Brandon White wasted no time making his presence felt at Kansas State.
In his first game for the Wildcats, the receiver turned a punt into six points, ripping off a 65-yard return for a touchdown in last week’s win over Nicholls at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. That play helped first-year coach Collin Klein open his Kansas State tenure with a victory, and it immediately put White in the spotlight as a possible special teams difference-maker.
Klein said White earned the return job during training camp because of the way he moved and handled the ball.
"You could tell really, really good short-area quickness," Klein said "He caught the ball, for the most part, well through training camp. We rotated a lot of different guys back there, and (he) had a natural feel for it. I think our guys get really excited because of how Coach (Stanton) Weber sells it, and the history of this place, and how important we make it that they're excited to get a shot and take it."
White’s path to Manhattan has been a winding one. He started his college career at Kentucky, spent three seasons in Lexington, and then played last year for Hawaii.
That kind of movement has become common in the transfer portal era, and White decided Kansas State was the next stop. Early on, the move is paying off for both sides. The Wildcats are hoping the return game becomes a weapon, and White is already giving them a jolt there.
There’s also a wider role waiting for him on offense. Last season, White posted the best numbers of his career, finishing with 38 catches for 399 yards and two touchdowns at Hawaii. He is listed among the starters alongside Josh Manning and Jaron Tibbs, and he added two receptions for 20 yards, with a long of 13, against Nicholls.
With Jayce Brown now gone to LSU, Kansas State is searching for a receiver who can break out and help fill that void. White’s first outing suggested he could be part of that answer.
In Other News...
Kansas State Just Sent An Early Big 12 Warning
The first glimpse of the Big 12s new Monster Energy Drink branding on fields and jerseys drew plenty of eye rolls from fans, and Kansas State supporters were hardly alone in wondering how the conference would look with a sponsor splashed across the action. But once the 2026 season got underway, the complaints mostly gave way to something more familiar: a conference race quickly taking shape, with Week 1 offering an early read on who looked ready to contend and who still had work to do.
For Kansas State, the opening weekend mattered as much for perception as for the standings. The Wildcats were part of a Big 12 slate that produced immediate reactions and a fresh set of power rankings, and their place in that early pecking order sent a message about how the conference is being viewed right now. It is still September, but the Big 12 already has enough results on the board to start separating the teams that look built for the grind from the ones still trying to find their footing. [Read more 🡒]
Avery Johnson Just Gave K State Fans Reason To Believe Again
A familiar partnership was back on the sideline and under center Saturday, as Collin Klein and Avery Johnson shared a game for the first time since 2023 and Kansas State rolled to a 71-point win over Nicholls. The first impressions were encouraging enough for a fan base looking for a fresh start, with Johnson throwing for 199 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing score in a performance that looked far smoother than anything the Wildcats had in their season opener a year ago.
Johnsons night also checked some of the biggest boxes Kansas State has been asking him to fill: command, confidence and control of the offense. Klein, now in charge of the program, came away impressed with the quarterbacks decision-making and feel in the pocket, and the Wildcats will take that kind of growth as a sign that the offense might finally be settling in. The real test, of course, is coming later, when the competition gets a lot less forgiving and the questions around Johnson and this offense become a whole lot harder to answer. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Faces A Defensive Test As One Injury Looms This Week
Kansas State is gearing up for another early-season test, and Collin Klein is already setting the tone by talking about what stands out on the other sideline. Ahead of the matchup with Washington State, Klein pointed to quarterback Caden Pinnick as a tough, talented player who can make life difficult for a defense, a reminder that the Wildcats may need to be sharp from the opening series.
The bigger concern for Kansas State, though, is its own health on defense. Klein also offered an update on linebacker Mekhi Mason, whose lower body injury looked troubling at first glance but may not be as serious as it seemed, with a return potentially coming soon. For a Wildcats defense that will need its depth and communication in a game like this, Masons status is one of the more important storylines to watch this week. [Read more 🡒]