MANHATTAN — Kansas State football coach Collin Klein has plenty of big questions that will follow him into his first few weeks on the job.
Such questions center heavily on his coaching staff and the roster changes that will result from it. While there will likely be a lot of movement within the offensive staff, the defensive staff is more of a question mark.
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How players react to such changes will also affect what the Wildcats’ roster will look like for 2026 and how Klein and K-State’s new coaches pursue recruits through the transfer portal in the months ahead.
Here are the big questions Klein will address quickly.
Who will Collin Klein retain from Chris Klieman’s staff?
Retaining some coaches could go a long way toward keeping key players. There are relationships between Klein and those from Chris Klieman’s staff from when Klein was also a member of the group.
The offensive staff would be a major question mark, even if Klieman stayed, given the team’s struggles in 2025. There will be plenty of new faces, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see running backs coach Brian Anderson, offensive line coach Brian Lepak and assistant quarterbacks coach Sean Maguire among those retained, while Matt Wells and Luke Wells are among those exiting.
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What Klein decides to do defensively will be the biggest question, since we know Klein is capable of running a successful offense. Joe Klanderman’s defense was among the best in the country in takeaways in 2025, but the group took a step back in points and yards allowed. We’ll see what Klein can pull in a big fish, or if he wants continuity on the defensive side of the ball.
Will Avery Johnson, Jayce Brown be among Kansas State players who stay?
Klein wants to keep K-State’s key players in purple, starting with Avery Johnson, whom he recruited to play in Manhattan and coached his freshman season. K-State should feel good about its chances of retaining Johnson, given the relationship and the quarterback’s love for the program. K-State’s backup plan for quarterback in 2026 would likely be the transfer portal if Johnson were to skip town.
Jayce Brown and Austin Romaine are the other two key ones to monitor. Both would be the best at their positions next season, but both could consider trying to pursue an NFL future. There could be some benefit for Brown to play in a better offense, while Romaine probably saw his stock slip a little bit with some inconsistencies throughout the 2025 season.
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Linkon Cure doesn’t seem like one K-State needs to worry about. The former five-star prospect has appeared to be one of the more excited players on the team with Klein’s hiring.
Other top names to consider: Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder, Garrett Oakley, Tobi Osunsanmi, Travis Bates, Daniel Cobbs, Jaron Tibbs, Joe Jackson, Chiddi Obiazor and Devin Vass.
How will Collin Klein rebuild Kansas State’s offensive line?
John Pastore and Vass are the Wildcats’ two returning starters from what was an up-and-down season for the Wildcats’ offensive line, which featured some injuries. Redshirt-freshman Gus Hawkins also contributed 123 snaps. Sam Hecht, the team’s starting center, was among the better linemen in the Big 12. He graduated and will be a tough player to replace.
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Seeing how Klein attacks, filling some roles will be critical to the Wildcats’ success next year. K-State played the entirety of 2025 without George Fitzpatrick, the team’s prized transfer portal addition, who was brought in to start at left tackle. We’ll see where his health is in the coming months.
Whether Klein rebuilds via the portal or trusts the development of those already on the roster, the process will be watched closely in the weeks after the portal opens on Jan. 2.
Did Joe Jackson show enough to be Kansas State’s RB1?
Jackson’s explosion in the Wildcats’ final two games completely changed how everyone is talking about the running back heading into the offseason. He looked like a premier back, rushing for 435 yards and six touchdowns in the season’s final two games combined.
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Jackson is someone Klein should want to keep in the Wildcats’ backfield next season, but it’s still worth wondering what the coach will do with him in addition to him. Does K-State go out and pay for someone who will take the majority of the carries in front of him, or will the Wildcats bank on his continued development?
What direction will Kansas State’s defense go?
This will come down to what Klein decides to do with the defensive coaching staff and the roster fallout from said decision. Again, this goes back to the Klanderman decision. It will be interesting to see how much Klein turns the keys over to someone to run the defense if he decides he wants to call the offense.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Collin Klein biggest questions as Kansas State football coach
