MANHATTAN — Kansas State football's 2025 season hasn't necessarily gone according to plan , but there are still some players who have proven themselves worthy of building around heading into the future.
Development has contributed to a few names stepping into starring roles , while others were solid additions by coach Chris Klieman and the coaching staff via the transfer portal. They'll want to work over the months ahead to keep them in purple, hoping to challenge for a Big 12 title a year from now.
Here are 10 names that Kansas State would love to retain in Manhattan heading into next year and beyond :
Keeping Johnson behind center will be essential to the Wildcats' offseason, given the unproven options behind him, which may lead to the need to find someone in the transfer portal if the Wichita native were to explore his options.
Johnson hasn't been the reason behind the Wildcats' struggles this year. Sure, you would have liked to see him run the ball more early in the season, play better against Arizona, and not have a costly turnover late at Baylor, but there are special aspects to his game that separate him as a quarterback from many others across the country. His running ability, when utilized, is special, and there have been improvements in his downfield passing.
Keeping Johnson in purple and building around him for his senior year is a no-brainer.
Alcorn-Crowder's rise in 2025 has made him the best player on the Wildcats' defensive line. The junior college transfer out of Butler Community College, who played one snap last year, has developed into a starter late in the season. Pro Football Focus grades him as the best player on the line, and it's not particularly close.
Brown has been WR1 for the Wildcats this season, continuing to be an explosive playmaker. He and Johnson have built on their chemistry from a year ago, making him a threat each time he touches the ball. It'd be great to see the two together for another year.
The Purdue transfer has had his moments throughout the 2025 season. He's been a reliable target a 6-foot-2, and has stepped up after Jaron Bradley's injury has hampered him throughout much of the season. When he's heavily involved in the offense, he's put up good numbers throughout the year.
When healthy, Osunsanmi has been the Wildcats' best pass rusher. Unfortunately, he's out for the year. He would be a good one to build with, along with additional pass-rush help next season.
McIntosh has grown into a solid player in the second half of the season, grading as the team's best cornerback as a sophomore. He went back-to-back games between the TCU and Kansas contests, allowing one catch in each game on a combined five targets, allowing 10 total yards. Opposing quarterbacks have a 69.8 NFL passer rating when targeting him.
Coming off maybe the worst game of his career at Kansas, Romaine turned around and had the highest-graded performance in the country in the Wildcats' loss to Texas Tech. Romaine is a leader of this defense, has a high ceiling and remains one of the better linebackers in the Big 12.
Oakley is a big target for Johnson, catching 30 passes for 333 yards and five touchdowns. All five of his touchdowns have come over the last five games, two coming in the Wildcats' win over TCU. He had some drops and a fumble in the Texas Tech loss, but Johnson kept going back to him. Tight end should be a strength for this offense.
Moss has lived up to the expectations K-State had for him as a transfer out of West Georgia. He's been excellent in coverage over the last six games, allowing 62 yards and 10 receptions combined. Playing more than a quarter of his snaps in the box, he's also been a reliable tackler. His interception against UCF may be the team's best play this season.
Cure, who has now appeared in five games, has yet to play more than 16 snaps in a single game, but there's no denying that the Wildcats are going to want to feature the five-star recruit in the offense sooner rather than later. The Wildcats can't waste the opportunity they have with one of the highest-ranked recruits they've ever landed.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_ , contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football players worth building around in 2026
