Kansas State is in a familiar place heading into its Nov. 7 meeting with Oklahoma State: in transition, but still built to make life miserable for whoever lines up across from it.
The biggest change came with the retirement of Chris Klieman, which opened the door for program legend Collin Klein to take over as head coach. That’s the move Wildcats fans had been waiting on for a few years, and in a lot of ways it felt inevitable. Now Klein gets the chance to prove he can turn a long-coveted job into the kind of season Kansas State has been chasing.
For Cowboys fans, there are a handful of Wildcats worth knowing before the matchup on Oct. 31.
At the top of the list is quarterback Avery Johnson, who enters his senior season with plenty of buzz around what Klein’s arrival might unlock. Johnson threw for 2,385 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025, then added 477 rushing yards and eight more scores on the ground.
Only nine power four quarterbacks matched that kind of production last season. He’s already tied the school record for passing touchdowns with 48 and sits in the Top 10 in 10 other career categories.
One big year could put him in a record book shaped by Klein and Michael Bishop.
Kansas State’s backfield also has a new focal point in Dylan Jackson. He broke out late last season with a 293-yard performance against Utah, setting a new single-game rushing record at Kansas State.
Jackson finished the year with 911 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, good enough for All-Big 12 Third Team honors. Now in his fourth year with the program, he already owns the seventh-best yards per carry mark in school history at 5.7.
With Dylan Edwards gone to Kansas, Jackson is the guy.
Up front, the Wildcats will lean on Sam Pastore, the only returning starter on the offensive line. The left tackle earned second-team All-Big 12 honors last season after spending his first three years as a reserve. He’s gone from waiting his turn to becoming one of the league’s better linemen, and Kansas State will build around him as Klein and his staff reshape the offense.
On the other side of the ball, Cowboys fans already know the name of one of Kansas State’s new defenders. Jordan Allen Gregory transferred to Oklahoma State from South Carolina before last season and put together a strong debut, earning Big 12 freshman defensive player of the year honors after posting 27 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, a pass breakup and a forced fumble in 12 games. His move to Kansas State gives the Wildcats another piece for a defense that returns only two starters and needs help generating pressure alongside James Allen.
Another key returnee is Donovan Rich, one of the few players who stayed through the coaching change. He was a bench contributor as a freshman in 2024, then became a full-time starter last season.
Rich finished with 57 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, an interception and 11 pass breakups, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention recognition. His first career interception came against Oklahoma State last season.
In Other News...
Why Oklahoma State's Massive Reset Is Suddenly Turning Heads
Oklahoma States reset has been impossible to miss since the program moved on from Mike Gundy early last season and stumbled to a 1-11 finish. Eric Morris arrives with a very different kind of blueprint, one built on bringing familiar faces with him from his previous stop and trying to accelerate the rebuild by leaning on a roster and staff he already knows well.
That approach is drawing notice beyond Stillwater because it feels less like a standard coaching change and more like a wholesale remake of the program. National observers are already pointing to the potential for a quick jump if Morris can make the transition work, and for the Cowboys the real question now is how fast all of that change can translate into something more than just a fresh start. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Cannot Afford These 2 Schedule Mistakes In 2026
Oklahoma States 2026 schedule does not leave much room for error as Eric Morris takes over after two difficult seasons and tries to reset the programs footing in the Big 12. The Cowboys will be judged not just by the marquee games, but by how they handle the stretches that can quietly decide whether a season stays alive into November.
Two of those spots stand out immediately: UCF and Colorado. UCF looks better with a new quarterback in place, while Colorado is in the middle of its own coaching and roster churn under Deion Sanders, even with Julian Lewis back on offense. For Oklahoma State, those are the kinds of games that can separate a bowl trip from another long winter, and they may end up shaping whether the Cowboys can stay in the league race at all. [Read more 🡒]