Former Kansas State forward Taj Manning entered his name into the transfer portal after spending three seasons with the Wildcats. Only a few days after entering, he's decided to step away from the Wildcats, but not the Big 12 Conference.
Former Kansas State forward Taj Manning announces committment to Iowa State
Initial reports by 247Sports indicate that Manning's commitment comes after a scheduled official visit to Ames and time spent with head coach T.J. Otzelberger. He's the second reported target to commit to Iowa State following Northern Iowa transfer Leon Bond III.
BREAKING: Kansas State forward transfer Taj Manning has committed to Iowa State 🌪️https://t.co/gPYrO73y1s pic.twitter.com/YcrjOuGZrp
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 11, 2026
Manning's time suiting up for Kansas State men's basketball was full of ups and downs. He saw limited action off the bench in both 2023-24 and 2024-25, playing just 22 games over the two seasons.
He averaged fewer than two points per game during that stretch before earning a starting role in 2026. Manning's final season saw 30 appearances, 17 starts and an average of 22.8 minutes. He shot 48.5% from the floor, 18.5% from three-point range and 69.7% from the free-throw line. Manning was also one of two players to average more than five rebounds per contest.
Manning’s likely departure signals continued Kansas State roster turnover
No explicit reasons for Manning's transfer decision were listed. That's not uncommon, either. It is, however, worth noting that the majority of players recruited by former head coach Jerome Tang have made the decision to pass on Manhattan.
Whether Manning’s decision, among others, stems from Jerome Tang’s exit is open to interpretation. The lone exception is sophomore forward Andrej Kostic, who will play under former Belmont Bruins men's basketball head coach Casey Alexander.
Alexander has already made an impact in the transfer portal. At the time of publication, the Wildcats have also earned commitments from Colorado State transfer Brandon Rechsteiner, Oregon transfer Dezdrick Lindsay.
Outside of the portal, both Devin Hutcherson and Jaylen Alexander flipped their original committments from Belmont. They'll both join the Wildcats as freshmen in 2026.
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