Kansas State heads into the 2026 season with a clear set of players who can swing the whole thing, and the top of that list starts on defense and ends with the quarterback.
At cornerback, Austin Rich has already done enough to look like a centerpiece for the Wildcats’ secondary. The Minnesota native came in as an overlooked member of the 2024 recruiting class, but he’s made an impression on both the current and former coaching staffs since arriving in Manhattan.
Last season, the 6-foot-1 corner piled up 57 tackles and 11 pass breakups while logging a team-high 837 snaps. His 12 passes defended tied for third-most in the Big 12 and ranked inside the top 30 nationally, and that production earned him Honorable Mention All-Big 12.
Rich has the tools to be a lockdown corner, and if he becomes more consistent in 2026, a First-Team All-Big 12 nod in December would not be a shock.
The offensive line has its own anchor in John Pastore. The 6-foot-7 tackle’s talent was never in doubt; health was the issue early in his career.
Injuries kept him from showing what he could do, but 2025 gave K-State fans the full picture. In his first full season as a starter, Pastore started all 12 games at left tackle and earned Second-Team All-Big 12 honors.
The Colorado native is the Wildcats’ only returning starter up front, and the preseason All-Big 12 First-Team selection will be leaned on to protect Avery Johnson’s blindside.
Kansas State also made a major move on the defensive line by bringing in Jordan Allen Gregory, one of the most sought-after defenders in the transfer portal this offseason. He picked the Wildcats over Texas Tech, Texas, Missouri and several other Power Four programs.
The 6-foot-3, 265-pound third-year defensive end was productive at Oklahoma State in 2025, finishing with 12 tackles for loss, which ranked second nationally among all freshmen and fifth in the Big 12 among all defenders. He had only four sacks, but his 32 pressures and 17.6% pressure rate were among the best in the conference, and that production earned him Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors.
Gregory matters even more because of what Kansas State lost. Tobi Osunsamni, the Wildcats’ top pass rusher, transferred to Indiana after the 2025 season, and Chiddi Obiazor also followed him there.
Gregory’s pressure rate was well ahead of both former Wildcats, who posted 11.1% and 10.7% last season, respectively. His 77.2 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus also topped theirs by a wide margin.
Critics will point to the fact that three of his four sacks came against UT Martin in the opener, but the pressure numbers suggest more sacks should follow in 2026. He also has the look of a player who was constantly drawing attention on a rough Oklahoma State defense.
A four-star recruit out of high school who began at South Carolina, Gregory is K-State’s only defensive player on the preseason All-Big 12 First Team, and the Wildcats need him to keep flashing from September through December.
Then there’s Avery Johnson, the name that makes this whole thing obvious to some and debatable to others. One of the co-hosts on 3MAW on KC Sports Network ranked him fifth on a top-12 list of the most important players heading into 2026, which was enough to surprise the writer here.
Johnson arrived as the highest-ranked recruit in school history and came in as an in-state prospect carrying a heavy load of expectations. He’s been solid in Manhattan, but the full breakout many expected still hasn’t arrived.
Johnson did set the single-season school record for passing touchdowns in 2024 and threw for more than 2,700 yards while rushing for over 600. The next step was supposed to come in year three, but his junior season was flat.
He finished 41st nationally with a 68.2 QBR, ninth in the Big 12 and below the 68.8 national average for Power Four quarterbacks. His EPA was 51.5, good for seventh in the league.
In 2024, he posted a 69.7 QBR, again 41st nationally and seventh in the conference, while his 55.7 EPA ranked 32nd nationally and seventh in the Big 12.
David Hale of ESPN noted that Johnson is the only Big 12 quarterback in the playoff era with at least 300 dropbacks to complete under 60% of his passes in back-to-back seasons. Still, there are reasons to think the setup is better now.
He’s entering year four with the program and his third season as the full-time starter, which is unusual in the transfer portal era. He’s also dealt with a different offensive coordinator every season and has had to live with drops from his skill players around him.
Now he’s back with Collin Klein, the coach who recruited him to K-State and served as his first offensive coordinator in 2023 before leaving for the same job at Texas A&M. That matters, especially after some frustration last season over Johnson’s running style and his reluctance to lower his shoulder in short-yardage situations. Under Klein in 2023, Johnson showed a different gear as a runner, averaging a career-best 5.7 yards per carry on 52 attempts, though that came in a backup role and in a different usage pattern.
The question now is simple: can Johnson become the dual-threat quarterback K-State thought it was signing? If he does, this season could look very different in Manhattan.
In Other News...
Chris Klieman Revealed Why Collin Klein Made Sense For Kansas State
Collin Kleins return to Manhattan as Kansas States offensive coordinator did not happen by accident, and Chris Klieman made clear there was a natural fit behind it. The two had built a longstanding relationship, and Klieman said the timing lined up once he had decided to step down, opening the door for a conversation that had real momentum behind it. From his perspective, Klein brought the kind of familiarity and credibility that made the move make sense for the program.
Klieman also framed the transition as one built on support rather than overreach, which matters in a spot as important as offensive coordinator. He said he intends to be available as an advisory presence for Klein, serving as a sounding board and offering administrative help as needed. For Kansas State, the interesting part now is how that partnership settles in and how much of the Wildcats next offensive identity will be shaped by a familiar hand back in the building. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Is Already Chasing The Next Big In-State Core
Kansas States recruiting momentum is already rolling into the next cycle, with Collin Klein and the Wildcats staff turning attention toward the 2028 class even after landing a strong 2027 group that already sits at 27 commitments. The early emphasis is familiar for this program: build from home first, identify the best in-state talent, and keep the pipeline steady before the 2026 season even arrives.
The quarterback board is part of that early groundwork, with Titus Huard and Cannon Zubeck among the names drawing attention as Kansas State shapes what it hopes will become the next key in-state core. For a staff trying to stay ahead of the curve, the challenge is less about finding interest and more about holding it long enough to turn an early list of targets into another class that fits the Wildcats long-term plan. [Read more 🡒]
Avery Johnson And Collin Klein Could Change Kansas State's Ceiling
Collin Kleins return to Kansas State has added a familiar face to the middle of a transition, and maybe the one relationship that matters most in the building right now is the one he already had with Avery Johnson. Klein recruited Johnson before leaving for two seasons as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, and now the first-year Wildcats coach is back in Manhattan trying to steer the program after Chris Kliemans resignation. For a team picked to finish eighth in the Big 12, the pairing at least gives Kansas State a clear place to start.
What makes the setup interesting is how much of the Wildcats ceiling may depend on whether that connection translates from trust to production. Johnson has already worked with Klein in the past, and Klein knows what he saw in him during the recruiting process, which gives this staff a chance to build around a quarterback-coach relationship that does not need much introduction. The prediction outside the program may be modest, but Kansas State is counting on familiarity to help it climb above it. [Read more 🡒]