Kansas State keeps watching former Wildcats pop up in the wrong places, at least from a purple-and-silver perspective.
This time, CBS Sports’ early postseason rankings put former K-State forward Taj Manning in the spotlight as part of Iowa State’s outlook for next season. The Cyclones checked in at No. 12, with Manning mentioned alongside JaQuan Johnson of Bradley and Leon Bond III of Northern Iowa as additions who could help a top conference contender.
CBS Sports tied that ranking to Iowa State’s returning core, writing: "This ranking is based on the Cyclones returning three of the top six scorers -- specifically Killyan Toure, Blake Buchanan and Jamarion Bateman -- from a team that finished 29-8 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament," the article wrote.
For Kansas State, it’s another tough reminder of how much has changed in a hurry. The 2025-26 season went off the rails and wound up as one of the roughest in recent memory, with the Wildcats sliding far below expectations and ending up in the basement instead of the playoff picture. A year that was supposed to feel special instead turned into one of the messiest in the country, with the team drawing attention mostly for its losses and for Jerome Tang’s postgame interviews.
The roster turnover only adds to the frustration. PJ Haggerty, David Castillo, and Abdi Bashir Jr. are all gone, leaving Kansas State without the stars it hoped to build around. The program is essentially back at square one.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats’ football counterparts have already landed key replacements and brought in a coach with built-in familiarity and success. Casey Alexander, though, is taking over in a much different spot. He has not coached in a league like the Big 12, and he’s working with a completely new group - one returner from last season and no former Belmont players on the roster.
Alexander has framed that reset as a benefit, since everyone is starting from the same place.
"As I sit here today, I have no idea who our best player is, who our main scorer is gonna be, or who our rotational pieces are going to be," Alexander said in a CBS Sports interview with Jon Rothstein. "Those things are to be determined, which is unnerving, but what you see on the floor will look the same way that it always has. Just new faces and new uniforms in Bramlage Coliseum, which I’m excited about."
Kansas State still has a little less than three months before its season opener against South Dakota State, but there’s plenty of work left before that first tip.
In Other News...
Joe Jackson Has Become Kansas States Offensive Tone Setter
Joe Jackson enters this season as one of the most important pieces on Kansas States offense, and not just because of what he did on the ground a year ago. After rushing for nearly 1,000 yards and earning Third-Team All-Big 12 honors, the running back has a more defined place in the Wildcats plans now, with the staff leaning on him as a tone setter who can help establish how the offense wants to play.
What makes Jackson especially interesting is the work he has put into broadening his game. He has spent time improving as a receiver, a step that could make him harder to defend and give Kansas State more ways to feature him in different situations. For a team looking for reliable offensive identity, that kind of versatility can matter just as much as the production everyone already knows about. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Still Waiting On A Crucial Offensive Line Answer
Kansas State entered the offseason hoping George Fitzpatrick could eventually become part of the answer up front after he transferred in from Ohio State, where he played in 16 games in 2024. Instead, his first year with the Wildcats was wiped out by a preseason medical emergency, leaving the offensive line without a player the staff had expected to help stabilize the group.
Now Fitzpatrick is still working his way back as the Wildcats try to piece together a line with four new starters this season. Collin Klein said the veteran lineman is not quite ready yet and still has recovery benchmarks to clear before he can return, which leaves Kansas State waiting on a key update at one of the rosters most important spots. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Kleins First Kansas State Roster Call Says Plenty About 2025
New NCAA eligibility rules have already started to reshape roster planning around college football, and Collin Klein made it clear Kansas State has taken a close look at the added flexibility. The change gives players five full years of eligibility instead of four, with some outgoing seniors eligible as well, and Klein said the Wildcats considered whether to bring in fifth-year players for the coming season. For now, though, the plan is to keep the roster intact as it stands heading into 2025.
Kleins stance on the rule itself was straightforward, as he voiced support for a system he believes can help players by cutting down on turnover and better protecting their interests. The bigger question for Kansas State is how that approach will hold up as other programs use the extra eligibility window to shuffle veteran depth and try to gain an edge. [Read more 🡒]