As Kansas State regroups from its disastrous 2025 season, it will do so with a completely different look next year.
Even outsiders know how much these losses will hurt the team. ESPN ranked the most impactful players this past transfer portal season, with former edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi and wide receiver Jayce Brown gracing the list.
Tobi Osunsanmi
NEW TEAM: INDIANA
2025 STATS: 20 TKLS, 6 TFL, 4 SACKS
ESPN RANK: NO. 52
The article wrote:
"Osunsanmi is a former linebacker who moved to edge toward the end of the 2023 season. He stacks and sheds tight ends as a run defender. He mixes the dip-and-rip with long-arm and quick inside moves as a pass rusher. He flashes good short-area closing burst. The Hoosiers made him a major priority from the start and quickly locked in a commitment as part of an impressive haul led by Hoover and Marsh that sets this program up to be a CFP contender yet again in Year 3 under Cignetti."
Osunsanmi led the Wildcats in sacks and tackles for loss until he was ruled out against Baylor mid-way through the season. It was a crushing loss to an already-struggling defense, halting a career season that could've been even more dominant if he stayed healthy. Kansas State is left without its primary pass-rusher in addition to losing several defensive linemen. Osunsanmi will help fill the void left by the loss of senior defensive linemen Kellen Wyatt, Mikail Kamara, and Stephen Daley.
Jayce Brown, Wide Receiver
NEW TEAM: LSU
2025 STATS: 41 REC, 712 YDS, 5 TD; 7 CAR, 116 YDS, 1 TD
ESPN RANK: NO. 70
The article wrote:
"Brown averaged 17.1 yards per catch and 11.5 yards per carry in his three seasons at Kansas State. He's a crisp route runner who gets out of his breaks well and gets defensive backs to bite on double moves. 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."
Brown was Kansas State's No. 1 weapon for the past two seasons, blazing as one of the Big 12's most dynamic playmakers on the perimeter. He was quarterback Avery Johnson's primary target, with his speed and downfield presence offsetting Johnson's typical short-yardage attack. Without him in the receiving corps, the Wildcats' passing attack gets much thinner and less explosive.