Kansas State is on the short list for one of the top junior college defensive backs in the 2027 class, with Iowa Western Community College cornerback Coaleon Johnson set to choose his school on Nov. 30.
Johnson, a three-star recruit from Chicago, has the Wildcats among his final 10. The rest of the group includes North Carolina, Arizona, Florida State, Texas Tech, LSU, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Kansas and Missouri.
At 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, Johnson has the kind of frame that will draw attention fast, and Kansas State coach Collin Klein continues to stay active on the recruiting trail as the Wildcats push to build out future classes.
While that recruitment is a big one for the program’s future, Kansas State also has a much more immediate concern hanging over Saturday’s game at Arizona State: quarterback Avery Johnson. He has been one of the Wildcats’ best players this season, but he is listed as questionable on the injury report released Wednesday.
If Avery Johnson can’t go in Tempe, it would be a major setback. Kansas State has already been navigating quarterback injuries all season, with Jacob Knuth, Blake Barnett and Dillon Duff all dealing with issues at different points.
Arizona State is expected to start Mikey Keene at quarterback instead of Cutter Boley when the Sun Devils face the Wildcats.
Kansas State is trying to pick up its second straight Big 12 win after opening conference play with losses to Cincinnati and Houston. The Wildcats are coming off a win over Kansas, their 18th straight in the series.
In Other News...
K-State Heads To Arizona State With More Uncertainty Than Usual
Kansas State arrives in Tempe with the kind of background that would normally suggest confidence, even after a routine win over Kansas extended its dominance in that rivalry to 18 straight. But the Wildcats have developed an odd pattern around that game, dropping the one that follows each of the past few seasons, and now they head into Saturdays matchup with Arizona State carrying a little more unease than usual.
The uncertainty starts with Avery Johnson, whose status remains questionable because of injury, and it extends to a team that has not exactly been reliable in this spot. Arizona State has struggled on both sides of the ball lately, which should give Kansas State a chance to steady itself, but the Wildcats have also not covered the spread as a road favorite since 2024, leaving plenty of room for a game that could turn messy before anyone expected it to. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Took A Chance On One Of The Portals Biggest Mysteries
Kansas State added a little intrigue to its frontcourt mix by taking a chance on Matt Gilhool, a former four-star recruit from the 2024 class whose college path has already been interrupted by health concerns. Gilhools senior year of high school was derailed by a significant heart issue, and that setback carried into his first season at LSU before he redshirted the 2025-26 season to recover and rebuild his conditioning.
Now healthy, Gilhool arrives in Manhattan with the kind of resume that still makes evaluators pause, even if the sample size remains thin. For Kansas State, he projects as a reserve forward-center who could provide depth right away, but the bigger appeal is the possibility that a player once seen as a major prospect can finally start to show why he was so coveted in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Has Kansas State Pushing Hard For A Texas Prize
Kansas States recruiting board has been busy across several classes, with the Wildcats sending out scholarship offers to high school prospects at a range of positions and from several states. Among the players drawing attention is Jordan Hall, a cornerback from Aledo High School in Texas, as the program continues to cast a wide net for help on both sides of the ball.
The group of offers also includes offensive tackles, linebackers, defensive backs and tight ends, a sign that Kansas State is still building for the long haul under its current approach. For a program that has made finding the right fits a priority, the presence of a Texas defensive back on the list is another reminder that the Wildcats are working hard to stay in the mix far beyond the Big 12 footprint. [Read more 🡒]