High expectations are nothing new for Kansas State football.

Since the Big Eight expanded to the Big 12 in 1996, the Wildcats have had one of the top teams in the conference, and this year will be no different. Despite stumbling down the stretch in 2024, K-State comes into this year with a Big 12 title as the goal.

This summer, BuffZone is previewing each of Colorado’s opponents for the 2025 season and in this final installment we look at Kansas State, which will host the Buffs on Nov. 29 in Manhattan, Kan.

K-State was one of the favorites a year ago as well, but a 7-1 start was followed by a 1-3 November. The Wildcats still finished at 9-4, their third consecutive season with at least nine wins.

This year, there are holes to fill, including All-Big 12 running back DJ Giddens and Big 12 defensive lineman of the year Brendan Mott graduating. Safety Marques Sigle and cornerback Jacob Parrish were NFL draft choices.

However, quarterback Avery Johnson is back for his junior year, and that’s huge for the Wildcats. Johnson took over the starting role last year when Will Howard transferred to Ohio State, and he performed well, but K-State head coach Chris Klieman expects more this year.

“The maturity of Avery and the growth of Avery, you could tell there’s so much more of a comfort level,” Klieman said in May after the Wildcats completed spring practices. “Now you can tell he’s got another 12-13 games under his belt, and the confidence he has, the leadership he has, and it’s just made our whole offense, I think, a lot more confident, a lot more efficient.”

In addition to Johnson, top receiver Jayce Brown is back, as well as talented running backs Dylan Edwards and Joe Jackson, who combined for 773 yards in backing up Giddens. The Wildcats also added Antonio Martin Jr., a 222-pound back who rushed for 1,228 yards and 11 touchdowns at Southeastern Louisiana last year.

K-State is also loaded with talent at tight end, with Klieman saying, “We love our tight ends.”

The group is led by Garrett Oakley, who was second-team All-Big 12 last year.

Up front, the Wildcats have to replace three starting linemen, including both tackles.

They do have some talented returning backups and several transfers to compete for spots, though. Klieman said in the spring that there could be eight or nine who play.

Defensively, K-State was top-50 nationally in points allowed (23.4 per game, 50th) and yards allowed (343.4, 43rd) last year, and several starters are back.

The Wildcats are loaded with talent on the line, including returning starters Damian Ilalio and Cody Stufflebean, and key rotational lineman Tobi Osunsanmi. That trio combined for 13 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

Austin Romaine might be the best linebacker in the Big 12. He and fellow linebacker Desmond Purnell combined for 17 tackles for loss and six sacks last year.

Most of the secondary from last year is gone, but safety VJ Payne is an all-conference caliber player. Klieman and his staff hit the transfer portal to replenish the secondary, as there could be four transfers starting on the back end. There will be no easing into the season this year, as K-State opens with a conference game against Iowa State in Week Zero (Aug. 23) in Dublin, Ireland.

A win there would be huge for the Wildcats, but either way they expect to be in contention for the conference title when CU visits Manhattan in the regular season finale.