New coach Collin Klein’s Wildcats earn a ‘D+’ from The Athletic
In rankings released Tuesday, The Athletic writer Manny Navarro had only one Big 12 team with a worse grade: Iowa State, with a “D”. The Cyclones lost their longtime coach Matt Campbell to Penn State this offseason.
Campbell took 24 former Iowa State players to Penn State with him, including starting quarterback Rocco Becht. Two schools — Baylor and Cincinnati — matched K-State’s D+ grade. Texas Tech had the Big 12’s best grade, an A. Oklahoma State, coming off a 1-11 season and with a new coach, Eric Morris, in place, received the second-best grade in the Big 12 — an A-. Morris came to Stillwater from North Texas.There are three times to best judge the effectiveness of the transfer portal. When spring practice begins isn’t necessarily one of them.* At the end of the offseason when the depth chart is constructed. How many transfers have earned starting positions? Or are backups? There is a caveat: Until the players compete against other teams — when the live bullets fly, as Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid likes to say — there still can be doubt about a transfer, no matter how well he performed against his teammates. * Midway through the season when there is some body of work to judge a player. Are those transfers who started retaining their positions? Are they getting playing time? Are they making a difference? How good are they? * At the end of November, when after a full season of games and practices, a complete and educated evaluation can be made. Then, coaches can judge how good players were and what the future holds., who retired after the season. Preseason expectations for the Wildcats ran hot, with hopeful talk of an appearance in the Big 12 title game and a College Football Playoff berth. Kansas State lost its opener to Iowa State in Dublin and spent the rest of the season fighting to get back to .500.According to The Athletic, Kansas State added 27 players in the portal, and lost 32 players. The top players Kansas State added, according to The Athletic, were: running back Jay Harris , wide receiver Joshua Manning , edge Wendell Gregory , linebacker Mekhi Mason , and safety Ja’son Prevard .had to replace 14 starters from last year’s team, including six who left via the portal and signed with other Power 4 programs. Klein did manage to retain nine starters, notably“K-State signed 14 transfers who played 200-plus snaps last season, including five starters from other FBS programs. Two areas addressed with big numbers were the offensive and defensive lines, each with six additions. Gregory, who produced 32 pressures and four sacks at Oklahoma State, is the headliner of the group.”Quarterback Avery Johnson is the most important player the Wildcats retained. Johnson is adept at running and passing. He completed 204-of-341 passes for 2,385 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025. Johnson also gained 296 yards on the ground and had seven touchdowns. In his three-year K-State career, he has gained 1,378 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. Running back Joe Jackson gained 911 yards on 169 carries last season. He scored eight touchdowns on the ground. He also had 22 receptions for 119 yards and one touchdown. He didn’t fumble in 2025.CHUCK BAUSMAN Chuck Bausman is a writer for Kansas State on SI. Chuck formerly was the Executive Sports Editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, Executive Sports Editor of the Courier-Post in South Jersey and Sports Copy Editor for the Detroit Free Press. He has been a Big Ten enthusiast for nearly forever. He learned how to cuss by watching Philly sports. You can reach Chuck at: bausmac@icloud.comVersatile Oklahoma Defensive Lineman Schedules Official Visit With Kansas State
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New law puts Kansas at vanguard of denying trans identities on official documentsKansas is set to invalidate about 1,700 driver's licenses held by transgender residents and about as many birth certificates, going further than most other states in circumscribing trans rights.
Read more »
Kansas Basketball Opens as Betting Underdog in Houston ShowdownThis year's Kansas basketball team has made history, opening as betting underdogs in Allen Fieldhouse for the fourth time all season.
Read more »
Expert Explains Why Michigan's Transfer Portal Class is 'Sneaky Good'The Wolverines brought in a slew of transfers this offseason who should make an impact in 2026 and beyond
Read more »
Kansas State Women’s Basketball Mounts Comeback, Falls to KansasKansas State Wildcats women's basketball erased a deficit with a late second-quarter surge to tie the game at halftime, but Kansas Jayhawks sealed a victory.
Read more »
Kansas Coach Bill Self Stumps for Kelvin Sampson’s Hall of Fame CaseThe Jayhawks coach has nothing but respect for Sampson and the job he's done at Houston.
Read more »
Wisconsin Badgers Reportedly 'Won Bidding Wars' For Transfer Portal AdditionsThe Wisconsin Badgers had more money to spend in the transfer portal this winter, and they reportedly weren't afraid to outbid other teams.
Read more »