Kansas State’s 2026 season is already starting with one obvious focal point: Collin Klein.
As the Wildcats begin the long build toward Year 1 under their head coach, Klein is the name drawing the most attention - even ahead of quarterback Avery Johnson, who remains a major piece of the equation. CBS Sports backed up that buzz by giving Kansas State’s roster a B-minus, slotting the Wildcats alongside programs like Virginia Tech under James Franklin and Kentucky under Will Stein.
That grade matters because Kansas State has been through a major reset over the last few months, and yet the roster still has enough pieces to keep some optimism alive.
CBS Sports pointed to Klein’s return as the guy who could get the most out of Johnson, writing: "Collin Klein's homecoming brings hope that he can unlock the best in senior QB Avery Johnson, whom he recruited and coached for one season before heading to Texas A&M. The Wildcats return leading rusher Joe Jackson and a reliable target in Jaron Tibbs. With star left tackle John Pastore also back, this isn't a total rebuild for the K-State offense, and Klein should be able to coax a good year from the unit."
The article also highlighted help on defense, noting: "The addition of Oklahoma State transfer Wendell Gregory on the edge will give the Wildcats' defense some teeth, and returning cornerback Zashon Rich has All-Big 12 potential," the article wrote. "There is some talent at virtually every position group. The question is whether there's enough of it throughout the roster to make K-State a factor in the Big 12 race during Klein's first season."
Klein’s track record in Manhattan explains why there’s so much faith in him. He played a part in two of the program’s three Big 12 championships, first as a player and then as an assistant. After becoming one of the most dangerous rushing quarterbacks in college football history, he moved into a variety of sideline roles and has been a fixture around Wildcats football since 2010.
Even during his time away, Klein continued to show he could develop talent in a different setting. At Texas A&M, he helped quarterback Marcel Reed grow into one of the nation’s best signal-callers.
For Johnson, the reunion could come at the perfect time. Since Klein left, the quarterback’s progress hasn’t matched expectations. Now, with Klein back calling plays, Johnson is being projected for a breakout 2026.
Klein said the offseason message has been simple and demanding. "The mindset and mantra throughout the whole winter was 'strain and finish,'" Klein said in his interview with KCSN Sports Network.
"Just learning how to give more every single rep and with everything you do, while finishing every single rep of everything that we do. They've embraced that.
Excited to get on the grass. I think we've got a lot of positions that are gonna be very competitive, which we're excited about."
In Other News...
Kansas State Just Took A Big Step In Crucial 2026 Pursuit
Kansas States frontcourt recruiting picture for 2026 continues to take shape, and Teke Deng is now part of the conversation after a recent visit to the program. The three-star center has already added a UNLV offer to his board, but the Wildcats are clearly making him a priority as they look to strengthen an area that needs more long-term depth.
The interest makes plenty of sense for a roster that is still leaning on younger bigs and trying to avoid the kind of frontcourt strain that showed up last season when injuries piled up. Kansas State already has Nash Stark, Jaylen Alexander and Devin Hutcherson committed in the 2026 class, and adding a center like Deng would fit the broader push to rebuild the roster with more size and stability inside. [Read more 🡒]
National Buzz Around Kansas State Just Got Very Real
Kansas States offseason buzz has started to travel beyond Manhattan, and the national conversation is beginning to catch up. CBS Sports recently put the Wildcats fourth among the Big 12 teams most likely to win the conference, a sign that this program is being viewed as more than just a solid returner in a league that rarely leaves much room at the top.
A big reason for that optimism is the change on the sideline, with Collin Klein stepping into his first head-coaching job after already carrying plenty of familiarity with the program. He has made it clear he expects this group to develop quickly, and quarterback Avery Johnson is viewed as one of the players who could help make that jump real if Kansas State can turn early confidence into the kind of fast start that changes a season. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Fans Wont Love What This NBA Moment Revived
Bennett Stirtz is headed to the NBA after a two-year rise that kept adding fuel to the resume, and his path will look even better now that hes done it with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Across those college seasons, he averaged 19.5 points, 1.7 steals and five rebounds, the kind of production that makes every program in the region think twice about recruiting misses and developmental upside.
For Kansas State fans, the old familiar sting comes from more than just Stirtzs ascent. The article also points to former Wildcats Nate Johnson and Onyenso finding their own NBA entry points, with Johnson now in Oklahoma City and Onyenso headed to Detroit, a reminder that K-State talent is still reaching the league even as another name from the area becomes impossible to ignore. What lingers is how a moment from Stirtzs college career against the Wildcats still fits so neatly into the larger story of what might have been. [Read more 🡒]