Kansas State running back Joe Jackson is chasing a bigger role this season, and he’s spending the offseason making sure coach Collin Klein has more ways to use him.
Jackson made his case last week at Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Texas, saying he’s focused on expanding what he can do as a receiver out of the backfield.
"That may be things like catching, getting more out of the backfield, which I wanted to do," Jackson said. "Increasing those things will definitely be a big success for me."
The ground game already gave Jackson a strong platform in 2024. He earned third-team All-Big 12 honors after running for 911 yards and eight touchdowns on 169 carries. He added 22 receptions for 119 yards, but he believes there’s more to unlock in the passing game.
Even with those goals in mind, Jackson isn’t approaching the season like he has something to settle. He said he’s keeping his focus on steady improvement rather than trying to force the issue.
"My mindset, pretty much for me, is trying not to try to do too much, not trying to have a chip on my shoulder, where I have to prove them wrong," Jackson said. "I don't have to prove anything to nobody. I just have to be the best version of myself every single week."
Kansas State also had another player hear his name called in the pros, with shortstop Dee Kennedy selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the No. 114 pick in the MLB Draft.
Kennedy started all 114 games he played for the Wildcats and hit .357 with 20 home runs. Kansas State’s season ended with a loss to West Virginia in the Big 12 quarterfinals, but Kennedy’s performance was enough to push him into fourth-round territory and into the next level.
In Other News...
Avery Johnson Owns What Kansas State Lost Last Season
The 6-6 finish still hangs over Avery Johnson and Kansas State, and the quarterback did not try to soften why it happened. Johnson said the Wildcats spent too much time chasing results instead of leaning into the daily process, a lesson that has become a central theme under first-year coach Collin Klein. Attention to detail and consistent effort are now the points of emphasis, with Johnson acknowledging that the program has had to work through personnel changes and injuries while trying to reset its standard.
Johnson also framed the shift as one that fits the Wildcats history, and that matters because he is one of the players expected to carry the offense forward. After a season in which his production dipped, the pressure on him is obvious, especially with a senior year ahead and a team trying to prove last fall was more a warning than a trend. The bigger question is whether Kansas State can turn that self-critique into something sturdier before the next season starts to ask for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Is Carrying A K State Legacy Fans Deeply Trust
Collin Klein has spent enough time around Kansas State football to understand what comes with the job, and now he is the one carrying it. In his first season as the Wildcats head coach, Klein talked about how his path was shaped by the people who came before him, pointing to the lessons he absorbed while playing under Bill Snyder and later coaching under Chris Klieman.
For Kansas State fans, that lineage matters because it ties the present to the programs most trusted eras. Klein said Snyders influence helped push him toward coaching in the first place, while his relationship with Klieman has also been a major part of his rise. The result is a head coach who does not feel detached from the schools identity, even as he settles into the pressure of leading it himself. [Read more 🡒]