Texas
Texas A&M OC Collin Klein hired as Kansas State football coach after Chris Klieman retires
Kansas State announced Thursday it has officially hired Collin Klein, the school’s legendary former quarterback, as its next head coach.
Klein, a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2012 and former K-State assistant, has served as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator for the last two seasons. He will continue in that role during the Aggies’ upcoming appearance in the College Football Playoff, the school said.
Klein agreed to a five-year contract with an average base salary of $4.3 million. He succeeds Chris Klieman, who announced his retirement Wednesday after seven seasons leading the Wildcats. Upon Klieman’s departure, The Athletic confirmed Wednesday that Klein was a likely successor given his ties to the school.
“We are excited to welcome one of our all-time greats back home to Manhattan,” Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor said in a statement. “Collin is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about his players. The grit, toughness and aggression he displayed as a player still fuels him today as a coach, and he is determined to carry on the tremendous success this program has achieved.”
As a player under Kansas State legend Bill Snyder, Klein led Kansas State to a 21-5 record in two seasons as the starter in 2011 and 2012. That included an appearance at No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, a Big 12 championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. In 2012, he finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o.
He joined Snyder’s staff in 2014 and spent nine of the next 10 seasons serving in various capacities on the staff under Snyder and later under Klieman. Klein was K-State’s quarterbacks coach from 2017 until 2021, and then assumed offensive coordinator duties in 2022 and 2023. Klein was part of K-State’s staff when the Wildcats won the 2022 Big 12 championship.
Klein moved to College Station in 2024 to join Mike Elko’s first Texas A&M staff as offensive coordinator. This season, the 11-1 Aggies rank in the top 32 nationally in scoring offense, total offense, rushing, passing, first downs and fourth-down conversion percentage. They’ve allowed the fewest tackles for loss per game and the 11th-fewest sacks per game.
“My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home,” Klein said. “Thank you to President (Richard) Linton and Gene Taylor for believing in us to lead the Cats into a new era. The position of head coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward.”
Kansas State has not yet decided whether it will participate in a bowl. The Wildcats (6-6) are eligible, but Taylor said recently he would leave it up to the players. There have been conversations but no formal vote on whether to play in a bowl if invited, a team source told The Athletic. If K-State plays in a bowl game, Klieman would serve as the coach for it. If Kansas State declines a bowl game, the spot would fall to teams with 5-7 records, in order of their Academic Progress Report (APR) score. That order starts with Rice, Auburn, UCF, Mississippi State and Florida State, according to an NCAA source.
Klein, a member of K-State football’s ring of honor, will be introduced as the Wildcats’ new coach Friday afternoon. The No. 7 Aggies are in position to host a first-round game in the Playoff, which would fall on either Dec. 19 or Dec. 20, but their final ranking and CFP destination won’t be finalized until Playoff selection day Sunday.
Portal season is going to keep coaching staffs and program front offices up at night.
Apparently, it’s going to keep fans up at night as well. Kentucky fans are going to face that reality these next few days, maybe even a week or more, regarding quarterback Sam Leavitt, who visited Kentucky this weekend.
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Unfortunately, Leavitt left Lexington without signing with the Wildcats. He’s now set to visit Texas Tech on Sunday, per On3’s Pete Nakos
Leavitt is one of the top players to enter the transfer portal after the window opened on Friday. He currently ranks as the No. 2 overall player and top quarterback to hit the open market, according to the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings.
Leavitt is expected to be one of the most sought-after transfer quarterbacks this cycle after spending the last two seasons at Arizona State. He helped lead the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff in 2024 before injuries impacted his production in 2025.
Wildcats fans are excited about the tantalizing prospect Leavitt is, but now the waiting game begins.
After a big win in the first round of the College Football Playoff, the No. 5 Oregon Ducks are on to the quarterfinals. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks will take on the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
How To Watch
When: Thursday, Jan. 1, at 9 a.m. PT.
Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Radio Call: Oregon Sports Network, KUJZ-FM 95.3 (Eugene), KRSK-105.1 FM/1080 AM (Portland)
Betting Odds
The Oregon Ducks are 2.5-point favorites against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on FanDuel Sportsbook. The moneyline for Oregon is -130, and the point total is set at 52.5.
Injury Update
The Oregon Ducks’ wide receiver unit is getting healthy at the right time. Wide receivers Gary Bryant Jr. and Dakorien Moore were both seen at practice on Saturday ahead of the game against Texas Tech.
Running back Jordon Davison has been a player to monitor, but was also seen back at practice, another positive sign for the Ducks.
The one player who was not seen during the open portion of practice by the media was wide receiver Evan Stewart. Stewart has yet to play in a game this season, and he will continue to be a player to monitor.
Oregon’s Explosive Offense To Play Key Role
The Oregon Ducks offense has been tough to stop, with its immense depth and explosive plays. The Ducks played well throughout the season despite injuries, but with players returning, Oregon will be tough to stop.
The Ducks lead the FBS with plays going for over 20 yards and are No. 2 in yards per rush, proving the team’s explosiveness. The Ducks total 217.08 rushing yards per game and 251.8 passing yards per game.
The Oregon offense is led by quarterback Dante Moore, who is having a breakout year. Moore totals 3,046 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He threw four touchdowns against James Madison, but he will have to be careful against the Red Raiders after also throwing two interceptions. Moore also totals 196 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
MORE: Oregon Ducks Injury Update From Practice Highlights One Major Absence
MORE: Texas Tech Defensive Coordinator Shares Blunt Assessment of Dante Moore
MORE: Oregon Quarterback Austin Novosad’s Likely Landing Spot After Transfer Portal Entry
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Wide receiver Malik Benson has been a role player amid injuries to the offense. Benson leads the team with 645 yards and six touchdowns. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq leads the team with eight touchdown receptions and has 509 receiving yards.
Moore does well at spreading the ball around to his several receiving targets, making Oregon a tough team to defend against the pass.
Oregon’s talented running back room has been one of the many highlights of the offense. Running back Noah Whittington leads the team with 798 rushing yards and has six touchdowns. True freshman running back Jordon Davison leads the team with 13 rushing touchdowns and has 625 rushing yards.
While Whittington and Davison may be leading the team, running back Dierre Hill Jr. is coming off a massive game against the Dukes, with one rushing touchdown and a 40-yard reception.
The Oregon Ducks have playmakers on offense that will help lead to a win against the Red Raiders.
Ducks’ Defense Must Stay Consistent
Oregon has one of the most dominant defenses in college football, but the Ducks must play all four quarters against Texas Tech. Oregon’s defense allowed the Dukes to score four touchdowns in the second half, and that cannot happen against a tougher opponent.
Oregon has allowed 16.3 points per game this season and is No. 4 in the nation in a three-and-out rate of 31.11 percent. The defense ranks No. 1 in the FBS for passes broken up (67), and will be a tough team to throw against.
Safety Dillon Thieneman is proving to be a massive transfer portal addition and is a big reason Oregon does well defending the pass. Thieneman totals 71 tackles, one sack, five passes defended, and two interceptions.
Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher has been a difference-maker with the Ducks throughout the season. He leads the team with 113 total tackles, and has one sack, four passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.
Linebacker Teitum Tuioti is another role player on the team, leading the Ducks with 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Oregon has a talented unit on defense, and the Ducks will have to be on top of their game to defeat Texas Tech.
Texas Tech To Pose Challenge
The Texas Tech Red Raiders enter the matchup with a 12-1 record and as Big 12 champions. With also coming off a bye, the Red Raiders should not be counted out.
Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton has passed for 2,643 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has thrown just four interceptions this season, proving he can make smart decisions and is an accurate thrower.
Texas Tech wide receiver Caleb Douglas leads the team with 846 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. The Red Raiders’ run game has been highly successful this season and will test Oregon’s defense. Running back Cameron Dickey leads the team with 1,095 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.
Two players on the Red Raiders’ defense who may play a critical role will be linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and David Bailey. Bailey leads the team with 13.5 sacks, going against a tough Oregon offensive line. Rodriguez leads the Red Raiders with 117 tackles and has four interceptions, seven forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Oregon vs. Texas Tech Prediction
The Oregon Ducks will defeat the Texas Tech Red Raiders 27-24.
If Oregon defeats Texas Tech, the Ducks will face the winner of No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana in the playoff semifinals.
- Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
- If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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