Can you believe we're only five days away from getting Kansas State football back?
Time has certainly flown, and a lot has changed since the 2025 season ended. With all this in the new era in Manhattan, KS, predictions are flowing in about what will happen in Collin Klein's head-coaching chapter.
CBS Sports wrote a national projections story discussing the country's expectations for postseason contenders, borderline playoff teams, and teams that will undersell their massive expectations. The major news outlet once again pinned the Wildcats as a Big 12 underdog.
"The Big 12 is far more open at the top of the league than the Big Ten and SEC," the article wrote. "While we all expect Texas Tech and BYU to be good, after that, nobody knows anything for sure. The Wildcats are in a good position to move up after a disappointing season because neither Texas Tech nor BYU is on their schedule! Utah isn't, either!"
CBS Sports highlights Klein's experience as Texas A&M's offensive coordinator as another reason to believe he can carry over success into the next season.
"They also have a new coach in Collin Klein, who has had some success of his own in Manhattan," the article wrote. "He was able to develop Marcel Reed at Texas A&M last season, and now he hopes to do the same with Avery Johnson. What if he does? What if Avery Johnson lives up to his potential while the Wildcats play one of the easier schedules in the Big 12? If it happens, you've suddenly got a CFP contender on your hands."
Which, of course, only adds to the resume he's built with the Wildcats. Klein is hailed as the catalyst for Johnson's freshman season, stringing together performances that made him a projected star for years to come. While Johnson never quite reached that level of success, he's expected to finally do so in Year 4 with Klein back on the sidelines.
Outside of Texas Tech, Utah, and BYU, there aren't really any immediate threats to Kansas State's conference competition. Teams like Houston, Arizona, and TCU lurk around as potential wild cards, but many believe the Wildcats will still finish top-5 in the Big 12 next season.
Kansas State opens up against Nicholls on Saturday at 7 p.m.
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Jayden Armant is a contributor to KStateRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].
