The Big 12 has turned into a transfer highway, and Week 1 gives fans an early look at some of the new faces who could matter right away. With somewhere between 250 and 300 transfers landing across the league ahead of the 2026 college football season, the first Saturdays of fall already come with a long list of players worth tracking.
At Arizona, Cole Rusk arrives as a ready-made target for Noah Fifita. The former Murray State standout made his way to Illinois in 2024, but a knee injury in fall camp interrupted his first Power Four season.
He bounced back to start 13 games for the Illini last season, finishing with 19 catches for 217 yards and a touchdown against Duke. He also had a season-high five receptions versus Ohio State.
Now with one year of eligibility left, Rusk slides into Brent Brennan’s Arizona program and Seth Doege’s offense at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds. That size gives Fifita a dependable option in the middle of the field and another body who can help in the run game and on the edge.
Kansas State is looking at Mekhi Mason as a major piece of its defensive front. The Louisiana Tech senior transfer brings immediate help at linebacker for a Wildcats team that returns only two starters from last season.
Mason posted 68 combined tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and four passes defended last year, earning Second Team All-Conference USA honors. Against LSU, he put together a career day with 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
His role should be especially important early, with Nicholls, Washington State and Tulane on deck. Mason joins senior Rex Van Whye and JUCO product Michael Graham at nickel, giving Kansas State another experienced piece as it reshapes its front seven.
Then there’s Drew Mestemaker at Oklahoma State, where the spotlight gets bigger by the week. The Cowboys head to Tulsa on Saturday, Sept. 5, and they’ll be carrying the sting of last year’s 19-12 loss in Stillwater, a result that helped set the tone for a 1-11 season and the end of the Mike Gundy era. Tulsa had not beaten Oklahoma State since 1998 before that win, and now Mestemaker enters the matchup as part of the rebuild under Eric Morris.
The former North Texas quarterback arrives with a huge statistical resume for a freshman. Mestemaker was a First Team All-American Conference selection after leading the FBS in passing with 4,379 yards and 34 touchdowns, the second-most in the country. For Oklahoma State, he’s the kind of transfer who can change the temperature of a fan base quickly - and he’ll get his first crack at doing it in a Cowboys uniform against a Tulsa team that now owns a 44-28 edge in the series.
In Other News...
Kansas State Has A Real Shot With A Fast-Rising 7-Footer
Teke Dengs rise has been one of the more intriguing recruiting developments to follow this summer, and Kansas State has positioned itself squarely in the mix. The 7-foot Class of 2027 prospect has started drawing national attention after a strong run on the circuit, with offers already in hand from UNLV and DePaul. His move to Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas was designed to boost his profile and sharpen his recruiting path, and it is already paying off.
Kansas State is set to get a closer look, with an official visit scheduled as Deng continues to sort through a growing list of opportunities. Loyola-Chicago is also on the itinerary, but for the Wildcats the appeal is obvious: a rapidly ascending big man with size, upside and plenty of room to keep climbing. As his recruitment builds, Kansas State has a real chance to make an early impression before the list gets even longer. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Talent Could Define K-States Identity In 2026
Kansas States 2026 roster has a distinctly local feel, and that matters for a program trying to keep its identity rooted in the region. Head coach Collin Klein is set to lean on a group of Kansas natives who have already shown they can fill important roles, whether that means starting, rotating in, or helping on special teams. For a fan base that has always valued homegrown toughness, the collection of in-state talent gives the Wildcats a familiar backbone before the season even begins.
The larger question is how much of that Kansas contingent can grow from useful pieces into true difference-makers as the year unfolds. The roster already includes players who have contributed in different phases of the game, and the expectation is that some will take on expanded jobs while others continue to provide depth and stability. If the group develops the way Kansas State hopes, it could end up shaping not just the depth chart, but the personality of the team itself. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Has A Real Opening To Surprise The Big 12
Kansas State enters Collin Kleins first season with an outside shot to outplay the modest expectations hanging over it. The Wildcats were picked to finish eighth in the Big 12, but the path through the schedule offers some reason for optimism, especially with a former Kansas State quarterback now leading the program and taking over at his alma mater.
The setup is favorable in a way that matters in this league, where avoiding a few of the top teams can change the complexion of an entire season. Kansas State also gets a run of difficult games at home, which gives the Wildcats a chance to build momentum early and stay in the mix longer than the preseason projection suggests. [Read more 🡒]