Kansas State Roster Tracker: Who's staying, leaving Wildcats' program?
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MANHATTAN, Kan. — As Kansas State transitions to the Collin Klein era there have been a massive number of defections as most would expect during a coaching change.
There have been significant contributors who could've been foundational additions to next year's team. Others are looking for new surroundings as things haven't gone quite as they imagined going into their careers.
Who's Staying?
At least one significant Kansas State player will return next season in running back Joe Jackson. The sophomore recorded 169 carries for 911 yards and eight touchdowns on the season.
Six of his eight scores came over the final two games against Utah and Colorado where he proved to be a workhorse by rushing for 435 yards on nearly nine yards per carry.
His 293 yard performance at Utah Nov. 22 broke a longstanding school-record set by former running back Darren Sproles.
"Once I got the chance to talk to him, I told him that I was excited to finish what we started," Jackson said during the interview. "I'm really excited to get to work with him, win some games and compete for a national championship."
Jackson stepped up when Kansas State needed him most as Dylan Edwards suffered an early season injury, causing him to miss the rest of the 2025 season.
His return gives the Wildcats some hope moving forward this offseason and gives Klein a foundational centerpiece to build on in a run-heavy offense.
Who's Out?
LB Austin Romaine
RB Dylan Edwards
DE Tobi Osunsanmi
OL Devin Vass
CB Donovan McIntosh
DE Ryan Davis
WR Jayce Brown
DB Colby McCalister
WR Callen Barta
WR Jacques Spradley-Demps
CB Amarion Fortenberry
TE Brayden Loftin
DB Qua Moss
TE Andrew Metzger
WR Jemyri Davis
DE Truman Griffith
RB JB Price
WR Jayce Brown
The departure of leading pass catcher Jayce Brown to the transfer portal stings, and leaves a notable void to fill. Brown finished the season with more than 712 receiving yards five touchdowns, forcing Kansas State to replace his production and leadership.
DB Qua Moss
The former FCS product from West Georgia was a bright spot for an up and down defense last season. Moss recorded 41 tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble in 2025.
With Moss' departure, it forces Kansas State's new defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson to rebuild his secondary as VJ Payne and Gunner Maldonado are set to graduate.
DE Tobi Osunsanmi
Osunsanmi was a valuable piece to the Kansas State defense over the past two seasons, finishing his time in Manhattan with 50 career tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
LB Austin Romaine
The Wildcats' defense took a hit Monday as one of its best tacklers has opted to transfer when the portal opens Jan. 2. Romaine, a two-time All-Big 12 linebacker finished his time at Kansas State with 184 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four pass breakups and three forced fumbles across three seasons.
He missed three games due to injury and played with a club on his hand left hand throughout the latter stages of the season.
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Jacob is a contributor to Kansas State and a seasoned journalist with over eight years of covering college football on digital platforms. He also contributes to Arkansas On SI and has previous writing experience at Saturday Down South and SB Nation. He is a graduate of Southern Arkansas University.
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