Kansas State is 3-0, and on paper that looks like a team humming in every phase. The Wildcats have posted some of the best defensive numbers in the FBS, and the scoreboard has backed it all up. But September also came with a catch: the competition hasn’t exactly been elite, which leaves the real test waiting now that conference play is here.
That’s why this unbeaten start feels more like a question mark than a final verdict. Saturday opens Big 12 play, and that’s where Kansas State will find out whether this is the kind of team that can push for the league title or just one that took care of business against a softer early schedule.
Still, going 3-0 is no small thing. It’s only the second time in the past 10 seasons that K-State has started this way, and it says plenty about Collin Klein in his first season as a head coach anywhere.
Klein, along with offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson and defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson, has assembled a staff that has been efficient and, at times, flat-out dominant. The offense has usually had at least one area clicking, and the defense has given up only 30 points across the three games.
The problem is sorting out how much of that really translates. Nicholls is a mid- to lower-tier FCS team.
Washington State is a decent Group of 6 opponent. Tulane, meanwhile, is not the same Tulane from past years, with a completely new-look coaching staff.
Those results are good enough to build momentum, but they don’t settle much about what K-State looks like against Big 12 caliber teams.
Tulane also offered the first real signs that this group has some things to clean up. Kansas State’s offensive line, which had been dominant through its first two games, got pushed around when Tulane loaded the box. The Wildcats also picked up penalties that hadn’t been showing up as much before.
There were injury concerns, too. Starting safety Logan Bartley left the Tulane game early, and edge rusher Jordan Allen didn’t play at all. That lack of depth showed up in a run defense that had a harder time slowing Tulane on the ground than it had in any game so far.
In Other News...
Collin Klein Is Sending A Clear Message As Big 12 Play Starts
Kansas State has opened the season with a level of discipline that stands out nationally, and the numbers back it up. Through three games, the Wildcats have been flagged just eight times, a pace that trails only one college football team, which is the kind of early-season detail coaches usually love to see as Big 12 play begins.
Still, Collin Klein is not treating that as a reason to relax. He made clear after the Tulane game that the penalties Kansas State did commit left him frustrated, especially the ones the Wildcats can control, and he pointed to discipline as an area that still needs tightening even with the overall count staying low. For a team trying to carry clean football into conference play, the standard is clear, and Klein does not sound interested in letting a good early trend hide the rough spots. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Still Has One Missing Piece As Big 12 Play Starts
Kansas States passing game has found ways to move the ball early this season, but one of its most intriguing spots has yet to fully open up. The tight end room, led by Garrett Oakley and Linkon Cure, has put together only modest production so far, with 15 catches for 174 yards and no touchdowns, even as the staff continues to view the position as a meaningful part of the offense.
Collin Klein said opposing defenses are clearly paying attention to the tight ends and trying to limit them, which helps explain why Avery Johnson has leaned more heavily toward wide receivers and running backs. Still, the expectation inside the program is that role will grow as Big 12 play settles in, and Cure remains the name to watch as a potential breakout piece and the tight end of the future. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State May Be Building Something Bigger With Its 2028 Start
Kansas State is already working well ahead of the usual recruiting calendar, and the 2028 class is starting to take shape through early contact and an emphasis on getting in front of prospects before the rest of the field catches up. The Wildcats have made in-state talent a clear priority, using those relationships to get on the board with players who fit the programs long-term vision.
One of the early pieces is Taylen Washington, a versatile athlete who looks likely to end up at linebacker and was offered by Kansas State before other schools entered the picture. For a staff trying to build a strong class from the ground up, those early wins matter because they help establish momentum, especially when the goal is to keep top local talent from drifting away. [Read more 🡒]