As Kansas State tries to turn the page on a disappointing 2025 campaign, the program is bracing for a full-scale reset - and not just in scheme or mindset. The Wildcats will look almost unrecognizable next season, especially after losing two of their most impactful players to the transfer portal: edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi and wide receiver Jayce Brown. Both landed on ESPN’s list of top transfer portal pickups this offseason, and for good reason.
Let’s start with Osunsanmi, who’s headed to Indiana.
Tobi Osunsanmi - Edge Rusher
New Team: Indiana
2025 Stats: 20 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 4 sacks
ESPN Rank: No.
52
Osunsanmi might’ve started his career as a linebacker, but by the end of 2023, he had fully embraced his role on the edge - and that move paid off. He became Kansas State’s most disruptive presence up front, leading the team in both sacks and tackles for loss before a midseason injury against Baylor sidelined him. That injury didn’t just derail his breakout season; it left a struggling Wildcats defense without its top playmaker in the front seven.
What made Osunsanmi so effective? It was the blend of physicality and finesse.
He could stack and shed tight ends in the run game, then flash a mix of pass-rush moves - dip-and-rip, long-arm, quick inside counters - that gave offensive tackles fits. His short-area burst allowed him to close quickly, and he was just starting to put it all together when his season was cut short.
Now, he joins a rising Indiana program that made him a top priority from the jump. With the Hoosiers building momentum under Curt Cignetti in Year 3, Osunsanmi figures to be a key piece in a defensive front looking to elevate Indiana into College Football Playoff contention.
For Kansas State, his departure leaves a gaping hole - especially with veteran linemen Kellen Wyatt, Mikail Kamara, and Stephen Daley also moving on. That’s a lot of experience and production to replace in one offseason.
Jayce Brown - Wide Receiver
New Team: LSU
2025 Stats: 41 receptions, 712 yards, 5 touchdowns; 7 carries, 116 yards, 1 touchdown
ESPN Rank: No.
70
If Osunsanmi was the engine of the defense, Jayce Brown was the spark plug of the offense. For the past two seasons, he’s been Kansas State’s go-to weapon on the outside - a dynamic playmaker who could stretch the field, beat press coverage, and turn short gains into chunk plays.
Brown averaged over 17 yards per catch in 2025, and it wasn’t just empty yardage. He was Avery Johnson’s top target and a perfect complement to Johnson’s short-area, rhythm-based passing game.
Brown’s ability to win on double moves, accelerate out of breaks, and track the deep ball gave the Wildcats a vertical threat they sorely needed. And while he did most of his damage out of the slot, he was versatile enough to line up outside and still win contested catches despite being a bit leaner than your typical boundary receiver.
He also brought value on the ground - averaging over 11 yards per carry - showing off the kind of north-south explosiveness that made him dangerous in space. LSU saw all of that and swooped in, adding him to a receiving corps that’s already known for producing NFL-caliber talent.
For Kansas State, Brown’s exit is a major blow. With him gone, the passing game loses its most explosive element, and Johnson will have to develop new chemistry with a less proven group of receivers. That’s no small task for an offense trying to regain its footing after a season that never quite clicked.
The Bigger Picture
Losing one top transfer is tough. Losing two - both ranked among the most impactful in the country - is a gut punch.
Kansas State’s 2025 season may have been a disappointment, but the talent drain this offseason makes the road to recovery even steeper. Replacing Osunsanmi’s production on defense and Brown’s playmaking on offense won’t be easy, and it puts added pressure on the Wildcats’ coaching staff to reload quickly and reestablish an identity on both sides of the ball.
The challenge is clear: Kansas State isn’t just rebuilding - it’s retooling from the inside out.