Kansas State has long made a habit of leaning on in-state talent, and that pipeline looks as strong as ever heading into 2026. With Collin Klein now running the program, the Wildcats are expected to keep featuring plenty of Kansas natives - 22 players from the state are on the roster, plus a few more from the Missouri side of Kansas City.
Among that group, three players stand out as the ones most likely to shape K-State’s season in a big way: Mikey Bergeron on special teams, Wesley Fair on defense, and Avery Johnson on offense.
Bergeron has already carved out a clear role in the third phase. The former Mill Valley High School standout started all 12 games on the four core special teams last season, led the Wildcats in special teams snaps and finished with 8 total tackles, including 5 on the punt team.
Listed at safety, the 6-foot-2, 194-pound Bergeron has become a physical, reliable piece for a unit that is expected to get back to form under new Special Teams Coordinator Stanton Weber. With two seasons of experience behind him, he looks like a strong candidate to lead those groups and follow in the footsteps of former Wildcats such as Seth Porter and Ross Elder.
Fair’s rise has been steady, and it could be ready to accelerate. The Wichita Collegiate product went to Frisco to represent the Wildcats at Big 12 Media Days after a 2025 season that showed real growth.
He redshirted his first year, played in three games, then spent much of 2024 on special teams before taking a major step forward a year later. In 12 games with starts in each of the first six, Fair logged 36 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 3 pass breakups and 1 fumble recovery across 409 defensive snaps.
He split time between two safety spots and now enters his fourth year in Manhattan as an experienced option for new defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson. Even with added competition this offseason, Fair’s development and football IQ give him a real chance to stay on the field.
Then there’s Johnson, the headliner and the player with the biggest ceiling of the bunch. The Maize native is heading into his final season with history within reach.
He already shares the school record for career passing touchdowns with 48, ranks fourth in completions with 458, is tied for fifth in passing attempts with 779, and sits sixth in passing yards with 5,576. He also owns 70 total touchdowns, good for third in K-State history.
Johnson has delivered plenty of memorable moments along the way, from running for five touchdowns his freshman season at Texas Tech to helping complete a comeback win at Colorado as a sophomore and leading K-State’s 17th straight win over Kansas as a junior.
The next step is about putting all of it together. Johnson has been reunited with the coach who recruited him to Manhattan, and the fit between the two has generated plenty of buzz.
He has grown as a passer since his freshman year, when Collin Klein leaned more heavily on his legs, and that progression has raised expectations for what the two can do together. If Johnson delivers the kind of season K-State is hoping for, the Wildcats’ chances rise with him.
If he puts it all together in his fourth season in Manhattan, he could end up among the best players ever to suit up at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
In Other News...
BYU Fans Have One Big Reason To Watch Big 12 Media Days
Big 12 Football Media Days in Frisco have become the leagues annual offseason checkpoint, with all 16 teams cycling through questions about roster changes, coaching turnover and what the next season might look like. For Kansas State, the setting matters because Collin Klein is among the four coaches making his first podium appearance in this forum, giving Wildcats fans a first real look at how the programs new voice will sound on a stage built for leaguewide attention.
Theres also a more immediate football reason to tune in. Avery Johnson is part of the group of returning quarterbacks drawing interest in Frisco, and his presence gives K-State a familiar face in a room full of change. Add in the possibility of commissioner Brett Yormark weighing in on the sports biggest issues, and the Wildcats corner of media days feels like more than just background noise. [Read more 🡒]
Avery Johnson Enters A Defining Kansas State Season Under Heavy Pressure
Avery Johnson is stepping into his final season as Kansas States starting quarterback with the sort of pressure that usually comes with a program trying to prove it belongs in the upper tier again. The Wildcats have a new head coach in Collin Klein, whose arrival adds another layer of intrigue to a season already centered on whether Johnson can take the next step as a dual-threat playmaker after showing plenty of talent and experience.
For Kansas State, this is about more than just steady quarterback play. Johnsons last run as the starter carries real weight for a team hoping to climb into the Big 12 race, and the expectations around him stretch beyond Manhattan, too. If he can elevate his game under Klein, the Wildcats could have a very different kind of season, one that changes how both the program and Johnson are viewed heading into the future. [Read more 🡒]