Mizzou transfer Joshua Manning picks K-State after spurning Cats in high school
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Joshua Manning transfers to K-State in 2026, fills Wildcats' receiver gap.
- Manning projects as immediate starter after three seasons and 318 SEC yards.
- K-State adds 14 incoming players from portal while losing 31, reshaping depth.
Four years ago, Kansas State and Missouri went all-out to try and land Joshua Manning when he was a touted high school wide receiver coming out of Lee’s Summit.
K-State quarterback Avery Johnson took pictures with Manning in EMAW gear and shared them on social media. He also posted a message that read: “We want you in (Manhattan), the love is REAL.”
The Tigers ultimately won the recruiting battle for Manning, as he chose to remain in-state for the start of his college football career. That decision meant enough to Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz that he took to social media and appeared to troll Johnson by posting a nearly identical message that read: “The (heart emoji) is REAL!”
Fast-forward to the 2026 transfer cycle, and Johnson is now the one who is celebrating.
Manning has decided to transfer to K-State after spending the past three seasons at Missouri. That is a significant development for the Wildcats and new head football coach Collin Klein. They need talent and depth at receiver following the departures of Jayce Brown and Jerand Bradley. Manning will have an opportunity to enter the starting lineup immediately.
The 6-foot-2 and 209-pound sophomore caught 29 passes for 318 yards and two touchdowns while playing in the SEC last season. As a freshman, he caught 13 passes for 192 yards and one touchdown.
He figures to take on a larger role with the Wildcats as he looks to catch passes from Johnson.
As of Wednesday afternoon, neither Drinkwitz nor Johnson had shared a reaction to the transfer on social media. But Manning’s arrival is still a big deal for K-State. The Wildcats got the wide receiver they wanted four years ago.
Manning was the most notable transfer to commit to the Wildcats on Wednesday. But they landed three other incoming players out of the portal.
They are:
- Jayden Bryant, a 6-foot-4 and 220-pound defensive end from Coastal Carolina
- Kamari Burns, a 6-4 and 275-pound defensive lineman from Cincinnati
- Charlie Adams, a 6-3 and 310-pound offensive lineman from Cal Poly
- Robert Hammond, a freshman kicker from Toledo
K-State football transfer tracker
Incoming (15)
Charlie Adams (offensive lineman from Cal Poly)
Koy Beasley (defensive back from Miami of Ohio)
Jayden Bryant (defensive end from Coastal Carolina)
Kamari Burns (defensive lineman from Cincinnati)
Dylan Davidson (punter from Emporia State)
Rodney Fields (running back from Oklahoma State)
Robert Hammond (kicker from Toledo)
De’Arieun Hicks (defensive lineman from Gardner-Webb)
Keiton Jones (offensive lineman from Missouri)
Joshua Manning (wide receiver from Missouri)
Mekhi Mason (linebacker from Louisiana Tech)
Jacobi Oliphant (linebacker from Oklahoma State)
Kaleb Patterson (defensive back from Illinois)
Austin Ramsey (defensive tackle from Kentucky)
Izaiah Williams (wide receiver from Texas A&M)
Outgoing (31)
Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder (defensive line)
Callen Barta (wide receiver)
Jayce Brown (wide receiver) to LSU
Teagan Cobb (defensive end) to Southeast Missouri State
Daniel Cobbs (defensive back)
Ryan Davis (defensive end)
Dylan Edwards (running back)
Amarion Fortenberry (defensive back)
Truman Griffith (defensive end) to North Dakota State
Garrett Harstad (wide receiver)
Hudson Hutcheson (quarterback)
Will Kemna (offensive line)
Brayden Loftin (tight end)
Antonio Martin (running back)
Kaedin Massey (offensive line)
Colby McAlister (defensive end)
Andrew Metzger (tight end) to Ohio
Qua Moss (defensive back) to Tennessee
Chiddi Obiazor (defensive end) to Indiana
Ralph Ortiz (linebacker)
Tobi Osunsanmi (defensive end) to Indiana
JB Price (running back)
DeVon Rice (running back)
Maguire Richman (linebacker)
Austin Romaine (linebacker) to Texas Tech
Jayden Rowe (defensive back)
Jacques Spradley-Demps (running back)
Amos Talalele (offensive line)
Kanijal Thomas (defensive back) to Oklahoma State
Asher Tomaszewski (defensive line)
Devin Vass (offensive line)
This story was originally published January 7, 2026 at 3:57 PM.