Kansas State is trying to build something new, and for a roster this fresh, every familiar face matters.
That’s where Brandon Rechsteiner and Jaren Schutt come in. The two transfers were teammates at Virginia Tech in 2024, split up for a bit, and now find themselves back in the same locker room with the Wildcats. For a team with almost no holdovers, that kind of connection can matter fast.
Schutt said last week that Rechsteiner reached out while he was on his visit, pushing him toward Manhattan.
"It was interesting because I was on my flight to my visit, and he had called me a ton," Schutt said of Rechsteiner. "He'd committed and that I should look into K-State.
So, it was kind of an interesting development. Obviously, I didn't know that each of us were being recruited by K-State.
Obviously, it worked out. It's just nice.
I mean, obviously we both started together at Virginia Tech and played a full season together, so it's just always nice having a familiar face around. And obviously, he's a tremendous basketball player; can really shoot the ball.
So, it's just kind of fun playing with him, and yeah, so it's been fun so far."
Their path back together took a couple of turns. Rechsteiner and Schutt were together at Virginia Tech for one season in 2024, then each moved on.
Rechsteiner spent last year at Colorado State before landing at K-State, where a prior relationship with Alexander from high school helped make the fit work. Schutt followed because the move gave him a chance to play closer to home, since he’s from Illinois.
Rechsteiner said the timing of their reunions was almost funny.
"That was cool," Rechsteiner said. "I think I was like one of the first guys to commit here, apart from like the high school kids that came with Casey [Alexander].
But I was just thinking, like, trying to get this thing going. I called Jaden [Schutt] and I was like, "Yo, like I just committed to Kansas State.
Like I didn't announce it or nothing. I was like, you should come.
And he's like, "That's crazy. Like I'm gonna go on a visit.
I'm on the way to the airport now. I was like, "Wow!
Like we didn't even know. And then from there, I think just having that connection is cool."
Kansas State needs those kinds of bonds. The Wildcats have 14 players on the roster, and Andrej Kostic is the only returner. They’re also trying to bounce back after a third straight losing season under former coach Jerome Tang.
Kostic, meanwhile, is still settling in himself. The freshman guard from Serbia said last week that the transition has taken some getting used to, but he’s becoming more comfortable.
"Yeah, like as I talked before, like people here are just different, and I can see that when I go to the other states and cities, and I just love to be here. Like I know the whole city."
In Other News...
K-State Just Added A Preseason Test To A High-Pressure Rebuild
Kansas States rebuild under first-year coach Casey Alexander is getting an early measuring stick, with the Wildcats set to face Nebraska in an exhibition game on Oct. 26 at Eihusen Arena in Grand Island. Its the kind of preseason test that can reveal a lot about a team before the games count, especially for a roster that has been turned over almost completely.
Sophomore guard Andrej Kostic is the lone returning player, which leaves Alexander leaning on a wave of newcomers to settle in quickly. Among the pieces expected to help smooth that transition are transfers Brandon Rechsteiner and Jaren Schutt, former Virginia Tech teammates who arrive with some built-in familiarity as Kansas State tries to piece together a new identity. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Fans Can Feel One Massive Homecoming Taking Shape
Collin Kleins move has set off the kind of homecoming that feels bigger than a routine coaching change. Long before this weeks news, he was already woven into Kansas States identity as a former star quarterback and a previous assistant, and his return gives the program a familiar face with real ties to the place and the people inside it.
For the Wildcats, the appeal goes beyond nostalgia. Klein already knows some of the players hell be leading, including quarterback Avery Johnson, which should help smooth the transition as the program shifts into a new era. Even on the other side of the move, there is an acknowledgment that his departure requires adjustment, a reminder that this kind of change reaches well beyond one sideline. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Has A Real Chance To Seize Early Momentum
Kansas State heads into its 2026 football season with a fresh look on the sideline and enough familiar pieces on the field to make the transition feel more manageable. Collin Klein takes over a largely new coaching staff, but the Wildcats are not starting from scratch, with key veterans back on both offense and defense to help steady the early weeks of the year.
The schedule also gives Kansas State a real opening to build confidence before Big 12 play settles in. Nicholls, Washington State and Tulane are on the nonconference slate, and the Wildcats also avoid the leagues top preseason favorites, which leaves room for a fast start if they handle the games in front of them. The conference path still has its share of traps and chances, but the kind of early momentum that can shape a season is there for the taking. [Read more 🡒]