Kansas State is looking for a new spark in its passing game, and Hawaii transfer Brandon White has already started to make his case.
With Avery Johnson needing a top target after Jayce Brown transferred to LSU in the offseason, the Wildcats went shopping in the portal. They added Joshua Manning from Missouri, but White is another name to keep front and center. Last season at Hawaii, he caught 38 passes for 399 yards and two touchdowns.
White’s spring has apparently gone well enough to catch Johnson’s attention. The sophomore quarterback said on 3MAW at Big 12 Media Days that White has become one of his favorite options, and he didn’t hold back when describing what makes the senior difficult to handle.
“(White) is the hardest to guard one-on-one,” K-State quarterback Avery Johnson said on 3MAW at Big 12 Media Days. “His change of direction, his route running, his speed - every safety, every corner will tell you you’re the hardest guy to stay in front of.
So I’ve just got to get him the ball in space and let him do his thing with it after. He’s a friendly YAC (yards after catch) receiver.”
White’s path to Manhattan has taken him through two previous stops. He started his college career at Kentucky and spent two seasons in Lexington without seeing much playing time before moving on.
The Wildcats’ 2024 season also carries extra weight because it’s the first under Collin Klein. He takes over after Chris Klieman resigned unexpectedly following last year’s 6-6 finish, and Kansas State is hoping the former Wildcats star can help push the program back into Big 12 contention.
Fans will get a chance to meet Klein and the players on Aug. 22 at the annual “Meet the Cats” event at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Gates open at 11 a.m., and autographs will be available from Klein and the players, along with the men’s and women’s basketball teams, whose seasons begin in November.
In Other News...
Former Kansas State LB Austin Romaine Is Turning Heads In The Big 12
Austin Romaine did enough at Kansas State to leave a real impression, and now he is carrying that reputation into a new setting at Texas Tech. After recording 60 tackles and a half sack for the Wildcats before transferring, the former K-State linebacker has already been noticed again, with Pro Football Focus College naming him among the Big 12s best returning linebackers and teammates in Lubbock offering early praise for the way he has fit in.
For Kansas State fans, it is another reminder of how much production Romaine brought to the defense before moving on, and why his next step is worth watching. Texas Tech clearly believes it added a player who can help elevate the middle of the defense, and the buzz around him is only growing as he settles into his new program and tries to build on the foundation he established in Manhattan. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Freshman Garrick Dixon Could Help Sooner Than Expected
Garrick Dixon arrived in Manhattan with the kind of rsum that usually comes with a little more long-range planning, even for a freshman cornerback. The St. Louis product signed with Kansas State after being rated one of Missouris top prospects at the position and stacking up multiple high school football honors, which is part of why he entered the program with real buzz despite the expectation that he would take the slower developmental route.
Stanton Weber said Dixon is expected to redshirt, but the special teams coordinator also made it clear the rookie should have a role there right away, which can change a freshmans timeline in a hurry. For Kansas State, that makes Dixon one of those early-camp names worth tracking: not necessarily because he is being asked to jump into a full-time defensive role, but because special teams can become the quickest path from promising newcomer to useful contributor. [Read more 🡒]