MADISON – Two days after he commited to Wisconsin, Jibriel Conde changed his mind.

On Dec. 1 his agent told On3 the 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive lineman from Division II Grand Valley State intends to play for Kansas instead.

The addition of Conde had the potential to be a major one for Wisconsin, which had its four top performers at the position complete their eligibility with the team’s 17-7 loss to Minnesota on Nov. 29.

On3 lists Conde as the No. 1 defensive linemen in the transfer portal.

More: Receiver changes mind about Vanderbilt, joins Wisconsin’s 2026 class

MANHATTAN — Kansas State football has no time to rest after the regular season ended. The Wildcats will now transition into recruiting mode with the early National Signing Day period beginning on Wednesday, Dec. 3, and ending on Friday, Dec. 5.

Chris Klieman will enter his eighth season hoping to rebuild the Wildcats into a Big 12 championship contender and challenge for the program’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff.

There are a lot of holes that Kansas State will need to fill, but it’s landed a handful of commitments from promising recruits, who will put pen to paper this week.

Here are some recruiting needs for K-State and questions it will need to answer over the next few months.

K-State football 2026 recruiting tracker

Kansas State is going to need a starting running back

This is probably more for the transfer portal, but the Wildcats need to make sure they have the starting running back position covered and depth in case of an emergency. The Dylan Edwards injury hurt the offense for most of the season.

HD Davis, a three-star 6-foot running back out of Wolfe City (Texas), is currently the Wildcats’ lone commit to their backfield. He’s been highly productive this year, rushing for 2,429 yards and 30 touchdowns, bringing him to over 6,300 yards and 73 touchdowns for his career.

We’ll see if Joe Jackson can take a step next year after taking positive steps in the latter half of the season when he got comfortable in the leading role. He rushed for a school-record 293 yards on Nov. 22 against Utah, giving him something to build off. Barring transfers, the Wildcats are also set to return Devon Rice, JB Price, Antonio Martin Jr. and Monterrio Elston Jr.

Would Kansas State be ready for a life without Avery Johnson?

The Wildcats should be thinking about their future without Avery Johnson, whether or not he enters the transfer portal. If he stays in Manhattan, he’ll have one more season before graduation, turning eyes toward those on the roster and the Wildcats’ potential targets in the portal.

Thankfully, Johnson has been healthy since he became the full-time starter prior to the 2024 season, but those behind him have minimal experience. Jacob Knuth, Blake Barnett, Dillon Duff and Hudson Hutcheson follow him on the depth chart, and none have taken any meaningful snaps, outside of Barnett when he enters the game as somewhat of a power back in a Wildcat formation.

Miles Teodecki, a three-star out of Vandegrift (Texas), is expected to sign with the Wildcats. Entering the weekend, he had thrown for 1,729 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions this season.

Kansas State needs depth along the offensive line

The offensive line is taking the biggest hit with this year’s graduations. Contributors, including Sam Hecht, Andrew Leingang, Taylor Poitier, JB Nelson and Terrence Enos Jr., are all listed as seniors. The main returners include John Pastore, Devin Vass and Gus Hawkins. It’ll be difficult for K-State to go into the offseason banking on that George Fitzpatrick will be good to go after missing this year after an offseason medical emergency.

The offensive line has been a focus for the Wildcats’ early recruiting, with five commitments. The team’s highest-ranked commit is Justin Morales, an offensive tackle out of Franklin (Texas), who is listed as a four-star prospect and the No. 31 player at his position.

Can Kansas State hit on its wide receiver targets?

The Wildcats were thin at wide receiver this season, thanks in large part to injuries, but they need more development and depth at the position. They need to get into a spot where they can be comfortable with Linkon Cure lining up as a tight end rather than being split out wide. Having Jayce Brown and Jerand Bradley impacted by injury for at least half the season didn’t help matters. There is some promise in Jaron Tibbs and Adonis Moise.

K-State has two wide receiver commits. Derrick Salley Jr. committed on Nov. 25 as the No. 1 juco receiver in the country and should be an instant-impact player. Fellow commit Maxwell Lovett, a three-star out of Cherry Creek (Colorado), caught 34 passes for 700 yards and eight touchdowns his senior year.

K-State’s receivers need to produce more than they did during the 2025 season. Salley is a great get, and more will be needed, whether it’s via the high school route or by trying again in the transfer portal.

How deep is Kansas State at linebacker without Des Purnell?

K-State is set to lose Des Purnell to graduation after his standout season. There’s also the chance that Austin Romaine will declare for the NFL Draft. The Wildcats are typically strong within this group, but there will rightfully be some questions heading into 2026. Rex Van Wyhe and Asa Newsom could be pushed into larger roles.

The Wildcats have a pair of committed linebackers, including four-star Lawson McGraw out of Blue Valley West. The son of former K-Stater Jon McGraw is rated as the No. 22 athlete in the country and should be someone to be excited about. Dejon Ackerson, out of Putnam City (Oklahoma), climbed to the No. 53 linebacker in his class.

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@usatodayco.com