2026 Kansas State Wildcats football team
American college football season
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The 2026 Kansas State Wildcats football team will represent Kansas State University as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2026 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They will be led by first year head coach and former Wildcat quarterback Collin Klein. The Wildcats will play home games at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium located in Manhattan, Kansas.
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Record0–0 (0–0 Big 12)
Headcoach
- Collin Klein (1st season)
OffensivecoordinatorSean Gleeson (1st season)
| 2026 Kansas State Wildcats football | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Record | 0–0 (0–0 Big 12) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Sean Gleeson (1st season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Jordan Peterson (1st season) |
| Home stadium | Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium |
Uniform | |
 | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona State | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baylor | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14т BYU | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colorado | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 23 Houston | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa State | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas State | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma State | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TCU | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 Texas Tech | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCF | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 21 Utah | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: December 4, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As of August 20, 2026 Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 5 | 6:00 p.m. | Nicholls* | ESPN+ | |||
| September 12 | 11:00 a.m. | Washington State* |
| TNT | ||
| September 19 | 11:00 a.m. | Tulane* |
| ESPN2 | ||
| September 26 | at Cincinnati | |||||
| October 10 | Houston |
| ||||
| October 17 | Kansas |
| ||||
| October 24 | at Arizona State | ESPN Networks | ||||
| October 31 | at Colorado | |||||
| November 7 | Oklahoma State |
| ||||
| November 14 | at TCU | |||||
| November 21 | Arizona |
| ||||
| November 28 | at Iowa State | |||||
| ||||||
Rankings
Game summaries
vs Nicholls
Nicholls Colonels (0–0) at Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colonels (FCS) | 0 | ||
| Wildcats | 0 |
at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas
- Date: September 5
- TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | NICH | KSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholls | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
vs Washington State
Washington State Cougars (0–0) at Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cougars | 0 | ||
| Wildcats | 0 |
at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas
- Date: September 12
| Statistics | WSU | KSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
vs Tulane
Tulane Green Wave (0–0) at Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Wave | 0 | ||
| Wildcats | 0 |
at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas
- Date: September 19
| Statistics | TULN | KSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulane | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
at Cincinnati
Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) at Cincinnati Bearcats (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | ||
| Bearcats | 0 |
at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio
- Date: September 26
| Statistics | KSU | CIN |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Cincinnati | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
vs Houston
Houston Cougars (0–0) at Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cougars | 0 | ||
| Wildcats | 0 |
at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas
- Date: October 10
| Statistics | HOU | KSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
vs Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) at Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayhawks | 0 | ||
| Wildcats | 0 |
at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas
- Date: October 17
| Statistics | KU | KSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
at Arizona State
Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) at Arizona State Sun Devils (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | ||
| Sun Devils | 0 |
at Mountain America Stadium • Tempe, Arizona
- Date: October 24
| Statistics | KSU | ASU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Arizona State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
at Colorado
Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) at Colorado Buffaloes (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | ||
| Buffaloes | 0 |
at Folsom Field • Boulder, Colorado
- Date: October 31
| Statistics | KSU | COLO |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Colorado | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
vs Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State Cowboys (0–0) at Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | ||
| Wildcats | 0 |
at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas
- Date: November 7
| Statistics | OKST | KSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
at TCU
Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) at TCU Horned Frogs (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | ||
| Horned Frogs | 0 |
at Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, Texas
- Date: November 14
| Statistics | KSU | TCU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| TCU | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
vs Arizona
Arizona Wildcats (0–0) at Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | ||
| Wildcats | 0 |
at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas
- Date: November 21
| Statistics | ARIZ | KSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
at Iowa State
Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) at Iowa State Cyclones (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | ||
| Cyclones | 0 |
at Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, Iowa
- Date: November 28
| Statistics | KSU | ISU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Iowa State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
Personnel
Coaching staff
| Name | Position | Year at Kansas State | Previous job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collin Klein | Head coach | 1st | Texas A&M (OC) |
| Thad Ward | AHC/WR | 1st | Illinois AHC/RB) |
| Sean Gleeson | OC | 1st | Missouri (QB) |
| Jordan Peterson | DC/DB | 1st | Texas A&M (co-DC/DB) |
| Stanton Weber | ST | 1st | Toledo (ST) |
| Marcus Woodson | co-DC/DB | 1st | Arkansas (co-DC/DB) |
| Christian Ellsworth | QB | 1st | Texas A&M (TE) |
| Jeremiah Johnson | DB | 1st | Coastal Carolina (DB) |
| Brian Lepak | TE | 6th | Kansas State (OL) |
| Cory Patterson | RB | 1st | Oklahoma State (RB) |
| Mike Schmidt | OL | 1st | San Diego State (RGC/OL) |
| Nick Toth | LB | 1st | Air Force (S) |
| Buddy Wyatt | DL | 8th | Kansas State (DE) |
| Josh Buford | IWR | 1st | Texas A&M (AQB) |
| Tim DeRuyter | AHC-D | 1st | Texas Tech (DC) |
| Jordan Dove | DT | 1st | South Carolina (DA) |
| Preston Mason | OLB | 1st | Texas A&M (ALB) |
| Matt Kardulis | AS | 6th | K-State (AS) |
| Drew Liddle | AOL | 3rd | K-State (AOL) |
| Sean Maguire | AQB | 1st | Texas A&M (ALB) |
| Scotty Ohara | ARB | 1st | Texas A&M (OQC/AWR) |
| D'Mitri Emmanuel | OL Analyst | 1st | Florida State (OL Analyst) |
| Andrew Fowler | STQC | 1st | Toledo (STQC) |
| Armani Linton | DA | 1st | Arkansas (ADB/NB) |
| Jeremy Jacobs | S&C | 1st | Texas A&M (AS&C) |
Roster
| 2026 roster | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive line
Long snappers
Defensive ends
Defensive Tackles
|
Linebackers
Cornerbacks
Safeties
Punters/kickers
| ||
Transfers
Outgoing transfers
| Name | Pos. | College transferred to |
|---|---|---|
| Terrence Enos Jr. | OT | ? |
| Jayshawn Ross | DE | ? |
| Jayden Rowe | CB | Baylor |
| DeVon Rice | RB | Hawaii |
| Maguire Richman | LB | Northwest Missouri |
| Will Kemna | OT | Missouri |
| Asher Tomaszewski | DL | Adams State |
| Kaedin Massey | OT | James Madison |
| Amos Talalele | OL | ? |
| Jake Clifton | LB | BYU |
| Qua Moss | S | Tennessee |
| Antonio Martin Jr. | RB | Middle Tennessee |
| Daniel Cobbs | S | Baylor |
| Chiddi Obiazor | DE | Indiana |
| Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder | DL | SMU |
| Kanijal Thomas | CB | Oklahoma State |
| Austin Romaine | LB | Texas Tech |
| Ralph Ortiz | LB | ? |
| Tobi Osunsanmi | DE | Indiana |
| Devin Vass | OL | West Virginia |
| Ryan Davis | DE | Baylor |
| Jayce Brown | WR | LSU |
| Colby McCalister | S | Baylor |
| Callen Barta | WR | Emporia State |
| Jacques Spradley-Demps | WR | Kilgore College |
| Amarion Fortenberry | CB | South Florida |
| Brayden Loftin | TE | UCLA |
| Andrew Metzger | TE | Ohio |
| Jemyri Davis | WR | Memphis |
| Truman Griffith | DE | North Dakota State |
| JB Price | RB | ? |
| Dylan Edwards | RB | Kansas |
Incoming transfers
| Name | Pos. | Previous school |
|---|---|---|
| Elijah Hill | DE | Kennesaw State |
| Tyler Johnson | OT | Auburn |
| Chase Duarte | OL | San Diego State |
| Adrian Maddox | OT | Georgia |
| Jay Harris | RB | Oregon |
| Brandon White | WR | Hawaii |
| Jaxson Duffield | LS | Oklahoma State |
| Robert Hammond III | K | Toledo |
| Izaiah Williams | WR | Texas A&M |
| Delvin Morris | OL | Akron |
| Rodney Fields Jr. | RB | Oklahoma State |
| Jayden Bryant | DE | Coastal Carolina |
| Jacobi Oliphant Jr. | LB | Oklahoma State |
| Koy Beasley | S | Miami |
| De'Arieun Hicks | DL | Gardner-Webb |
| Kaleb Patterson | CB | Illinois |
| Keiton Jones | OL | Missouri |
| Austin Ramsey | DL | Kentucky |
| Makari Bodiford | RB | Memphis |
| Wendell Gregory | DE | Oklahoma State |
| Joshua Manning | WR | Missouri |
| Tanner Morley | WR | Colorado State |
| Ja'son Prevard | CB | Virginia |
| Mekhi Mason | LB | Louisiana Tech |
| Kamari Burns | DL | Cincinnati |
| Austin Ramsey | DL | Kentucky |
| Charlie Adams | OT | Cal Poly |
| Dylan Davidson | P | Emporia State |
- Source [3]