The St. Louis Cardinals added a former Kansas State standout to their draft haul, taking shortstop Dee Kennedy with the No. 114 pick.
Kennedy’s college production at Kansas State made him an easy name to notice. He started every one of the 114 games he played for the Wildcats and finished with a .357 batting average along with 20 home runs.
Meanwhile, Kansas State football has also been active on the recruiting trail for the future, extending offers to several 2029 prospects.
One of them is cornerback Riley Lewis, who attends Duncanville High School in Duncanville, TX. North Texas, SMU, and Texas Tech were among the other schools to offer him. Even though 2029 is still a long way off, Kansas State is clearly beginning to build early relationships for that class.
The Wildcats also offered 2029 wide receiver Colton Laisure from Sullivan East High School in Bluff City, TN. Laisure is currently unranked, which is expected for a rising high school sophomore, but his offer list already includes Arizona, Florida State, and Kentucky, among others. Wide receiver remains an immediate need for Kansas State, even if the real payoff on this one would be years down the road.
Kansas State is also in the mix for quarterback Jaden Snell, who has more than 36 DI offers. Tennessee, Alabama, Indiana, and Houston are among the schools pursuing him.
Last season, Snell threw for 1,030 yards and 10 touchdowns with three interceptions while completing 68.4 percent of his passes. He also rushed 17 times for 161 yards and two touchdowns.
In Other News...
Joe Jackson Embraces New Backfield Competition At Kansas State
Joe Jackson is back in the role Kansas State wants him to own, coming off a breakout junior season that put him on the All-Big 12 radar and made him the Wildcats featured runner again. After rushing for 911 yards and eight touchdowns a year ago, Jackson has every reason to view the backfield as his, but he is approaching the next step with the kind of confidence that usually comes from knowing what he can do.
Kansas States additions of Rodney Fields and Jay Harris only seem to have sharpened that mindset. Jackson has talked up the way their skill sets fit together and the relationship the three have already built, a sign that the Wildcats are trying to create more than a simple depth chart battle. For Jackson, the competition is part of the appeal, and how that rotation settles in could shape one of the more important position groups on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Just Set A New Tone For Kansas State Football
Collin Kleins first Big 12 media days as Kansas States head coach offered a clear glimpse of the standard he wants to set. The former Wildcats quarterback leaned hard into toughness, energy and grit, framing his program around a more physical, more demanding identity while also leaning on the same steady presence that made him such a natural fit for the job in the first place. It was the kind of appearance that reminded everyone why Kansas State hired him, because he sounded like someone intent on carrying the programs edge forward rather than simply preserving it.
Avery Johnson is right at the center of that vision, and Klein made it clear the quarterbacks next step is about playing with more freedom and aggression in 2026. Kansas State also has some early momentum behind the scenes, with Kleins first recruiting class drawing strong national respect and giving the staff a foundation to build on. The bigger question now is how quickly that tone turns into results once the Wildcats get back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Is Already Pushing Hard To Build Its Next Wave
Kansas State is not waiting around to see how the next few recruiting cycles unfold. The Wildcats have already been active with offers across future classes, including 2027 cornerback Riley Lewis, 2027 quarterback Ty Snell, 2029 wide receiver Colton Laisure and 2029 tight end Caiden Snow, a sign the staff is trying to get in early on players who are already drawing attention from Division I programs.
Lewis and Snell are both deep into crowded recruiting battles, while Snow is also hearing from some of the biggest names in the sport. Even the younger names in the mix show how wide Kansas State is casting its net as it tries to stack talent well ahead of time, and the real question now is how many of these early relationships the Wildcats can turn into something more down the road. [Read more 🡒]