BIG 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year Transfers to Kansas State
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Coach Klein and the Wildcats made a splash in the portal, earning the commitment of highly touted four-star transfer Wendell Gregory. Gregory is the Wildcats' 20th commit and their highest-ranked transfer in 2026, propelling the Wildcats to the 35th-ranked transfer class per 247 Sports.
Kansas State continues to add talent and fill out its roster in a year that has seen 31 Wildcats opt to enter the transfer portal, with 18 already committing to new schools. Kansas State had five Edge rushers opt to transfer following the 2025 season, with Tobi Osunsanmi, Jayshawn Ross, Chiddi Obiazor, Ryan Davis, and Truman Griffith all entering their name in the portal.
Gregory is the Wildcats' third edge commit of this year's transfer class, following the commitments of former Cincinnati Bearcat Kamari Burns and former Coastal Carolina Chanticleer Jayden Bryant. Gregory's commitment is a major win for the Wildcats as they look to add depth and replace production from last season. Gregory projects as an impact player for Kansas State in 2026 as he looks to improve on an impressive freshman season.
Wendell Gregory Commits to the Wildcats
On Tuesday, January 13th, Hayes Fawcett of ON3 announced via X that Oklahoma State transfer edge Wendell Gregory had signed with the Kansas State Wildcats.
Following an impressive freshman season at Oklahoma State, Gregory was ranked as the 70th player in the portal and the 11th transfer edge in the 2026 class per 247 Sports. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound edge from Marietta, Georgia, took visits to Texas Tech, Texas, Wisconsin, and Missouri before ultimately committing to Kansas State, where he will have three years of eligibility remaining.
BREAKING: Oklahoma State transfer EDGE Wendell Gregory has signed to Kansas State, @PeteNakos and I have learned for @On3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 13, 2026
The 6’4 255 EDGE totaled 27 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 FF, & 1 PD in 2025
He’s the No. 14 player in the On3 Portal Rankingshttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/mEq1auc1nu
Gregory attended Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia, where he ran track and played wide receiver before transitioning to linebacker in his sophomore season.
Gregory would stick at linebacker throughout the rest of high school, improving every season and totaling 56 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, and 14 QB hurries in his senior season.
Following Gregory's impressive senior season, he was ranked as the 186th player nationally and the 22nd player from the state of Georgia, earning offers from Kansas State, Tennessee, Michigan, South Carolina, and many other Power Four programs.
Gregory committed to South Carolina as part of the 2024 recruiting class, enrolling early and going through spring practices with the team.
During the 2024 regular season, Gregory made the move to edge, redshirting after seeing snaps in only two games and recording one tackle. On April 3rd, 2025, Gregory entered his name in the transfer portal, transferring to Oklahoma State on April 17th for the 2025 season.
In Gregory's redshirt-freshman season with Oklahoma State, he saw action in all 12 games, totaling 27 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, a pass deflection, and a forced fumble.
Gregory's impressive freshman season did not go unrecognized, being named 1 of 14 semifinalists for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, Third Team All-Big 12, and Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.
He entered his name into the portal on December 18th, 2025, following a 1-11 season at Oklahoma State, where he ultimately decided to make Manhattan his home, adding on to an already impressive 2026 transfer portal for the Wildcats.
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