Kansas State's Jordan Peterson Reveals Who Defense's X-Factor Will Be

For months, Kansas State football fans have heard about the big names being brought in who will likely elevate the defense next season. Elijah Hill, Wendell Gregory, and Mekhi Mason are the incoming game-wreckers to reciprocate the huge losses the program took over the past few months.

But what about the homegrown talent? While new additions are great, fans likely want some consistency and to see notable names from last season have some semblance of chemistry.

Kansas State defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson highlighted one star to keep eyes on: defensive end Jordan Allen. One of the best returning players, Allen is anticipated to reach even higher heights in Year 3.

"He's a smart football player. Football makes sense to him," Peterson said in his fall camp press conference. "He does a really good job from a preparation standpoint, dialing into the playbook. He's got traits that he can do both. He's got some twitch and hand fighting on the edge, but at the same time, he's an explosive athlete that can pack a punch."

Allen had 17 total tackles last season, five for losses, along with 2.5 sacks. He'll now have a bigger role with guys like Tobi Osunsanmi and Ryan Davis out of the program. Peterson is using his strategy of rounding out Allen's game with the rest of the defensive players at each level.

"There are a lot of positions that we'll dual-train because you never know what's going to happen in a season," Peterson said. "Whether it's the secondary, linebackers, or the front, we're dual-training guys at each one of those levels of the defense."

Kansas State has churned out some major names at that position, including three of the last five Big 12 Defensive Linemen of the Year. While Gregory and Hill have been the biggest names predicted to have that type of impact next season, Allen can use his experience to help guide others or develop his individual game.

And this team certainly needs that playmaking. The Wildcats took a massive step back in 2025, logging arguably their worst defense in the past decade. The typically consistent unit fell to a barrage of big rushing performances, something that needs to be fixed on the inside up front.

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Jayden Armant is a contributor to KStateRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].