Kstate

How Collin Klein has Wildcats off to great start

The offseason for almost all FBS college football teams is turbulent and uncertain, but some, like Kansas State, are off to a better start than most other teams.
Ryan Kay|
Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson and Kansas State Wildcats running back Joe Jackson are expected to return.
Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson and Kansas State Wildcats running back Joe Jackson are expected to return. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Kansas State Wildcats

MANHATTAN, Kan. — This offseason, many players are entering the transfer portal, including a decent number from the Wildcats; however, key players from the Wildcats also intend to return.

Many college football programs are most concerned about whether their starting quarterback will return or enter the portal during the offseason. K-State doesn't face this issue because its starting quarterback has announced that he is returning.

Johnson is the key to K-State returning to their winning ways, as it did in 2022 or even in 2023 or 2024, when Johnson led the Wildcats to a win over NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

To put it in perspective, this season, K-State went backwards, only winning six games. Before this season, the Wildcats had won at least nine games in each of the previous two seasons and had won both of their bowl games before this season.

Johnson is the key player in getting K-State back to competing for a Big 12 championship in 2026.

Johnson isn't the only Wildcat player returning next season who can help K-State achieve their goals. Believe it or not, most players don't announce their return because it is assumed, but key players in college football who still have eligibility, have announced they are coming back and K-State has had players announce that they are coming back to play for new head coach Collin Klein next season.

Granted, there are a significant number of K-State players who have announced that they are entering the transfer portal, but the new coaching staff is looking to add players through it.

Here is how the Wildcats can get back to their winning ways in 2026.

The most important thing for K-State in 2026, as mentioned earlier, is that star dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson said he would be back for his senior year. The "Klein-Johnson" connection between the former Wildcat QB star, now coach, and Johnson will be key to success on the field next season.

The reunion is significant because Klein, as the Wildcat OC, recruited Johnson to play at K-State. It's important to have a senior quarterback who can make plays during a coaching change to keep things stable.

More importantly, Johnson can possibly lead the Wildcats to a Big 12 title in 2026.
Johnson said in his announcement that he had "unfinished business," which showed how eager he was to get the team back to winning the conference title.

Even though K-State has a new head coach, they are counting on the help of old friends and skilled recruiters to keep their defensive identity.

They are attempting to achieve a tough-minded defensive identity by appointing Jordan Peterson as the defensive coordinator, as he comes from Texas A&M. K-State will keep its "toughness," and the expectation is to become one of the Big 12's best defensive teams.

Adding Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Marcus Woodson from Arkansas is a big step toward improving the secondary and getting more production from the defense this upcoming fall.

It is easy to assume that the transfer portal is a big part of the plan to get immediate help at defensive tackle and within the secondary.

Getting productive and talented players from the transfer portal is seen as very important to compete with teams like Texas Tech and BYU, which have strong interior lines. Also, it is very important to get key players on the back four to stop high-powered Big 12 offensive passing attacks.

Top receiver Jayce Brown and talented running back Dylan Edwards have decided to enter the transfer portal, but they need new "home run" threats.

Derrick Salley Jr.: Salley was the best junior college wide receiver, and K-State signed him to improve their passing game right away with his size (6'4") and verticality. The Wildcats are looking to add some offensive playmakers via the transfer portal.

To help achieve this goal, K-State brought Thad Ward back from Illinois as Associate Head Coach/WR Coach because he led one of the best receiving groups in school history during the 2022 Big 12 Championship season.

Having a solid and reliable offensive line has always been a priority for Kansas State since Bill Snyder took over the program. For the 2026 season, the return of George Fitzpatrick from injury provides significant assistance to the offensive line.

Fitzpatrick, the former Ohio State transfer, was hurt all year in 2025 and couldn't play, but he looks to not only be a starter but also an anchor for the Wildcat O-Line this season.

The class of 2026 has a lot of very good linemen, like Keegan Collins and Oliver Miller. For Big 12 strength, it's important for the coaches to be able to quickly make these young players into players who can play in different spots.

It is difficult for true freshmen to become starters on the offensive line, but they could develop into reliable backups for next season.

This offseason, with the transfer portal being highly unpredictable, could bring about significant changes. However, K-State is off to a great start, and the future appears bright, as the transfer portal activity is in full swing.

More from Kansas State On SI

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Ryan Kay
RYAN KAY

Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Kansas State On SI.

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