College Football Preview 2025: Kansas State Wildcats

2024 Summary

Kansas State has been a well -oiled machine with Chris Klieman as head coach in six years. The Wildcats have won at least eight games in five of those campaigns, and the only one was the Covised 2020 season.

Kansas State now comes back to back-to-back for 9-4 seasons, and it is fair to expect much of the same in 2025. The program was built on toughness, both in its run game and in defense. The latter has the best Linebacker unit in the Big 12. Quarterback Avery Johnson and Running Back Dylan Edwards will lead the hasty attack, and the development of Johnson as a passer will determine the true ceiling of the wildcats.

Greatest strength: the center of the defense

Kansas State has a top 10 Linebacker unit in the University Football, led by a top five Linebacker in Junior Austin Romaine. The wildcats also added Arizona Safety transfer shooter Maldonado, who moisted in the past season, but earned a general figure of 77.1 PFF in 2023.

Biggest weakness: will the passing game improve?

Avery Johnson is back on Quarterback, but he rank only 60 under FBS Quarterbacks with in Pff Pass Grade (72.9) as a second -year student. The Wildcats also brought back their top recipient, Jayce Brown, but the team earned the fifth-strictest PFF reception figure in the Power Four last year (61.0).

Three remarkable additions to the transfer portal

Three remarkable transfer portal losses

• T Carver Willis (Washington): 65.8 pff -mark
• Wr Keagan Johnson (New Mexico): 61.7 Pff -degree
• QB Ta’Quan Roberon (Buffalo): 54.4 PFF -figure

Quarterback Spotlight: Avery Johnson

• 2024 Grade: 81.1
• Main stat: 17 Play-Action Pass TDS (fourth most in FBS)

Overview: Johnson played a part -time role in 2023 before taking over last season as the starter from Kansas State. His Dual-DREAT skills soon became the basis of the Wildcats attack, and he placed a solid 81.1 pff general figure in 2024. Given the solid run game and the defense of Kansas State, Johnson should be able to hold the Wildcats in Big 12 position, especially if he further improves as a passer.

Strengths: Johnson excels in the right places for the Violation of Kansas State to maintain his relatively high floor. His 81.7 pff-hasty figure and 31 explosive runs last season were both top-15 points in qualified Quarterbacks. His blazing speed is a constant threat in the option game and when scrambling. Trouw to the form, Johnson also excels like a playful Play-Action Passer. His 83.9 Play-Action Pff Pass figure was a top 25 in the nation, and only three players threw more touchdowns of the playing than Johnson’s 17.

Weaknesses: As was the case for Will Howard for him, Johnson has not proven that it is almost as efficient in the dropback game. His 62.6 PFF -passing figure without a playing promotion ranked him outside the top 100 qualified FBS passers in 2024. Part of the problem is a mechanical throwing movement that does not allow Johnson to make sufficient accurate passes. More than 25% of his throws last year was mapped as a non -chatter.

Offensive player Spotlight: RB Dylan Edwards

Now that DJ Giddens is at the Indianapolis Colts, Edwards will take over the lead for Kansas State this season. The Colorado Transfer impressed if the backup of Giddens in 2024, on average 4.15 yards after contact per attempt. The only BIG 12 ridge that on average more meters after contact with at least 70 attempts on average was Giddens. What Edwards fog in size (5-foot-9 and 167 pounds), he makes good with game-breaking speed.

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Defensive Player Spotlight: LB Austin Romaine

Romaine was the highest line lacker in the Power Four as a real second-year student and earned a 91.0 marking in 2024. His 90.7 PFF Run-Defense-Grade (third best) introduced that, and his 43 Run-Defense stops were the fourth most under Power Four Linebackers.

Romaine is a prototypical Mike-Linebacker on 6-foot-2 and 242 pounds, and he is excellent in beating blockers before they can get a clean shot on him.

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Bottom Line

If Avery Johnson can take the next step as a passerby, Kansas State Can win his second BIG 12 championship in four years and conquer a play -off site of the University Football.