ESPN post-spring poll ranks Kansas State No. 18

The Kansas State Wildcats are ranked in the Top 25 of ESPN's post-spring way-too-early college football rankings, which were released on Thursday.

The Cats are down 2 spots to No. 18 in Mark Schlabach's most recent edition.

K-State is listed below BYU, Arizona State, Iowa State, and Texas Tech among the Big 12 teams. They all are projected to be among the favorites in the conference next season.

"Johnson is ready to take the next step as a passer, and Kansas State coach Chris Klieman says he's much more confident and efficient heading into his second season as a starter and first under new offensive coordinator Matt Wells," Schlabach writes about the offense. "Edwards is ready to emerge as the No. 1 tailback after DJ Giddens departed, and the Wildcats added Bradley, Tibbs, and Medford to help Brown at receiver."

Klieman has spoken at length during the spring about the noticeable steps the offense has made and hopes for it to carry over into next season.

The team has since added transfers like Pittsburgh’s Terrence Enos and Penn State’s J.B. Nelson to help bolster the offensive line, so it’s not hard to see why expectations for the offense are high.

Antonio Martin Jr., a running back from Southeastern Louisiana, also has signed with Kansas State via the transfer portal to add depth to the running back room.

Kansas State now heads into the 2025 season drawing plenty of national attention, recently landing at No. 12 in USA Today’s preseason rankings and at No. 16 in Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt’s post-spring Top 25. But inside the locker room, the Wildcats are continuing to keep their focus internal.