey is now a wide receiver at Arizona. And Romaine is now part of the top defense in the Big 12 in Lubbock.
Texas Tech expects him to matter right away. AJ Holmes said Romaine’s spring work stood out.
“He is locked in,” Texas Tech defensive tackle AJ Holmes said. “During spring ball, his effort was amazing. Every time I turned around, I would see him playing like he was ready to take somebody’s head off.”
Roberts said Romaine has also brought a competitive, questioning mindset to the linebacker room. That’s helped him learn the defense, and it’s given his teammates a chance to learn from him, too.
“He asks a lot of questions, because he’s learning the defense, but it’s good because we get to pick his brain, too,” Roberts said. “He’s playing a different position than me, so I also have questions for him. He pushes me on and off the field.”
That same approach helped Romaine grow into an all-conference linebacker at K-State. At Texas Tech, he’s chasing more.
In Other News...
K-State Is Closing In On A Stadium Change Fans Will Notice
Kansas State is nearing a change at Bill Snyder Family Stadium that fans will notice right away, with athletic director Gene Taylor saying the school is close to finalizing a sponsorship agreement that would put logos on the football field. The deal is being negotiated through K-States sports marketing partner, Learfield, and it is expected to take effect this season, adding another visible layer of branding to a venue that has long been identified with the Wildcats football tradition.
There may be more coming beyond the field itself. K-State is also exploring a possible logo patch on its football jerseys, with the school focusing on local companies as it weighs that option, though nothing has been completed yet. For now, the field sponsorship appears to be the next concrete step, while the jersey conversation remains in the discussion stage. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Faces Big First Test As K-State Questions Keep Building
Collin Klein is about to get his first public turn as Kansas States head football coach, and it comes at a stage where every answer will be parsed for clues about what the Wildcats want to become. Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Texas, on July 8 will put Klein alongside quarterback Avery Johnson, running back Joe Jackson, linebacker Rex Van Wyhe and defensive back Wesley Fair, giving K-State a chance to set the tone for a season that already has plenty of curiosity around it.
The questions are easy to see coming. Klein will be asked about the shape of his offense, Johnsons place in the program under the new NCAA landscape, and what expectations should look like as the Wildcats try to build on recent momentum. There will also be the usual summer health check-ins and roster updates, the kind that can matter just as much in July as anything that happens on a practice field in August. [Read more 🡒]