Former Missouri Wide Receiver Commits to Kansas State
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Kansas State continues to add weapons for star returning quarterback Avery Johnson with the commitment of former Missouri 4-star wide receiver Joshua Manning.
The Wildcats have made receiver a top priority in the transfer portal this offseason after losing last season's leading receiver, Jayce Brown, to LSU. Manning is the Wildcats' second wide receiver commit of this year's transfer portal, as they added fellow former 4-star, Izaiah Williams, from Texas A&M on the 5th. Kansas State and coach Klein look to stay hot in the transfer portal with players moving in and out of Manhattan since the portal opened on January 2nd.
Joshua Manning Commits to Kansas State
On Wednesday, January 7th, Chris Hummer of CBS Sports announced via X that former Missouri wide receiver Joshua Manning had signed with the Kansas State Wildcats following a visit to Manhattan. Manning was a primary target for the Wildcats coming out of high school and even took a visit with now starting quarterback Avery Johnson in the summer of 2022. Manning's familiarity with the Wildcats goes beyond football, as his cousin, Taj Manning, is a junior forward on the Kansas State basketball team.
Kansas State has signed Missouri WR transfer Joshua Manning, @mzenitz and I have learned for @CBSSports.
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 7, 2026
Manning, a former 4-star recruit, has caught 42 passes for 510 yards and 3 TDs over the last two seasons. https://t.co/pHBEUU29qr pic.twitter.com/3AFAxyOnD9
Manning is a 6-foot-2, 213-pound wide receiver who signed with the Missouri Tigers in the 2023 recruiting class out of Lee's Summit High School in Missouri.
As a recruit, Manning was rated a 4-star and the 7th-best player in the state of Missouri, earning him offers from top programs such as Kansas State, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Missouri, and many more. Manning had an impressive high school career, hauling in 69 catches for 900 yards and 11 touchdowns as just a junior, while also making an impact in the return game.
In Manning's senior season, he didn't disappoint, posting equally impressive numbers, totaling 63 catches for 844 yards and 14 touchdowns. Manning didn't just dominate on the football field, playing basketball and competing in track and field, earning second place in the Missouri Class 5 track and field state championship in both the long jump and triple jump events.
As a freshman at Missouri, Manning played in 12 of 13 games, totaling 115 snaps and carving out a role on the special teams unit.
In Manning's sophomore season with the Tigers, he saw his playing time increase, starting seven games and appearing in all 13, where he registered 13 receptions for 192 yards and a touchdown, along with one rush for 4 yards and a score.
In 2025, during his junior season, Manning started all 12 regular-season games for the Tigers, totaling 29 receptions for 318 yards and three touchdowns before announcing his intention to enter the transfer portal on December 5th. Manning will have one year of eligibility remaining with the Wildcats, but still has a redshirt available.
