MANHATTAN (KSNT) — For the first time in 2026, it’s game week in the Little Apple.
The Kansas State Wildcats are primed and ready for a week one matchup against Nicholls on Saturday.
“The excitement level is… I didn’t sleep much last night,” senior running back Joe Jackson said.
There’s also a lot of excitement surrounding Collin Klein’s head coaching debut. For Klein, he just hopes his players have that same feeling running onto the field that he did in his playing days.
“I remember running out that tunnel for the first time against North Texas as a true freshman,” Klein said. “That’s what I want for every one of our players: that this is their first time at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. This is about our players, and that’s what gets me so excited about this moment for them.”
The Wildcats had some adjustments to make throughout fall camp, following the injuries of offensive lineman John Pastore and George Fitzpatrick. The two are out for the remainder of the season.
Despite this setback, Klein is proud of the next-man-up mentality his team has embraced, as players fill in those spots.
“We’ve been moving a lot of guys around, it’s definitely not like we projected it coming in, but I’ve also been proud of how guys have worked through it,” Klein said.
According to the depth chart released by K-State football on Monday, Ryan Howard is first up at left tackle, followed by Tyler Johnson. Klein also made note of Charlie Adams, starting at left guard and Chase Duarte, who’s second at right guard.
“You know Ryan Howard and Tyler Johnson had a really good week last week, rotating through those tackle spots,” Klein said. “You look at Charlie Adams, Chase Duarte; they’re different players than when they got here in January.”
Being one of the ‘Cats six captains for the upcoming season, Jackson feels a responsibility to help the team keep spirits high after a rough end to fall camp.
“Don’t let nobody drop their head, don’t nobody think about it much,” Jackson said. “That’s why I feel so privileged to be called a captain so guys can look up to you… We’ve just got to keep everybody pushing forward, and know we’re going to find a way and be just fine.”
Kickoff against Nicholls is set for 6 p.m on Saturday, Sept. 4.
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