Kansas State football has had some major losses over the past few months following coach Chris Klieman's retirement and a disappointing 2025 season.
And several major outlets highlight these losses seemingly every day. ESPN recently did a transfer portal rankings, highlighting former Wildcats stars Tobi Osunsanmi and Jayce Brown as some of the best player acquisitions nationally.
Edge rusher Osunsanmi rounded out the top 50 after a career year last season. He was on pace to be a conference star before his mid-season injury, when he led the team in sacks and tackles for loss.
"Osunsanmi looked poised to be a breakout starter for the Wildcats in 2025 after recording 5.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks in a reserve role as a redshirt sophomore," the article wrote. "He got off to a strong start with 13 pressures, 6 TFLs and 4 sacks before suffering a season-ending injury in October that sidelined him for K-State's final six games."
Meanwhile, Brown checked in at No. 68 after once again shining in the Wildcats' receiving room. He was the top receiving threat, often isolated as the main weapon for quarterback Avery Johnson. Last season, Brown had 41 receptions for 712 yards and five touchdowns.
"Brown is a crisp route runner who gets out of his breaks well and gets defensive backs to bite on double moves," the article wrote. "He shakes press corners with his release, and he tracks the deep ball well. He's quick and he gets north-south after the catch. He's at his best working out of the slot, but he can line up outside, and he's competitive in 50-50 situations even though he's on the leaner side."
Losing the top two players at each major position will be difficult to replace. Brown's downfield speed and consistency as the primary perimeter target shift the offensive scheme. While Collin Klein was likely to integrate more rushing in his offensive game plan anyway, it will be difficult without Brown. Jaron Tibbs now slides up to the No. 1 spot, but his game was mainly short passes or first-down targets to move the sticks.
Meanwhile, the defensive line will have to carry on without Osunsanmi and a few other major pieces. Defensive end is arguably the best defensive position for Kansas State in recent memory, emphasizing the need for strong edge rushers. Thankfully, the Wildcats brought in Elijah Hill and Wendell Gregory on that front, hopefully continuing the trend of setting the tone upfront.
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