Collin Klein hasn’t been on the job long at Kansas State, but he’s already inherited a roster that’s being sized up as one of the Big 12’s better groups. The Wildcats sit behind only Texas Tech, BYU and Utah in the betting market, where they’re listed at 14-to-1 to reach the conference championship game.
That puts the spotlight squarely on the players who have to make it happen.
If Kansas State is going to meet those expectations in 2026, it will need big seasons from its best weapons on both sides of the ball. Here are the five most intriguing Wildcats to watch this year.
Avery Johnson is the obvious headliner. The senior quarterback from Wichita is the name everyone circles first, because Kansas State’s ceiling seems tied to how far he can carry it.
Johnson has flashed pieces of the full package over three seasons in Manhattan, but he has not yet put it all together. He arrived as a freshman with big-play legs and a need to grow as a passer.
As a sophomore, he set the program’s single-season record for touchdown passes, then saw his rushing impact dip. Last season, in a six-win year for K-State, he was just average.
There is plenty of optimism that this can be his best year yet, especially with Collin Klein back in town as head coach and play-caller. Johnson has spent his entire college career at K-State and wants his final run to end with a statement.
On defense, Jordan Allen has generated serious buzz inside the program. The 6-foot-4, 263-pound defensive lineman from Olathe was difficult to handle throughout training camp, and the Wildcats plan to use him in more than one spot.
He has mostly worked off the edge before, but this season he’ll also get time inside at defensive tackle. That versatility, paired with his athleticism, gives him a chance to be a disruptive force alongside the rest of K-State’s front.
Another defender who could change the look of this team is Wendell Gregory. The sophomore edge rusher is built more like a tight end than a traditional defensive end at 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, but that frame comes with real production.
Gregory had 27 tackles and four sacks as a freshman at Oklahoma State last season, and now he might be Kansas State’s top defender. Johnson, who faced him in camp, didn’t hold back when asked about him: “Wendell is a stud.
I remember playing against him last year. His ability to rush the passer and drop into coverage, we can ask him to do a lot.
He’s super athletic, and he trains like a pro. He’s always at the facility.”
Joe Jackson is the kind of running back who can change a game in a hurry, and he finished last season on a tear. No back in the country closed the regular season hotter.
Jackson ripped Utah for a school-record 293 rushing yards and three touchdowns, then came back with 142 yards and three more scores against Colorado. The obvious question is whether he can keep that level going now that defenses know exactly who he is.
There’s also a caveat: Utah and Colorado were two of the Big 12’s weakest run defenses last season, allowing 4.8 and 5.2 yards per rush, respectively. Still, Jackson has the burst to matter, and Kansas State added Rodney Fields from Oklahoma State and Jay Harris from Oregon to help complement him.
Then there’s Linkon Cure, the sophomore tight end whose name will always come with expectations. As a former five-star recruit, he entered K-State with major hype, and last season didn’t quite match it.
Cure caught just six passes for 37 yards, though injuries and missed spring practice clearly played a part. He spent the offseason getting stronger and learning the position at the college level, and he’s now listed at 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds.
If he keeps adding physicality, handles blocking, and uses his size to win matchups against slower defenders near the line, he has a path to a much bigger year.
In Other News...
Kansas State Faces A Real O-Line Concern Before Week 1
Kansas State opened its final public look of preseason camp with a little more clarity on the offensive line picture, and a little more uncertainty too. Tanner Morley was back on the field after a recent absence, a welcome sight for a front that has been searching for the right mix as Week 1 approaches. Around him, the Wildcats are also leaning on younger pieces, with freshmen Oliver Miller and sophomore Ryan Howard expected to take on bigger responsibilities up front.
The practice itself also underscored how thin the margin can be this time of year. Quarterback Dillon Duff, defensive back Donovan McIntosh and running back LJ McGhee were among the players held out with injuries, leaving Kansas State to work through its last open session with several key names unavailable. For Collin Klein, the bigger concern now is not just who is healthy enough to suit up, but how quickly the line can settle before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Has A Rising Defender Pushing For A Bigger Role
Logan Bartleys path at Kansas State has started to look a lot like the kind of development coaches love to point to when they talk about building depth the right way. The sophomore safety got into all 12 games last season, chipped in 21 tackles and spent time on special teams, giving the Wildcats a useful, steady presence while also learning the speed and demands of the college game. Coming out of First Baptist Academy in Naples, Florida, he arrived with plenty of recruiting interest, and he has backed that up with a profile that continues to rise.
Now Bartley is in the mix for the starting strong safety job, and the buzz around him has only grown because of the way coaches have talked about his maturity, work ethic and performance. For Kansas State, that kind of internal competition is exactly what it wants in the secondary, especially from a player who is also carrying a business administration major and handling the rest of the load that comes with being a young defensive back. The next step is the one that usually separates promising contributors from full-time difference-makers, and Bartley is pushing to get there. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Still Has A Few Big Week 1 Questions Up Front
A little more than a week out from the opener, Collin Klein opened part of a practice to reporters and offered a useful snapshot of where Kansas State stands up front. Tanner Morley was back on the field after a recent absence, and the Wildcats are clearly sorting out bigger responsibilities for freshmen Oliver Miller and sophomore Ryan Howard along the offensive line as they gear up for the 2026 season. The session looked geared more toward getting organized and game-ready than turning up the temperature, which fits the late-summer tone for a team still defining itself.
There were also a few familiar absences to note, with backup quarterback Dillon Duff, defensive back Donovan McIntosh and running back LJ McGhee all sidelined by injuries. Tight end Garrett Oakley was named a team captain, a sign of the trust he has built inside the program, while the questions up front remain the most relevant ones for Kansas State as it gets closer to first kickoff. How quickly the line settles in could shape a lot of what the Wildcats are able to do when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]