K-State Q&A: Basketball transfers, Wildcats in the NFL Draft and Avery Johnson
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Avery Johnson acknowledges he must lead K-State to more wins to improve legacy.
- Sam Hecht and VJ Payne project as mid‑to‑late round selections in this year's NFL Draft.
- Roster turnover & coaching changes drove some K‑State players to transfer this offseason.
There isn’t much going on in the world of college sports right now, which means we are starting to see all sorts of football rankings ahead of the 2026 season.
September is more than 100 days away, but it’s never too early to rank quarterbacks, coaches, mascots or Heisman Trophy hopefuls.
With that in mind, here are my 10 favorite press box foods in the Big 12 ... Just kidding. That would be a fun topic, though. Maybe I will actually make that list at some point.
I want to discuss quarterbacks. They seem to be the hot topic at the moment. I have noticed a few different QB rankings of late, in part, because very few of them seem to have high expectations for K-State senior Avery Johnson. CBS Sports ranks him at No. 30. ESPN lists him at No. 21. And a random football analyst on X didn’t bother to include him among the top 10 quarterbacks in the Big 12.
Why mention the Big 12 snub when it didn’t come from a reputable source? Mostly because K-State fans expressed anger with it online. But also because I think it shows how much Johnson still has to prove as a senior in terms of his legacy.
And I think he understands that, based on what he said during a media availability earlier this week.
“In three years I haven’t really won anything other than a few bowl games,” Johnson said. “So I’m still hungry, still trying to stay humbled through everything and go out and win a Big 12 championship this year and push for the College Football Playoff and a national championship. Personal accolades are great and everything, but I’m more focused on winning games.”
That is the correct approach.
Right now, Johnson is best known for his longevity. He is on pace to finish his college at or near the top of several school passing records. But he has never won more than nine games in a season with the Wildcats. He has helped K-State win some nice games and a pair of bowls, but he doesn’t have any signature victories as QB1.
His overall body of work reminds me of Skylar Thompson more than it does Collin Klein or Michael Bishop.
Don’t get me wrong. Thompson was a fine K-State quarterback and an outstanding representative for the university. But his name will never be included in the Ring of Honor at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
K-State fans will appreciate Johnson for his long career with the Wildcats no matter what he does next season. But he needs to lead the team to more wins if he wants to shoot up the national QB rankings and rub shoulders with some of the best players in school history.
The fact that he understands that seems like a good thing for him and K-State football.
Now, let’s dive into your questions. Thanks, as always, for providing them.
The NFL draft is upon us! Which Kansas State players have a chance of being drafted this year and what Kansas State players have a chance to be drafted next year? -@bfullingt1 via X.
Keep your eyes on a pair of former K-State football players this weekend.
Sam Hecht is a potential middle-round selection who could help several NFL teams as a center. There’s a chance he will be selected on Friday. If that doesn’t happen, he should be one of the first picks on Saturday when the late rounds get underway.
VJ Payne also seems like a lock to be picked. NFL teams love his speed and his athleticism. His measurables will make him an ideal choice in the middle or late rounds.
There’s also a chance that Jerand Bradley, Desmond Purnell and Gunner Maldonado can catch on as a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent.
Looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft, I think the Wildcats will have several more potential draft picks with Avery Johnson, George Fitzpatrick, Adrian Maddox, Jay Harris, Joe Jackson, Josh Manning, Jaron Tibbs and Travis Bates all being possibilities.
Who was the biggest NFL Draft bust in the history of K-State football? Who was the biggest steal? -@GarrettB_1983 via X
An argument could be made for either Josh Freeman or Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
Freeman had an encouraging year or two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, topping 3,400 passing yards in three straight seasons, 2010-12. He wasn’t horrible. But he still didn’t live up to expectations for the No. 17 pick in the 2009 draft.
King Felix has, unfortunately, done very little with the Kansas City Chiefs. He did help them win a Super Bowl as a seldom-used reserve. But his production on the defensive line hasn’t been worth anything close to a Round 1 pick. He is still young and can potentially go on to have a solid career as a pro. But he hasn’t done much yet. That probably makes him the biggest bust.
It’s too bad. Because he was an awesome college player.
Any idea who else Casey Alexander may be looking for to complete the roster? An additional point guard, maybe? -@kstatefanfirst via X.
Pape N’Diaye is one name to watch.
The 7-foot Xavier forward has been linked to K-State. It won’t surprise me if he ends up joining the Wildcats as incoming transfer No. 9.
If he comes on board, that would give Casey Alexander 13 players for the 2026-27 season. That very well could be his stopping point, even though the Wildcats are allowed to carry 15 on the roster.
Could the Wildcats benefit from an extra point guard? Absolutely. But I do like what they are getting in Bradley transfer Montana Wheeler. He averaged 8.5 points and 2.8 assists as a freshman in the Missouri Valley Conference last season. He seems like an up-and-coming player who is ready to make the jump up to the Big 12.
Brandon Rechsteiner, Jaden Schutt and Andrej Kostic will also bring talent to the back court.
Bart Torvik currently projects K-State’s rebuilt roster at No. 71 nationally for next year. Seeing as how K-State finished at No. 101 this past season, that is an improvement for the Wildcats. But they will need to exceed expectations in Year 1 under Alexander if they want to contend for the NCAA Tournament.
Is Alexander a good enough coach to make that happen?
We shall see.
David Castillo transferred to (checks notes) Santa Clara. Exavier Wilson transferred to (checks notes) Akron. Abdi Bashir (checks notes) hasn’t committed anywhere yet. Why didn’t these K-State players stay put? They could have thrived under the new coaching staff? - Jeff M. via e-mail.
Good luck trying to figure out why anyone enters the transfer portal.
There are way too many reasons to consider. Some transfers are looking for more money, others want more playing time, some want to play closer to home, a few want a new coach and some just want a change of scenery.
The only thing fans can really do anymore when a player they like enters the portal is privately grumble and publicly wish the departing athlete good luck at their next stop. Let’s not forget, coaches sometimes ask these players to transfer.
But in the case of these three examples, I’m guessing a coaching change was the biggest factor. All of them committed to play for Jerome Tang. It’s understandable if they didn’t want to play for Alexander. It’s also reasonable if Alexander didn’t want to retain them.
It would have been fun to see Castillo spend another season at Bramlage Coliseum, but it seemed like he needed a fresh start. Santa Clara is a quality WCC team. He could succeed there and play in the NCAA Tournament.
Bashir would have been fun to watch in Alexander’s offense, but he is basically the same player as Andrej Kostic. Would it have made sense to retain both of them? I bet he ends up in a power conference and makes 3-pointers for a new team.
Like it or not, roster turnover has become a big part of college basketball.