Predicting the depth chart for K-State’s secondary as well as key position battles

A strong argument could be made that Kansas State's secondary is the Wildcats' greatest strength on defense heading into the upcoming season. In fact, Brett Ciancia of Pick Six Previews ranks K-State's secondary fourth-best in the Big 12.

K-State returns corner Zashon Rich, who started all 12 games last season en route to earning Honorable Mention All-Big 12, while adding several quality players in the transfer portal this offseason to a group that ranked No. 24 nationally in pass efficiency defense in 2025.

The secondary is experienced and talented. Transfer safety Adrian Maddox has started 28 games in his career, while Kaleb Patterson has started 15 games at corner at Illinois in the prior two seasons. Ja'Son Prevard started 12 games at Virginia last season, allowing the lowest passer rating among all corners in the ACC when targeted, and he might not even start in this K-State secondary. Both Patterson and Prevard were named to Ciancia's Pick Six Previews Big 12 All-Transfer Team.

K-State defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson also serves as the Wildcats' defensive backs coach, and he's got plenty of help on his staff. Jeremiah Johnson, a successful defensive coordinator at other programs throughout his career, is also coaching the defensive backs, while Marcel Yates, a 24-year veteran in the industry and former defensive coordinator at multiple power-four schools, coaches the K-State cornerbacks.

Let's dive in and preview the two-deep along the five positions in the Wildcats' secondary:

Cornerback:

No. 1) Zashon Rich, 6-foot-1, 206-pound junior:

The Minnesota native was an under-the-radar recruit in the 2024 recruiting class. He’s done nothing but impress both the current and past K-State coaching staffs since setting foot in Manhattan.

The 6-foot-1 corner registered 57 tackles and 11 pass breakups while playing a team-high 837 snaps last season. His 12 passes defended tied for third-most in the Big 12 Conference and top 30 nationally, paving the way to earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors.

Rich possesses the talent to be a lockdown corner. He will be counted on to be the anchor of K-State’s secondary. If he can become more consistent and a bit more physical in 2026, his name could appear on the postseason All-Big 12 First Team.

No. 2) Martel Jackson, 6-foot-1, 180-pound sophomore

Nick McClellan, 5-foot-11, 193-pound freshman

Josiah Vilmael, 6-foot-0, 195-pound freshman

I have no idea who is going to end up as fourth corner to see the field. I list Jackson first given he’s headed into his second year in the program. The Wichita native was the 62nd-ranked cornerback in the 2025 recruiting class, according to On3. Jackson did not receive any snaps as a true freshman last season.

Keep an eye on true freshmen Nick McClellan and Josiah Vilmael making a push here. Both have impressed during their short time in Manhattan and are expected to receive snaps in 2026.

McClellan, a 5-foot-11 corner from St. Louis, was ranked the No. 929 player in the country in the 2026 recruiting class and 84th-best safety, according to the Rivals Industry Consensus rankings. He chose K-State over offers from Missouri, Iowa, Iowa State and KU.

Vilmael was the No. 519 player in the country in the 2026 recruiting class, according to the Rivals Industry Consensus rankings. He was ranked as the country’s No. 53 corner, and a top-75 player in the state of Texas in his class. Rivals specifically ranked him as a 4-star recruit and the No. 282 player nationally in the 2026 class. He chose K-State over offers from Texas, Arizona, Iowa, Arizona State, Houston, Baylor, Oklahoma State and many other power-four programs.

Vilmael’s brother, Joshua, is the highest-ranked commit in K-State’s recruiting class for 2027. He is a 4-star ranked as the No. 256 player overall, No. 30 corner, and No. 35 player in the state of Texas in the 2027 class, according to the Rivals Industry Consensus rankings.

Cornerback:

No. 1) Kaleb Patterson, 6-foot-1, 192-pound fifth-year

Patterson started 12 games for Illinois in 2024, playing 564 snaps while recording the fifth-best tackling grade among all corners nationally, according to Pro Football Focus. He registered 31 tackles, including two for loss, while forcing one fumble and breaking up two passes.

The 6-foot-1, 192-pound fifth-year player saw his playing time decrease to 216 snaps in 2025 while appearing in 10 games and starting three. However, it’s worth noting the Mississippi native also was injured part of last season.

Patterson provides K-State another long corner who brings a level of physicality to the boundary for the Wildcats. His proven ability to be a solid tackler on the outside will be a welcome addition for the K-State defense.

No. 2) Donovan McIntosh, 6-foot-3, 187-pound senior

McIntosh possesses the tools to be a great corner. The question is whether he can fully tap into his talent and maximize his potential heading into his fourth season with the program. The St. Louis native is 6-foot-3 and has been clocked under a 4.40 40. The physical traits are not in question.

However, his play was inconsistent last season, when he appeared in 11 games, starting seven while playing 470 snaps. He had 33 tackles, five pass breakups and one interception. If he makes the progress he’s capable of, he would give the Wildcats another strong alternative at corner.

Nickel:

No. 1) JoJo Scott, 6-foot-1, 182-pound sophomore

Scott was a player Chris Klieman and staff were thrilled to land in the 2025 recruiting class, defeating 10-plus power-four programs for the Florida native. Scott only saw time on special teams in three games last season as a true freshman.

There is growing buzz that the 6-foot-1, 182-pound sophomore has surged in recent weeks and is the frontrunner to start at nickel.

No. 2) Michael Graham Jr., 5-foot-11, 189-pound junior

Graham is one of three players from Hutchinson Community College to sign with K-State in the 2026 recruiting class, joining talented wide receiver Derrick Salley Jr. and defensive tackle Eli Jackson.

Graham was ranked as the No. 28 junior college player nationally and the top juco safety in the 2026 class, according to the Rivals Industry Consensus rankings. K-State flipped Graham and Salley from their commitment to Minnesota during the recruiting process.

The Oklahoma native recorded 50 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, eight interceptions and three pass breakups during his two seasons at Hutchinson Community College, including six interceptions in 2025 en route to being named a First-Team All-American.

I would anticipate Graham and Scott rotate with each playing a significant amount of snaps, particularly early in the season.

Safety:

No. 1) Logan Bartley, 6-foot-2, 213-pound sophomore

Bartley went through the growing pains of playing as a true freshman at the power-four level. The Wildcats' coaching staff believe that experience coupled with his undeniable talent and physicality has him ready to start on the back end of the defense in 2026.

The 6-foot-2, 213-pound sophomore played 154 snaps on defense last season along with 72 snaps on special teams. He appeared in all 12 games, recording 21 tackles and one pass breakup.

Bartley, who K-State flipped from Wake Forest during the recruiting process, was ranked as the No. 628 player, No. 55 safety, and No. 81 player in Florida in the 2025 recruiting class, according to the Rivals Industry Consensus.

No. 2) Ja’son Prevard, 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior

It’s notable that K-State lists Prevard at safety given his success as a corner throughout most of his career. It’s even more interesting that I project him as a backup safety given his background and accolades. I ranked him No. 9 on my list of 12 most important players on the Wildcats roster.

If you’re a K-State fan and take a glass half full approach, you could view this as a positive and an indicator of how good the K-State secondary just might be. Because Prevard has proven throughout his college football career that he’s a really good corner.

The 6-foot-2 Virginia transfer earned Honorable Mention All-ACC while starting 12 games for a 10-win Cavaliers team that lost in the ACC Championship game.

Prevard is a veteran corner with size and has shown to be versatile throughout his career. Perhaps this is why K-State feels comfortable moving him to safety. He played 406 snaps in the slot last season and 131 snaps at box safety for the Cavaliers.

He had three interceptions and eight passes defended last season, while allowing the lowest passer rating in the conference when targeted. His 85.2 coverage grade ranked seventh-best in the ACC among all corners, according to Pro Football Focus.

Safety:

No. 1) Adrian Maddox, 6-foot-1, 194-pound fifth-year

Another favorite transfer portal addition of mine who I ranked as the eighth-most important player on the Wildcats roster heading into this season. Maddox brings an aggressive, hard-hitting mentality to the K-State defense along with a wealth of experience having started 28 games during his college football career. Opposing receivers will likely have their heads on a swivel with Maddox and Bartley roaming the back end of the defense.

Maddox began his career at the FCS level at Alabama State, where he was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award given to the most outstanding freshman in the FCS. He spent two seasons at Alabama State, registering 90 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions.

The 6-foot-1, 194-poiund Georgia native then transferred to the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) following the 2023 season. He started 10 games, playing nearly 400 snaps while posting an 83.9 coverage grade that season, which ranked top 30 among all FBS corners nationally, according to Pro Football Focus. His NFL passer rating when targeted was 68.6, the best in UAB’s secondary, while his 77.6 overall defensive grade was the fourth-highest among all defensive backs in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), according to Pro Football Focus.

Maddox recorded eight pass breakups in 2024, with three occurring in a game at Arkansas, the most by any player in the AAC that season.

Maddox’s track record of success drew the attention of major power-four programs after he entered the portal following the 2024 season. He committed to Florida, before flipping shortly after to Georgia. He played 67 snaps in four games for the Bulldogs, recording four tackles for loss. Maddox elected to only play four games in order to preserve his unused redshirt and provide him one final season, which will occur in Manhattan.

Maddox has been credited with 15 passes defended in his career along with four forced fumbles, 114 tackles, three interceptions and three sacks. I expect him to start at safety, but he does possess positional versatility. He played 201 snaps at nickel in 2024, along with 134 snaps inside the box and 34 at free safety.

No. 2) Wesley Fair, 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior

Fair may not start, but it spoke volumes regarding what the K-State coaching staff thinks of the Wichita native when they selected him as one of four players to attend Big 12 Media Days earlier this summer.

Fair played in all 12 games, including starts in the season’s first six games in 2025. He recorded 36 tackles, three pass breakups and had a fumble recovery he ran in for a touchdown against TCU. He played 409 defensive snaps along with 110 special teams snaps.

Fair played in every game of 2024, primarily on special teams.

Fair is a quality leader and brings experience to the Wildcats’ secondary.

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