It took only one game for Collin Klein to step back from one of the jobs he had embraced since returning to Kansas State.
After calling the offense for K-State’s first eight games, Klein handed those duties to offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson for last week’s home game against Oklahoma State. The move was a surprise, especially for a coach who had made it clear in February that he wanted to handle play-calling himself.
“As we get off the ground here with a lot of new faces,” Klein said in an exclusive interview in February, “this is the best way to make sure we are getting things done the right way, exactly how I envision it. Leading the offense is important to me, and I’m really excited about it.”
A few months later, though, Klein decided he needed to see the bigger picture more clearly. During his weekly news conference on Monday, he explained that the change came after he started feeling like he was missing things too late in the week.
“It was a combination of factors,” Klein said during his weekly news conference on Monday. “There were a few things that happened a couple of weeks before when I was catching myself going, ‘Oh, we needed to fix that on Tuesday, and now it’s Thursday.’
I didn’t see that fast enough to make a difference, and that was very frustrating to me. It felt like my vision was getting a little bit blurred.”
So against Oklahoma State, Klein shifted the play-calling burden elsewhere and focused more on the larger responsibilities that come with being a head coach. He said the arrangement helped him process the game better and lowered his stress during the week.
The results, though, were ugly. Oklahoma State rolled to a 66-28 win, and Kansas State did not get better on either side of the ball. Instead, it turned in its worst performance of the season.
Even after that, Klein did not sound like a coach second-guessing the decision. He also made it clear this is not meant to be permanent. He appears to want to return to calling plays at some point, but it’s still uncertain whether that happens this week or later.
As of Monday, Klein said it “would be my bet” that Gleeson calls plays again this week, though he left open the possibility that could change.
For now, Klein is still figuring it out as he goes, making adjustments on the fly in his first season as a head coach at K-State.
In Other News...
Kansas State Is Feeling Some Transfer Losses More Than Others
Kansas States transfer departures have become part of the backdrop to the programs recent transition, and the impact is showing up in different ways depending on who left and where they landed. Some of the former Wildcats who moved on after the coaching changes have settled into new roles at major programs, while others are still trying to find the same footing they had in Manhattan. For a team navigating the demands of the 2026 season, those exits are more than a roster note, because they shape both the depth chart and the sense of what might have been.
Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder at SMU and Jayce Brown at LSU are among the names drawing the most attention, not just because of where they ended up, but because of what their departures say about Kansas States talent pipeline. The Wildcats have had to absorb those losses while also dealing with the broader challenge of keeping the roster steady through a coaching transition, and the full effect is still unfolding as those former players continue their new chapters elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Heads To TCU With A Major Quarterback Problem
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The injury report is a challenge on both sides of the matchup, with TCU also set to be without seven players and two safeties listed as questionable. Even so, the Wildcats concerns are the more immediate storyline because of what the quarterback losses mean for how they can function on offense. With depth already being tested, Kansas State will have to sort through its options quickly before facing a conference opponent that has its own availability issues to manage. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Has A Rising Weapon Fans Need To Watch Closely
Linkon Cures role has been growing for Kansas State, and his showing against Oklahoma State was another sign that the tight end is becoming a more important part of the offense. Cure finished with a career-best five catches for 33 yards, continuing a stretch in which he has earned more snaps and more trust after a teammates injury opened the door for him.
Collin Klein has taken notice of the progress and said Cures development has put him in position to be used more moving forward. For a Kansas State offense looking for reliable options, Cures season line of 18 catches for 185 yards and a touchdown suggests there is still room for his role to expand if the Wildcats keep leaning into what he can do. [Read more 🡒]