Offseason hasn't been kind to Wildcats' defensive line

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Just as it appeared Kansas State was beginning to flip the momentum away from players entering the transfer portal, things took a sharp turn in the recruitment of JUCO All-American signee Andy Burburija.

After flipping his commitment to the Wildcats from Washington State on National Signing Day,
Burburija announced his decision to reopen his recruitment due to coaching staff changes through a post on his X account on Monday.

"After a talk with my family and with multiple changes in the staff at K-state I’ve decided to decommit," Burburija wrote. "Thank you to K-state for the opportunity and as well as the support you’ve shown me. With that being said my recruitment is now 100% open."

The Iowa Western Community College product was one of the top defensive lineman in the JCUO ranks as the No. 51 ranked prospect nationally, No. 13 among defensive linemen and No. 3 player in Illinois for the cycle, according to 247Sports.

He has reported 12 total scholarship offers from the likes of Kansas State, Washington State, Arkansas State, Boise State, South Florida, Charlotte, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Sacramento State, and Southeastern Missouri State.

After a talk with my family and with multiple changes in the staff at K-state I’ve decided to decommit! Thank you to K-state for the opportunity and as well as the support you’ve shown me. With that being said my recruitment is now 100% open! pic.twitter.com/rudMxieuCP
— Andy Burburija (@BurburijaAndy) December 29, 2025

Listed at 6-foot-2, 290 pounds, the sophomore recorded 78 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss over the previous two seasons. His production led him to JUCO First Team All-American honors following the 2025 season.

Burburija is the the first signee of the 2026 class to reopen his recruitment with the Wildcats, which did follow the coaching transition from the now retired Chris Klieman to Collin Klein.

Since the beginning of the offseason it's been a busy one for everyone in the football facitlity, especailly along the defensive front. The Wildcats are set to lose starting defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi, defensive lineman Chiddi Obiazor, and veteran lineman Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder and several others to the transfer portal.

Kansas State was able to sign a trio of 3-star linemen in Adrian Bekibele, Kingston Hall and Carnell Jackson Jr. in the 2026 cycle, which ranked No. 9 in the Big 12 and No. 50 nationally.

The Wildcats will have to hit the portal hard if it wants to rebuild a defensive line void of experience due to transfer exits and graduation. Last season, Kansas State's defense was effective against the run and generated pressure , but losses of rotational players and starters will open depth issues if not resolved soon.

After Klein spent a couple seasons at Texas A&M, he developed a strong professional relationship with Jordan Peterson, who spent time as the Aggies co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Having been tutored under Elko, who built two separate programs in relatively short order in the previous four years, there's hope that Klein can do the same at Kansas State.

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