Only five college football teams have played against Colorado more than Kansas State.

With the likes of Nebraska and Oklahoma not in the new-look Big 12, the natural rivalry between the Buffaloes and Wildcats has become more pronounced in recent years with K-State coming across the border to nab talented players from along the Front Range.

The two teams are set to meet for a third consecutive season and the Halloween matchup at Folsom Field could create another wild matchup between two teams hoping to make some noise in the conference title race this fall.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Wildcats:

Offseason storylines

For just the fourth time since 1988, K-State will have a new head coach on the sidelines this fall.

After a successful seven-year run, Chris Klieman retired after the 2025 season after amassing a 54-34 record with one Big 12 title and just one losing season during his tenure in Manhattan, Kan. He’s well behind Hall of Famer Bill Snyder, but Klieman still ends his career with the second-most wins in program history.

The Wildcats turned the reins over to the offensive coordinator from that 2022 conference championship, who also happens to be one of the best players in school history.

Loveland native Collin Klein returned to his alma mater after two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, where he helped guide quarterback Marcel Reed to a breakout season last fall, when the Aggies also made the College Football Playoff.

Klein had plenty of roster turnover to endure in his first winter as a head coach as his program lost over 50 players to the transfer portal, offsetting those losses with a near-even split between incoming transfers and high schoolers, but plenty of optimism remains for a solid season with ESPN’s Bill Connelly ranking K-State at No. 29 in the country in his preseason SP+ projections.

On offense

Klein was likely going to get his first shot to be a head coach somewhere after two impressive seasons in charge of the Texas A&M offense; it just so happens to be at his alma mater, where an offensive jolt is needed.

Dynamic, dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson is somehow already a senior and has yet to have the breakout season many thought he would have after impressing as a true freshman.

The Wichita native is the exact type of playmaker that should be able to thrive in Klein’s offense, especially if he relies on his ability to make plays with his legs when nothing is available in the downfield passing game.

The K-State rushing attack should be solid once again despite only returning one starter on the offensive line in Erie native John Pastore. Running back Joe Jackson returns after leading the team with 911 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2025.

Losing leading receiver Jayce Brown to LSU hurts, but Jaron Tibbs (595 yards and three touchdowns) is back out wide and veteran tight end Garrett Oakley (389 yards and six touchdowns) could be a preseason all-conference honoree.

After ranking fourth-worst in the Big 12 in yards per game last fall, expect the Wildcat offense to at least be in the top half of the conference in 2026.

On defense

Defense is where the biggest concern lies.

Klein brought Jordan Peterson with him from Texas A&M after two seasons as the co-defensive coordinator for the Aggies. Peterson spent the previous four seasons at rival Kansas and gets his first real shot to run and call a defense this fall, and he has a mostly new-look unit on his hands. 

Do-it-all linebacker Desmond Purnell has graduated, while fellow standout at the position Austin Romaine transferred to Texas Tech. VJ Payne was the leader of the secondary, but he’s off to the NFL as a New York Jets draft pick. The Wildcats also have 14.5 sacks to replace from their top four defensive ends from last season, three of whom transferred out.

Cornerback Zashon Rich is the biggest name back after he led K-State with 10 passes defended in 2025, also racking up 57 total tackles, one sack and one interception.

The biggest addition from the transfer portal joins this unit, however, as edge rusher Wendell Gregory could be in for a breakout season with the Wildcats after recording 15.5 tackles for loss on a bad Oklahoma State team. 

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The Kansas State Wildcats file

2025 record: 6-6 (5-4 Big 12)

Head coach: Collin Klein (1st season)

Offensive coordinator: Sean Gleeson (1st season)

Defensive coordinator: Jordan Peterson (1st season)

Key returners: QB Avery Johnson, RB Joe Jackson, WR Jaron Tibbs, TE Garrett Oakley, OT John Pastore, DE Jordan Allen, DB Zashon Rich

Key newcomers: WR Izaiah Williams, WR Josh Manning, OL Tanner Morley, DE Wendell Gregory, DE Elijah Hill, LB Mekhi Mason, CB Ja’son Prevard