Kansas State football's early national projections, sportsbooks disagree

Yahoo Sports2h ago11 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Kansas State football faces mixed projections ahead of the season, with national outlets predicting a lower finish in the Big 12 while sportsbooks rank them among the top four favorites to win the league.

Key points

Kansas State football has mixed early projections.
National outlets expect a lower finish in the Big 12.
Sportsbooks rank Kansas State among the top four favorites.
Collin Klein is the new head coach.
Projections are made over three months before the season.

Mentioned in this story

Collin Klein

Kansas State WildcatsBig 12

Kansas State football's early national projections, sportsbooks disagree

MANHATTAN — Early expectations around Kansas State football ahead of Collin Klein's first season as coach are a bit all over the place.

More than three months ahead of the season, national outlets tend to project Kansas State as a team that will finish in the back half of the Big 12. Meanwhile, sportsbooks have projected the Wildcats as one of the four favorites to win the league.

What gives?

A recent USA TODAY projection picked the Wildcats to finish 10th in the league, calling this season a rebuilding year. ESPN might have added fuel to the low expectations when it ranked the Wildcats 10th among Big 12 teams for their offseason, noting turnover on the offensive and defensive lines.

Kansas State freshman wide receiver Julius Wilson (16) walks in to practice on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.

Kansas State sophomore offensive lineman Gus Hawkins (70) works on a drill with sophomore offensive lineman Ryan Howard (72) during practice on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.