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What are Kansas State football’s recruiting needs for early signing day? What you need to know

Published

7 months ago

November 30, 2025

What are Kansas State football’s recruiting needs for early signing day? What you need to know

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

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Kansas Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for July 10, 2026

Published

12 hours ago

July 11, 2026

Press Room

The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 10 drawing

02-39-44-46-56, Mega Ball: 23

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 10 drawing

Midday: 4-0-8

Evening: 0-0-3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning 2 By 2 numbers from July 10 drawing

Red Balls: 01-03, White Balls: 02-08

Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 10 drawing

14-42-46-47-57, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.

By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:

Kansas Lottery Headquarters

128 N Kansas Avenue

Topeka, KS 66603-3638

(785) 296-5700

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.

When are the Kansas Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3 Midday/Evening: 1:10 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. CT daily.
2 By 2: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Super Kansas Cash: 9:10 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Kansas

Kansas parents charged after child fatally shoots 5-year-old, 8-year-old

Published

22 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

Kansas parents charged after child fatally shoots 5-year-old, 8-year-old

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Two Kansas parents were charged Thursday in connection with the shooting deaths of their two children.

The Ellsworth County Attorney’s Office charged Aaron French and Makayla French of Brookville with four counts each of aggravated child endangerment.

On March 28, law enforcement responded to a home near Kansas Highway 141 and Avenue N near Kanopolis Lake.

A 5-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy had been shot, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The 5-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The 8-year-old was taken to a Wichita hospital, where he died almost a week later.

The KBI said a young child in the home picked up a loaded, unsecured shotgun and shot the siblings.

Aaron French, 37, and Makayla French, 28, have been ordered to appear in court on July 28.

For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.

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Kansas City to reduce bus transit frequency, extended hours after World Cup matches end

Published

1 day ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

Kansas City to reduce bus transit frequency, extended hours after World Cup matches end

KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. Share your story idea with Isabella.

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Saturday marks the final FIFA World Cup 26 match in Kansas City with Argentina set to meet Switzerland on the pitch at Kansas City Stadium.

Kansas City to reduce bus transit frequency, extended hours after World Cup

Public transportation received a big boost during the World Cup.

Johnson County launched JOCO United, and according to leaders, the airport drop and ride service that was implemented for the tournament will stick around.

“It has been very smooth every time,” Johnson County resident Mariah Wickham said. “I’ve been up and down so many times.”

Kansas City, Missouri, also bumped up its transit options, but not all of the those will be sticking around once the final whistle blows.

Tens of thousands of people have been using the airport link, streetcar and the buses to get around Kansas City. The city poured millions of dollars into building up its public transit infrastructure. The KCATA added more frequency to bus transit lines and the streetcar, pushing more fans to use public transportation during the tournament.

Brian Luton

“With the World Cup here, I was able to exercise using the streetcar more frequently and that was really fun,” Trish Luancing said. “It wold be nice to not have to drive everywhere and not have to worry about parking.”

But thousands have been relying on public transit for years, regardless of what event was in town.

“It’s been busier since the World Cup,” Jeffrice Jackson, a bus rider, said. “It’s been smooth sailing.”

The KCATA added streetcar ‘bus bridge’ links, extended bus service hours and increased frequency on East-West routes to link riders to the streetcar. It’s benefited both travelers and commuters.

“[Service] has been more consistent with the World Cup than it was previously,” Jerry Breault, a rider said. “We were missing buses or routes because there weren’t enough drivers to drive that route.”

But the add-on’s stop on Sunday, July 12. If the transit authority can’t find more money, more than a dozen routes will be cut, potentially impacting more than 8,000 riders.

“It’s a little frustrating,” Breault said. “A lot of us rely on it just to get back and forth to work, to take care of our daily needs. It looks like we may be having to find alternatives and we’re not very happy about that.”

The KCATA will potentially suspend these weekday and weekend routes by September:

Weekday Route Eliminations:

9 – 9th Street, 365 average weekday ridership
21 – Cleveland Antioch, 512 average weekday ridership
23 – 23rd Street, 266 average weekday ridership
25 – Troost Local, 1,460 average weekday ridership
27 – 27th Street, 422 average weekday ridership
57 – Wornall, 411 average weekday ridership
71 – Prospect Local, 464 average weekday ridership

Weekend Route Eliminations:

9 – 9th Street, 349 average weekend ridership
21 – Cleveland Antioch, 312 average weekend ridership
23 – 23rd Street, 312 average weekend ridership
25 – Troost Local, 1,431 average weekend ridership
27 – 27th Street, 455 average weekend ridership
57 – Wornall, 595 average weekend ridership
71 – Prospect Local, 982 average weekend ridership

Bus fares came back earlier this summer to offset some of the operation costs, but many have reported issues with the free fare cards and eligibility.

“There’s always funding challenges with the KCATA,” Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas said. “How are the fare re-institutions working right now?”

Mayor Lucas told KSHB 41 News Reporter Isabella Ledonne the transit improvements implemented for the World Cup “should continue,” and there are plans to talk with the KCATA commissioners to “make it work”.

“KCATA cannot just be Kansas City supported alone forever,” Mayor Lucas said. “Our approach and our preference is that the region got to see how much they would like [expanded service] during the World Cup. It was always intentional that if they liked it, maybe they would invest and maybe they would want this thing to go further.”

That’s good news to the thousands of daily riders.