Three reasons why Klein's first offseason can be a hit at Kansas State
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MANHATTAN, Kan. — While it might seem new Kansas State coach Collin Klein has his hands full early on this offseason, there are reasons for optimism fans can have about his first season.
The Wildcats' former star quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist should have a good feel for what it takes to win here given his history as a player and assistant coach.
Once the transfer portal period pans out at the end of January, Klein along with his Kansas State cohorts should know where the program is headed in 2026. Here are three reasons to remain confident in the Wildcats in Klein's first offseason as coach.
Potential Avery Johnson Return
Roster retention is inevitable these days but one of his first orders of business is keeping the Wildcats' star quarterback in the fold. While he could choose to up and leave K-State, he's been laying low while repping his school gear in public.
Klein was Johnson's lead recruiter out of Maize High School when he was the No. 85 ranked prospect in the nation during the 2023 recruiting cycle.
When he was hired to replace the retiring Chris Klieman, Klein mentioned having positive talks with the school's star quarterback and is intentionally trying to keep Johnson in Manhattan for 2026.
"It's been really positive," Klein said. "I think we've had a couple of conversations already. It's funny that when you put us in a room, we're both football guys, and all of a sudden, after 10 minutes of pleasantries, we're talking about new schemes, what we've been working on, and new things we've been putting tweaks on. I love him to death. It's why I recruited so hard to get him here. He's dear to me."
Recruiting Front
Klein promised Kansas State fans that they would see a shift in recruiting toward a national focus. It's evident with the staff he's hired to this point that recruiting the high school ranks will be a valuable source moving forward.
“Like most Power Four programs in this day and age [recruiting] is going to be a pretty national effort," Klein said in a College Football Playoff press conference last week. It’s trying to find the right fits and the right people and the right type of players in those positions. Texas has a lot of those, there are definitely a lot of good players in Texas.”
The Wildcats have already shown willingness to recruit with staff hires of defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson, linebackers coach Nick Toth, cornerbacks coach Marcus Woodson, and quarterbacks coach Christian Ellsworth.
Wild Transfer Portal
No program will be safe once the transfer portal officially opens at midnight on Jan. 2, 2026. The NCAA opted to listen to its coaches and institute one transfer window during the winter which benefits nearly all its teams, even those still competiting in the College Football Playoffs.
The Wildcats have been severely hampered by key players announcing their intentions to enter the portal, but were able to change key defensive back Donovan McIntosh's mind as he will return for 2026.
Klein will need to address several holes across his roster after last seasons disappointing 6-6 campaign which saw the Wildcats struggle to hold up along the offensive line.
With wide receiver Jayce Brown, defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi, defensive back Qua Moss, linebacker Austin Romaine, and running back Dylan Edwards all leaving it could take a massive overhaul structurally and monetarily to turn things over quickly.
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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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