Kansas State football is getting a fresh dose of national respect, and this time it comes with a little extra shine from CBS Sports.
The outlet’s latest Big 12 breakdown leaned heavily into Houston’s outlook, pointing to the Cougars’ returning production and quarterback Conner Weigman as the reasons they stand out in the conference. But tucked inside that praise was a strong nod to Kansas State, which CBS placed fourth in its odds to win the Big 12.
The same piece made it clear where the top of the league stands, noting:
"Even after Sorsby's situation ended with him leaving Lubbock and declaring for the NFL Supplemental Draft, the Red Raiders remain the decisive favorite in the Big 12. Only the Miami Hurricanes (-136 to win ACC) are shorter favorites to win their conference title. But while Texas Tech is the team to beat, the +100 odds don't offer much value to a futures bettor, especially considering that such a ticket can't be cashed until early December."
For Kansas State, the buzz has plenty to do with the arrival of Collin Klein as head coach. The former Wildcats standout has already built a reputation as a difference-maker, both as a player and as a coordinator, and his work developing quarterbacks like Avery Johnson and Marcel Reed at Texas A&M has only added to the optimism.
Klein sounded confident when he spoke with KCSN, laying out the approach he wants from his team:
"We’re gonna start fast and finish faster," Klein said in his interview with KCSN. "In today’s world of college football, you have one year to develop this team.
We're gonna maximize every opportunity to the fullest, and we’re going to attack it right from the jump. The only way that you get better at playing football is by playing football.
We’re gonna utilize every inch of capacity."
That belief is fueling plenty of hope around Johnson, who is projected by many to have a career season. If that happens, the Wildcats’ push up the Big 12 ladder could move from optimistic talk to something much more serious.
In Other News...
Kansas State Just Took A Big Step In Crucial 2026 Pursuit
Kansas States frontcourt recruiting picture for 2026 continues to take shape, and Teke Deng is now part of the conversation after a recent visit to the program. The three-star center has already added a UNLV offer to his board, but the Wildcats are clearly making him a priority as they look to strengthen an area that needs more long-term depth.
The interest makes plenty of sense for a roster that is still leaning on younger bigs and trying to avoid the kind of frontcourt strain that showed up last season when injuries piled up. Kansas State already has Nash Stark, Jaylen Alexander and Devin Hutcherson committed in the 2026 class, and adding a center like Deng would fit the broader push to rebuild the roster with more size and stability inside. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Fans Wont Love What This NBA Moment Revived
Bennett Stirtz is headed to the NBA after a two-year rise that kept adding fuel to the resume, and his path will look even better now that hes done it with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Across those college seasons, he averaged 19.5 points, 1.7 steals and five rebounds, the kind of production that makes every program in the region think twice about recruiting misses and developmental upside.
For Kansas State fans, the old familiar sting comes from more than just Stirtzs ascent. The article also points to former Wildcats Nate Johnson and Onyenso finding their own NBA entry points, with Johnson now in Oklahoma City and Onyenso headed to Detroit, a reminder that K-State talent is still reaching the league even as another name from the area becomes impossible to ignore. What lingers is how a moment from Stirtzs college career against the Wildcats still fits so neatly into the larger story of what might have been. [Read more 🡒]