Manhattan is feeling a little different this January. Honestly, if you walked into Aggieville right now and asked ten people about the state of the program, you'd probably get ten different facial expressions ranging from pure optimism to "what just happened?" The ksu wildcats football news cycle has been moving at a breakneck pace since December, and if you haven't been checking your phone every twenty minutes, you've definitely missed something.
Chris Klieman is gone. He retired.
That sentence still feels weird to type. After a 6-6 regular season in 2025 that—let’s be real—didn’t exactly meet the high expectations we had in August, the "peaceful" exit of a guy who brought a Big 12 title to Manhattan is a massive pillar to lose. Gene Taylor was visibly emotional at the press conference. It felt like the end of a specific era of stability, but the vacuum didn't stay empty for long. Enter Collin Klein. The 36th head coach in the school's history isn't just a familiar face; he’s the guy who literally bled purple on that turf.
The Collin Klein Era Begins with a Bang (and a Ballot)
One of the wildest bits of ksu wildcats football news lately wasn't even about a game. It was about the game that didn't happen. The players held a vote. They decided not to accept a bowl invitation for the 2025 season.
That is practically unheard of.
Usually, teams scrape and claw for that extra month of practice, but this group decided they were done. They wanted to start the Klein era with a clean slate. No distractions. No playing a meaningless game with a coaching staff in transition. It’s a move that split the fan base, but you have to respect the players' agency there. They chose to focus on 2026 immediately.
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Who is Coming and Who is Going?
The transfer portal has been a revolving door. Losing Jayce Brown to the portal was a gut punch. He was the leading pass catcher with over 700 yards and five touchdowns. When your top wideout leaves, it usually signals a rebuild, but Klein has been busy.
Check out some of these massive additions that have hit the news recently:
- Elijah Hill (EDGE): This kid is a monster from Kennesaw State. He was a First Team All-Conference USA selection as a freshman. He hit the portal with a "do not contact" tag, which basically means he knew he was coming to Manhattan from the jump.
- Brandon White (WR): Coming in from Hawaii, he’s got that 5-9, 175-pound frame that screams "slot nightmare." He’s here to fill the void Jayce Brown left behind.
- Wendell Gregory (EDGE): A 6-3, 255-pound beast from Oklahoma State. He’s the No. 11 ranked edge rusher in the portal. Seeing him flip from a conference rival to K-State is just chef's kiss.
- Adrian Maddox (S): A Georgia transfer. You don't often see guys come from the SEC powerhouse to Manhattan, but Maddox has 118 career tackles and some serious ball-hawking skills.
But it’s not all new faces. Joe Jackson is staying. That’s huge. He broke Darren Sproles’ single-game rushing record with 293 yards against Utah. Having him back as the foundational piece for the 2026 offense gives Collin Klein a legitimate weapon from day one. He’s the guy who said he wants to "finish what we started."
Avery Johnson by the Numbers
We need to talk about Avery. The 2025 season was a bit of a rollercoaster for the young QB. He finished with 2,385 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. On the ground, he added another 477 yards and 8 scores.
People talk about his speed—and yeah, it’s elite—but his growth as a passer is what’s going to define the 2026 season. He had games like the one against Kansas where he looked like a Heisman candidate (217.67 rating!), and then he had games like the Arizona loss where things just didn't click. With Collin Klein now as his head coach—a guy who knows exactly what it's like to be a dual-threat QB at K-State—the ceiling for Avery is basically nonexistent.
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Why the 2026 Recruiting Class Matters
While everyone is staring at the portal, the high school recruiting news has been solid. K-State signed 24 prospects for the 2026 class.
It’s a diverse group. You’ve got six kids from Texas, four from Missouri, and only two from Kansas. It shows that the brand is expanding. They landed Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder, a massive 6-6, 305-pound defensive lineman who was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in Massachusetts.
The strategy is clear: beef up the lines. Collin Klein knows that Big 12 games are won in the trenches. He’s keeping Buddy Wyatt on staff to coach the defensive line, which is arguably the best move he’s made so far. Wyatt has coached more Big 12 Defensive Linemen of the Year than anyone else in league history. If you want to keep the "Mob" mentality on defense, Wyatt is the guy you need in the room.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2025 Season
Looking back at the standings, K-State finished 6-6 and tied for 10th in the Big 12. That looks bad on paper.
But look closer.
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They lost to Baylor by one point. They lost to Army by three. They lost to Iowa State by three. Three plays go the other way, and this is a 9-3 team and nobody is talking about a "disappointing" season. The talent was there; the execution in the fourth quarter just vanished. That’s likely why the players voted to skip the bowl game. They knew they weren't playing up to their standard and they wanted to get to work on fixing the culture immediately.
Real-World Action Steps for Fans
If you're trying to keep up with all the ksu wildcats football news without losing your mind, here’s what you should actually be doing right now:
- Watch the Spring Game: This will be the first time we see Klein’s actual offensive philosophy without the constraints of the previous regime. Pay attention to how often Avery Johnson is under center versus in the shotgun.
- Monitor the "Do Not Contact" Portal Tags: As we saw with Elijah Hill, these are the strongest indicators of who is already leaning toward Manhattan.
- Check the Strength and Conditioning Updates: With a new head coach often comes a new intensity in the weight room. Keep an eye on the "offseason transformation" photos—they actually tell you a lot about who is buying into the new culture.
- Support the NIL Collectives: Like it or not, this is how we keep guys like Joe Jackson and Avery Johnson from looking elsewhere.
The Klein era isn't just a nostalgia trip. It’s a total reboot of a program that felt like it was starting to stall. The 2025 season was a wake-up call, and the flurry of news we’re seeing now is the response. It might be a bumpy ride while the new staff gets settled, but for the first time in a while, it feels like the identity of K-State football is being reclaimed by someone who truly understands it.
Keep an eye on the defensive line rotations in the coming weeks. With the influx of portal talent and Buddy Wyatt's development track record, that unit could go from a question mark to the best in the Big 12 by September.
Stay tuned to the official team releases and local beat reporters for the latest roster moves as spring practice approaches.
Next Steps for Following K-State Football:
- Follow the official @KStateFB Twitter/X account for real-time practice updates.
- Check the 247Sports and On3 transfer trackers specifically for Big 12 movement.
- Look for Collin Klein’s upcoming coaching clinic dates to get a deeper look at his schematic shifts.