Needless to say, things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for the Wildcats as they gear up to face their in-state rival in the Sunflower Showdown. At one point, I thought this game would play a role in both the Big 12 and College Football Playoff race; instead, it’s a nooner with most interested parties residing in Eastern Kansas. Despite the somewhat anticlimactic nature of the game, this marks the beginning of what I believe is a crucial stretch of games for Chris Klieman and the Kansas State football program moving forward.
I’m sure Coach Klieman is as shocked as the rest of us that this team is currently sitting at 3-4, but as Scottish poet Robert Burns famously noted in his 1785 poem, To a Mouse, “The best laid schemes o’Mice an’ Men – Gang aft agley – An’lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain – For pomis’d joy!” (Now you know where that quote comes from, you’re welcome.) There’s nothing to be done about the past, with time being frustratingly linear, but the back half of this season with set the future course for this program.
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Coach Klieman has several tenure-defining decisions to make this offseason, and the next few games will inform those decisions. He has to decide if this team, as currently constituted, is a few plays away, a few players away, a few different bounces away from reaching its full potential, or if this is a fundamentally flawed group that needs to be blown up this offseason, both in terms of coaches and players.
Finish 2025 strong, starting with a win over Kansas on Saturday, and this brand of Wildcat football will be gearing up for a 2026 redemption tour. Drop this game and continue with the current dud of a season, and Kansas State should be gearing up for a rebuilding year in 2026 with presumably a new quarterback and at least one, if not two, new coordinators. I’d prefer to spend the offseason hyping up a team with the potential to win the Big 12 instead of trying to figure out how Klieman is going to rebuild the coaching staff and roster, but either way, it will be something to talk about.
The biggest question, for my money, revolves around quarterback Avery Johnson. In terms of personnel, that’s the decision everything else revolves around. If he is going to be “the man” moving forward, he needs to be “the man” down the stretch. That means making plays with both his arms and legs while avoiding the costly mistakes that have been the bane of the Wildcat’s season. College football is a cold game these days, and regardless of how this season ends, Avery is going to ask to be paid like “the man” in 2026. If he plays well down the stretch, Kansas State would be foolish not to bring him back. If he continues to struggle with his decision-making, maybe it’s best for everyone if he uses his final year of eligibility somewhere else.
I have no idea how this will play out.
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The other decision looming over the offseason involves the coordinators. I don’t see how either can survive a bad end to this season. Matt Wells and his offense haven’t made enough plays this season. They go on long 3-and-out dry spells and have yet to establish a consistent run game. The passing game has been explosive at times, but drops, poor throws, and penalties have hurt the cause. Most of that isn’t on Wells (although he’s also the QB coach, so maybe he bears more responsibility?). What is on Wells is disjointed play calling and an inability to fully unlock Avery Johnson’s full potential. If Avery stays, I anticipate Wells staying, mainly because that means the team finished the season strong. If Avery goes, Wells should be out the door with him, because that means things continued to fall apart.
Then you have to look at the defense.
This was supposed to be the best Joe Klanderman defense, but for the most part, it’s the worst. There have been multiple games where all the defense needed to do was make the play in front of them to win, and they have consistently failed. Sure, the defensive line has depth, but do they have anyone with exceptional talent? Tobi Osunsanmi has been decent, but keep in mind, three of his team’s leading four sacks occurred in the first two games. Since the Army game, he’s put up one sack and two and a half tackles for loss. If he’s supposed to be the best pass rusher on the team, that’s simply not good enough. The only other defensive lineman who has done anything is Cody Stufflebean, and I’m pretty sure he won’t be back next season. Is someone going to step up, or does the coaching staff need to focus on bringing in players with higher ceilings and try to fill in the depth through the high school ranks?
The defensive tackle spot will have to be revamped entirely, with Uso and Ilalio both going pro in something other than football next season. Linebacker will have a Desmond Purnell-sized hole to fill. They still haven’t found someone to pair with Zachon Rich at corner, and safety has been an issue the last two seasons. Losing VJ Payne, although he hasn’t made the jump most people were expecting this season, will also be an issue.
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If it’s going to be a defensive rebuild either way, does the guy who built this season’s defense deserve a chance to build another defense? That’s a question the next few games should answer. I hope Klanderman figures it out, but to be honest, it feels like he’s gotten away from what he does best this season. It always concerns me when a coach loses faith in his own process. This is supposed to be an attacking defense, and Kansas State is 68th in the nation in sacks and 66th in tackles for loss. They haven’t managed to get teams behind the sticks and, as a result, are 57th in third-down defense and 89th in time of possession. This defense has found new and innovative ways to stay on the field this season, when the primary objective of the game is to get off the field. That’s not great for the defensive coordinator’s job security. Pretty much everything will need to improve down the stretch to justify bringing Klanderman back.
I don’t have an opinion on how the Wildcats should move forward after this travesty of a season, but I will after Saturday. I think Coach Klieman will as well.
