Through Aug. 22, Sports Illustrated will count down its preseason college football Top 25 with overviews of each team. Here are the full rankings so far.
At a developmental program like Kansas State, there are always going to be years where the team has plenty of talent but far from the requisite amount of on-field experience. That combination certainly played a factor in the Wildcats winning nine games last season but also struggling in enough spots to cost them a trip to the conference title game and maybe turning a solid season into a much better one. Unforced errors contributed to some games becoming closer than they should have been and loomed as a big factor in struggles on the road in the Big 12 or while losing three of their last four to take themselves out of the College Football Playoff conversation.
The flip side is this can be used as a platform to build upon this season, which features another difficult slate of opponents but also enough returning starters to be optimistic.
“Our offensive line we really like, but there’s some new faces, there’s some transfers. We’ve got to clean that up. Then in the secondary, we lost two kids that got drafted in the NFL, so we’ve got to shore those spots up,” coach Chris Klieman says. “Skill [positions] on offense, the D-line, linebackers, we feel really good about. Tight ends we feel really good about. We’ve just got our work cut out for us in a couple of positions that are key positions.”
Figuring those spots out is balanced out by pieces the Wildcats have coming back. QB Avery Johnson is primed to take a huge leap forward and has several All-Big 12–caliber players around him in the likes of wideout Jayce Brown and tailback Dylan Edwards. Any questions about the backend of the defense can be mitigated somewhat by what might be the best defensive line in the league, combined with a terrific leader at linebacker in Austin Romaine.
What’s tricky is the group won’t have much time to ease into things with a Week Zero trip to Ireland to take on Iowa State, a contest that should determine a Big 12 favorite alongside reigning champion Arizona State. A game against Army in early September also is on the docket, and road trips to Arizona, Baylor and Utah are not sure victories either.
Still, Kansas State has the roster, talent and, now, experience in key spots to navigate all that. This team was part of the playoff discussion going into November last year before things went off the rails a bit. Especially if they win the opener, it would be no surprise if the selection committee paid close attention to the Cats.
Fast Facts
2024 record: 9–4, 5–4 Big 12
Offense: 30.8 ppg (46th in FBS), 6.57 yards per play (11th)
Defense: 23.4 ppg (49th in FBS), 5.26 yards per play (43rd)
On the Headset
Chris Klieman, entering Year 7 in Manhattan (13th as a head coach), 120–41 overall record, 48–28 with the Wildcats
Since arriving from North Dakota State, Klieman has been as advertised when it comes to building tough, physical teams that are regular contenders in a Big 12 that has changed quite a bit since he took over in 2019. Kansas State has won at least nine games three season in a row and a conference title.
This might be one of Klieman’s most talented rosters and there are high hopes that elevating former Utah State and Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells into the full-time offensive coordinator position will pay even more dividends for the team.
“I’m excited because Matt’s a pro, and he’s a pro’s pro. He’s a former head coach, former offensive coordinator, that is getting a chance to be an OC again. He’s one of the brightest, smartest offensive minds in college football,” Klieman says. “Excited that he stayed with us and stayed with Avery [Johnson] because I think he knows what he’s got to lead.”
Key Returning Starter
QB Avery Johnson, Jr.
If you’re an avid NCAA Football video game player, you probably know the ceiling that Johnson has between his size, speed when running the football and explosive arm strength. He found the end zone 32 times in his first full season as the starter in 2024, but there’s still a feeling around the program that he’s just scratching the surface of marrying his overall talent level with what he’s capable of.
“It’s huge to have the quarterback back,” Klieman says. “We all expect—he expects—that he’ll continue to improve and be better. I’m confident that’s going to happen. He had a really good year but I think there’s more in him.”
Johnson completed just 58% of his passes and threw 10 interceptions last season, so if he brings up his accuracy by a decent margin, it’s not a stretch that he could become a factor in the Heisman Trophy race.
Key Transfer
S Gunner Maldonado, from Arizona
The secondary is probably the most suspect unit for the Wildcats going into the opener given all the new faces that surround All-Big 12 safety VJ Payne. The addition of a veteran like Maldonado should certainly help smooth things over while some young corners get up to speed. The senior has played a ton during his time at Arizona (31 starts over four years) and appears to be healthy after missing most of last season with an injury.
Key Departure
OT Carver Willis, transfer to Washington Huskies
While three players were drafted from last year’s team, the loss of Willis to the portal stings given how reliable he was up front. The lengthy and athletic right tackle started 18 games over the past two seasons as a bookend protecting their quarterback. His experience will be sorely missed as the program had to go back into the portal to find replacements for both tackle spots in 2025.
Circle the Dates
- Aug. 23, vs. Iowa State (Ireland)
- Oct. 4, at Baylor
- Nov. 1, vs. Texas Tech
- Nov. 22, at Utah
Bottom Line
A lot of the narrative about Kansas State will be set based on how well it plays in the Week Zero opener against a fellow Big 12 contender. The talent level is high enough in Manhattan, Kans., to keep the Wildcats in the thick of the conference race through the end of the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sports Illustrated’s College Football Preseason Top 25: No. 23 Kansas State .