Kansas State’s offense is drawing preseason attention, and the spotlight is landing on three familiar names: Avery Johnson, Joe Jackson and John Pastore.
Johnson, a senior quarterback, and Jackson, a running back, were both selected for the Maxwell Award watch list, which goes to the nation’s most outstanding player. Pastore, an offensive lineman, landed on the Outland Trophy watch list, the annual honor for the country’s top offensive lineman.
The trio were also among the Wildcats chosen to represent the school at Big 12 Media Days last month in Frisco, Texas, so the preseason recognition fits the bill. With first-year coach Collin Klein now taking over the program, Kansas State is expected to lean heavily on those three as it tries to find its footing on offense.
Johnson may carry the biggest weight of all. After a strong sophomore year, his production dipped some as a junior, and this season gives him one more shot to match the lofty expectations that came with being one of the highest-rated players in school history. He arrived at Kansas State as a four-star recruit out of Maize High School.
The timing of all this makes the upcoming season feel especially significant around Manhattan. Klein, a former Wildcats star, stepped in after Chris Klieman resigned unexpectedly following last season’s 6-6 finish, and he enters with hopes of pushing Kansas State back into the Big 12 race.
Fans will get a chance to meet Klein and the players on Aug. 22 at the annual “Meet the Cats” event at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Gates open at 11 a.m., and autographs will be available from Klein and the players, along with the men’s and women’s basketball teams, whose seasons begin in November. Klein played his high school football at Archbishop Moeller in Cincinnati.
In Other News...
K-States Future Schedule Is Taking Shape In A Big Way
Kansas States future football calendar is filling in quickly, with another nonconference piece now in place for 2029. The Wildcats will host Sam Houston on Sept. 15 in what will be the first meeting between the programs, adding another home date to a schedule that already has a clear outline stretching years ahead.
The broader picture is just as notable for a program that has been steady about lining up its future. Kansas State has finalized a run of nonconference opponents from 2026 through 2032, with games against Nicholls, Washington State, Tulane, South Dakota, Georgia Southern, Texas State, Oregon State and North Carolina State all on the books. There is still plenty of time before those matchups arrive, but the long-term slate is giving the Wildcats a much firmer sense of what the next several seasons will look like. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas States 2026 Hopes Rest On Three Huge Senior Questions
Kansas States look-ahead to 2026 starts with the seniors who could end up steering the whole thing, and the list includes some of the most obvious names on the roster. Quarterback Avery Johnson is the headliner, of course, but wide receiver Jaron Tibbs and transfer defensive back Adrian Maddox also fit into the kind of next-season conversation that can shape how a program views its ceiling before the calendar even turns. This is the sort of roster watch that matters in Manhattan because it ties present-day development to what the Wildcats might be trying to become a year from now.
The series is built around current eligibility and the ripple effects of coaching changes, which makes the exercise useful even if plenty of it is still projection. Johnsons growth, Tibbs role in the passing game and Maddoxs fit on the back end all carry different levels of certainty, but together they frame the central question for Kansas States 2026 hopes: which seniors will simply be part of the roster, and which ones will actually define it? [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Faces Early Doubt As Kansas State Waits On Avery Johnson
Collin Kleins return to Manhattan has brought plenty of familiarity and no small amount of hope, but it has also come with the kind of scrutiny that follows a first-time head coach. Kansas State is leaning on a name that still carries real weight from his playing and coaching days with the program, and the next step is proving that reputation translates to the top job. Much of the attention around the Wildcats centers on what Klein can do to get quarterback Avery Johnson moving in the right direction after a difficult statistical season.
The early outside view, though, has been cool. CBS Sports placed Klein at the bottom of its Big 12 coaching rankings for the upcoming season, a reminder that the leap from coordinator to head coach is being treated as a major unknown around the league. For Kansas State, the challenge is not just restoring offensive rhythm around Johnson, but showing that Kleins familiarity with the program can overcome the doubt that comes with any coach taking his first swing at running the whole operation. [Read more 🡒]