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STILLWATER, OK - OCTOBER 18: Quarterback Brendan Sorsby #2 of the Cincinnati Bearcats falls into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown against linebacker Bryan McCoy Jr. #5 and defensive tackle Aden Kelley #71 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the fourth quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Note
I’m using the same introduction for all of these articles. If you read any of the articles below, you’ve already read it. I’d recommend skipping ahead to the table.
Quarterback
Wide Receiver
Running Back
Tight End
Interior Offensive Line
I’m going to move forward with the idea that the new “age-based” NCAA eligibility model will stick around in some form once all the legal challenges are exhausted. It makes sense, and I’m not sure the schools are interested in the constant court battles over eligibility. I get the feeling that some high-up folks went to check on the college athletics golden goose, and while it wasn’t dead, it was missing some feathers. This age-based model is an attempt to limit some long-term financial damage from disillusioned fans (mostly middle-aged and older) who were once the backbone of college athletics. It feels like this is the first bone they’ve thrown the die-hard fans who care about this sort of stuff in a long while.
I wrote an article explaining the age-based model here. The basic idea is that athletes get 5 seasons of eligibility if they enroll in school by age 19. It prevents 27-year-old Euro pros from dominating college basketball as true freshmen and does away with the archaic redshirt rules in both football and basketball. In theory, it also gets around the arbitrary NCAA eligibility “waiver” system, but I’ll believe it when I see it in action. The schools like hard-and-fast rules right up until the point when they think they should get an exception from said rules.
Anyways, this is how the new “age-based” model affects the football team moving forward. I’ll go through the roster by position group, and at the end I’ll put it all together into a coherent roster with a bunch of information beyond what you find on other sites.
Update: These have morphed into an excuse for me to go through and give an in-depth look at each position group.
Defensive End
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| # | Name | Pos | Recruiting Class | HS/JuCo/Portal | Home State | High School | HS Rating | Juco/Port | JuCo/Port Rating | Seasons at KSU | Eligibility | Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | Travis Bates | DE | 22 | Portal | TX | Tomball | 3*(79.5) | Austin Peay | 3*(86.5) | 2 | 1 | Travis Bates |
| 98 | Jordan Allen | DE | 23 | HS | KS | Olathe South | 3*(89.1) | NA | NA | 3 | 2 | Jordan Allen |
| 40 | Jayden Bryant | DE | 24 | Portal | SC | Clover | 3*(83) | Coastal Carolina | 3*(85.5) | 0 | 3 | Jayden Bryant |
| 1 | Wendell Gregory | DE | 24 | Portal | GA | Walton | 4*(92) | Oklahoma State | 4*(93.7) | 0 | 3 | Wendell Gregory |
| 30 | Dalton Knapp | DE | 25 | HS | TX | All Saints | 3*(86) | NA | NA | 1 | 4 | Dalton Knapp |
| 90 | Brad Stanyer | DE | 25 | HS | TX | Grapevine | 3*(84.2) | NA | NA | 1 | 4 | Brad Stanyer |
| 56 | Elijah Hill | DE | 25 | Portal | AR | Bryant | 3*(83) | Kennesaw State | 3*(88.8) | 0 | 4 | Elijah Hill |
| 98 | Tucker Ashford | DE | 26 | HS | TX | Ft. Worth Christian | 3*(88.3) | NA | NA | 0 | 5 | Tucker Ashford |
Eligibility Changes
Elijah Hill receives an extra season of eligibility after playing 14 games as a true freshman.
This is huge for Hill. The 2025 All-Conference USA First Team defensive end essentially gets a do-over on the season that allowed Hill to move up to P4 football. For all intents and purposes, this is like signing a 4* freshman who is ready to play straight out of the box. Hill has a chance to develop into an elite pass rusher, and now he has an extra season available if he wants to utilize it.
Thoughts on the Position Group
This group was one of the most disappointing on the roster last season. My fear heading into the season was that Kansas State had a nice collection of perfectly ok defensive ends with no star power, and that’s how it played out. Jordan Allen’s 2.5 sacks lead the way for the returning players after significant roster turnover in the group heading into 2026.
New defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson made it a priority to add more explosive, disruptive defensive ends from the portal and accomplished just that with the addition of Wendell Gregory and Elijah Hill. Gregory is the headliner after being named the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year by the coaches in 2025. He led Big 12 freshmen in sacks with 4, and his 12 tackles for loss led the Big 12 and were second nationally for freshmen. He brings a quick-twitch athleticism off the edge that was lacking last season, especially with Tobi Osunsanmi limited to 6 games.
The Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year is joined by a freshman first-team All-Conference USA selection in Elijah Hill. At 6’1”, 245, Hill is on the smaller side for a defensive end, but that didn’t stop him from racking up 11.5 tackles for loss and 9 sacks last season. Some of that is due to the fact that while Hill doesn’t have the prototypical height for a defensive end, he has crazy long arms. According to his high school coach, his wingspan was 6-foot-8 as a sophomore. His long arms allow him to create leverage and, more importantly, separation from offensive linemen. Once he gets his arms extended, he’s able to get low and turn the corner faster than the tackle can shuffle his feet, leading to either a sack or a hold.
I’m not sure he’s strong enough to hold up at the point of attack in early downs, but at the very least, he’ll be an explosive 3rd down pass rush specialist in his first season in Manhattan. Paired with Gregory, 3rd down just became significantly more perilous for the opposing quarterback.
One of the few returning contributors from the 2025 team, Jordan Allen, should start the game opposite Gregory. The former highly rated recruit out of Olathe South will be given every opportunity to hold down the strong side of the field. He’s been solid during his time in Manhattan, but Coach Peterson is looking for more disruption out of his front four. Allen needs to prove he can get into the backfield and get backs on the ground; having more talent around him should help in that endeavor.
Coastal Carolina transfer Jayden Bryant could also be in the rotation. I have him as the fourth defensive end in the rotation (minus Travis Bates; I’ll talk about him next). He’s known for his motor coming off the edge and will give the defensive staff another experienced pass rusher, which, shockingly enough, is what they prioritized in the portal.
I have Travis Bates listed as a defensive end, but as long as Allen, Gregory, and Hill remain healthy, the burly senior could move inside to the resurrected defensive tackle position. He had average to below-average quickness for a defensive end, but could be a killer on the inside, lined up against tackles. It’s nice to have a flexible piece like Bates on the roster.
Moving Forward
Defensive end appears to be in great shape moving forward. Transfers Gregory, Hill, and Bryant have multiple seasons of eligibility remaining, assuming Gregory doesn’t put up crazy stats this season and enter the draft.
Behind them is an interesting collection of young defensive ends, mostly from Texas, who will be fighting it out in practice and looking for a chance to crack the rotation. Tucker Ashford, in particular, could be a difference-maker at some point in his career. He’s already Big 12-ready, in terms of size, at 6’4, 275, and could potentially move inside at some point and play a role similar to the one I expect Travis Bates to hold down this season.
This position group looks poised to have a breakout 2026, which can only help recruiting moving forward. For now, it should be fun to sit back and watch the fruits of this coaching staff’s offseason labor in 2026.
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