Kansas State enters 2019 without its longtime head coach Bill Snyder. Snyder will be replaced by former North Dakota State head coach Chris Klieman, who won three national championships in five years with the Bisons. After conquering the FCS level, Klieman takes over a Kansas State program that was turned around by Snyder but never quite reached championship level.

Prestige Ranking (if NCAA Football 20 existed): 3*

Last Years Record: 5-7 (3-6)

Last year was the first time since 2015 the Wildcats fell below .500. Their biggest issue was hitting the road. Kansas State ended the season 0-5 away from Manhatten but was a solid 5-2 at home. They played every conference game close outside of a pair of blowout losses to West Virginia and Oklahoma. A 42-38 loss to end the season against Iowa State prevented the Wildcats from making a bowl game.

Projected Returning Starters:

Offense: 7

Kansas State returns a solid chunk of its offense from last year. Take that as you will because the Wildcats were dead last in offense in the Big 12 last season. The good news is they return almost their entire offensive line outside of RT Dalton Risner, and have the potential to be one of the best offensive lines in the conference. K-State also returns QB Skylar Thompson, who was efficient when the Wildcats decided to pass the ball. Thompson split time with Alex Delton last season, but with Delton transferring, Thompson should get the starting job pretty comfortably. The Wildcats ranked 115th out of 129 FBS teams in passing offense last season, but they also return top two receivers Isaiah Zuber (619 yards, 5 TD) and Dalton Schoen (520 yards, 2 TD).

Defense: 11

Defense was Kleiman’s specialty at North Dakota State, and he has a veteran presence returning in 2019. The middle of their defense takes a hit as LB Justin Hughes is out for the season with a torn ACL, but they do have the depth to try to replace him. The secondary had some issues last season, which is always tough in a pass-heavy Big 12. With only three non-conference games, the Wildcats have limited time to figure out who’s going to be taking the majority of secondary snaps. Overall, the Wildcats are a pretty middle of the road defense that could be a lot better if they can get some type of pass rush, which was non-existent last season.

Special Teams: 2

K-State returns K Blake Lynch and P Andrew Hicks for 2019.

Key Losses

RB Alex Barnes, RT Dalton Risner

Key Newcomer: Offense- RB James Gilbert

Gilbert comes to Manhatten via Ball State, where his best season was in 2016, rushing for 1,332 yards and 12 TD. He battled injuries his junior year but did appear in 11 games for the Cardinals last season. After being granted another year of eligibility, Gilbert has big shoes to fill with the departure of Wildcats RB Alex Barnes (1,355 yards and 12 TD). Kansas State is going to want to ground and pound, and that starts with James Gilbert in the backfield.

Key Newcomer: Defense- CB Lance Robinson

With a defense returning essentially everyone, I cheated a bit with this one. Robinson is a freshman, but he did appear in four games in 2018, making five tackles. He retained his redshirt following the season. But with a secondary that could be bumpy, Robinson could be a key addition with consistent play.

Kansas State wins the Big 12 if…

Chris Klieman brings witchcraft to Manhatten with him. I actually really like where this program could be heading, especially if Klieman can recruit well in the midwest. But this is for sure not the year for Kansas State.

Circle this game on the calendar: Week 4 at. Oklahoma State

K-State begins conference play with three winnable games: Oklahoma State, Baylor, and TCU. These will set the tone for the 2019 season. The Wildcats blew out Oklahoma State, 31-12, at home last season. In a game K-State should enter 2-1, a 3-1 start feels a lot better than 2-2.

2019 Outlook: 7-5 (5-4)

I really like the direction Kansas State could be heading. The interesting part will be seeing how a run-heavy, grind it out, control the clock offense can work in the Big 12. The defense may not be up to par with a usual Chris Klieman team, but give it a couple of years and some recruiting and I think it will. For 2019, the Big 12 isn’t quite as dominant as it usually is. Oklahoma and Texas are the clear one and two going into the campaign, and after that, a lot of the conference is pretty even. If the Wildcats can snag a couple of road games against teams like Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Kansas, I see them finishing with a positive conference record.