Kansas State has spent the last month trying to piece together its quarterback situation, and Saturday brings another change.
Junior Blake Barnett is set to start against Oklahoma State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, making him the Wildcats’ fourth quarterback in the last four games. For a program that had leaned on Avery Johnson for three years, this stretch has been a jolt.
First-year coach Collin Klein is the one trying to steer through it, and he said the approach matters as much as the personnel.
"I think it's important," Klein said. "I think different guys do it (in) different ways. They got to be themselves and genuine in what that is."
Kansas State isn’t asking for sympathy. The Wildcats know injuries happen in football, and in this case they just hit all at once.
The chain reaction started after the Sunflower Showdown win over Kansas, when Johnson suffered an undisclosed injury at some point during or after the game and missed the next week against Arizona State.
That opened the door for senior Jacob Knuth, who started against the Sun Devils. Kansas State lost 28-17, but Knuth gave the Wildcats a steady enough outing.
He didn’t put them in position to win, but he also didn’t sink them. If Johnson was going to be out again, Knuth looked like a workable answer - until he went down with an ankle injury.
From there, Klein had to turn to sophomore Dillon Duff on the road against Colorado. It was Duff’s first action at the college level, and he lasted less than a quarter before Klein made another switch. Barnett came in late in the first quarter and finished the job from there, throwing three touchdowns in a 27-24 overtime loss.
Now Barnett gets the next shot, and Kansas State is still searching for the stability it once had at the position.
In Other News...
Collin Klein Is Chasing An Intriguing Early Defensive Target
Collin Klein is already laying groundwork well beyond the next signing day, and one of the more interesting names in that early push is Cincinnati linebacker Graham Uran. Kansas State has been active in the 2028 and later recruiting classes, extending scholarship offers to a growing list of high school players as Klein and his staff try to get ahead of the curve and build relationships early.
The broader picture is a Wildcats program casting a wide net across several states, with multiple prospects picking up Kansas State offers or drawing interest from other schools as well. For a staff trying to shape future defensive classes, those early evaluations matter, and Uran stands out as part of a group the Wildcats are watching closely while the recruiting board for the years ahead starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Faces A Brutal Home Test With QB Uncertainty
Kansas State heads into Saturdays home date with Oklahoma State carrying more questions than answers, and the biggest one is under center. Blake Barnett is set to start at quarterback with Avery Johnson still unavailable, leaving the Wildcats to navigate a difficult matchup at Bill Snyder Family Stadium against an opponent that arrives with real offensive firepower.
Oklahoma State brings a dangerous attack led by quarterback Drew Mestemaker, while Kansas State is trying to steady both sides of the ball after a stretch of uneven play. The matchup already looks like a stern test, and the prediction leans toward the Cowboys, which only adds to the pressure on a Wildcats team looking for any sign that the offense can find its footing without Johnson. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Faces A Defining Test With Bowl Hopes On The Line
Kansas State is heading into another unsettled week at quarterback, with Blake Barnett set to become the Wildcats fourth different starter of the season after Avery Johnson was potentially sidelined by injury. That kind of turnover would be difficult at any point, but it is especially tricky now, with bowl hopes still hanging in the balance and no margin left for much more offensive inconsistency.
Oklahoma State comes to Bill Snyder Family Stadium with the kind of offense that can punish defensive lapses, and the matchup looks like one that could turn into a shootout if K-State is going to keep pace. The Wildcats are expected to put up points of their own, but the bigger question is whether a team still searching for stability at the games most important position can hold up against a dangerous opponent in a game that feels as close to a must-win as it gets. [Read more 🡒]