QB
B-Johnson at 89 (junior, stamina 95). Top-3 of 78.3.
**Dynasty-start roster (CFB 26)**DC Rating 7.0 / 10
Kansas State
Program Builder Klieman as the only Power Spread plus 3-3-5 Program Builder in the editorial set, with a 6-deep junior cluster.
The Dynasty Verdict
If you want a Chris Klieman program where six juniors anchor a multi-year cluster and the Power Spread offense pairs with a 3-3-5 defense, Kansas State is the 3.5-prestige Big 12 team built for the rare two-year compound. Romaine reads run-pass at junior MIKE 92 with play recognition 96. Johnson takes the junior quarterback's snaps at stamina 95. Edwards explodes through the line at acceleration 98 — the top junior HB speed mark in the editorial set. Oakley at TE junior, Brown at WR junior, and Osunsanmi at REDG junior round out the cluster. The home pipeline is Kansas Tier-3, the only above-Tier-2 reach on the entire board, which means Klieman's recruiting weight rests on the Midwest class.
What makes Kansas State different from the other 3.5-prestige Big 12 program with a 6-deep multi-year cluster is the company it keeps. Colorado under Sanders asks you to ride A+ coach prestige and a 6-deep underclass on a hot-seat D+ stability mark. Kansas State asks you to ride Klieman's A-/B- grades and six juniors who all become seniors at the same time. Sanders is betting his hot seat against an A+ recruiting pull. Klieman is betting that six juniors who came up together can stay together for one more year. Different bets, same conference, same 3.5 prestige.
The 7.0 lands on the rare two-year compound window. Year 1's six juniors become Year 2's six seniors, all leading the program at the same time. Romaine anchors the defense, Johnson runs the offense, Edwards carries the rotations. Klieman's Program Builder archetype means the recruits arrive coached and the system holds together across the cluster's four-year window. The catch is the cliff at the back end: when the six juniors graduate after Year 2, Year 3 has to be replaced entirely by the Year 1 and Year 2 recruiting classes. Don't pick K-State for a Year 1 ceiling chase. Pick K-State for the Year 2 senior-class apex where Klieman turns the six-junior core into a Big 12 title bid.
Head Coach
Chris Klieman
Program BuilderKlieman is a Program Builder archetype with A- coach prestige and B- coach stability — the only Program Builder running both Power Spread and 3-3-5 in the editorial set (Nebraska and Illinois share the archetype, not the scheme combination). Klieman has built K-State on staff continuity and class-over-class development. The CFB 26 launch hands him six juniors at once (Romaine, Johnson, Edwards, Oakley, Brown, Osunsanmi) — the kind of cohort that either compounds into a Big 12 title bid or graduates into a hole. The B- stability buys him the Year 1 he needs to find out which.
Team at a Glance
| Conference | Big 12 |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Chris Klieman · Program Builder |
| Team Prestige | 3.5 stars |
| Team Overall (in-game) | 80 |
| Top Position Group | Linebacker · A- · top-3 avg 86.0 |
| Weakest Position Group | Special Teams · C- · top-3 avg 67.0 |
| Stadium Atmosphere | B- |
| Brand Exposure | C |
| Coach Prestige | A- |
| Coach Stability | B- |
| Top-10 Senior Departures After Year 1 | 4 of 10 |
Top 10 Players
By overall rating at dynasty start
| # | Player | Pos | Yr | OVR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Austin Romaine | MIKE | Jr | 92 | Play Recognition 96 |
| 02 | Avery Johnson | QB | Jr | 89 | Stamina 95 |
| 03 | Dylan Edwards | HB | Jr | 89 | Acceleration 98 |
| 04 | Damian Ilalio | DT | Sr | 87 | Strength 93 |
| 05 | Desmond Purnell | SAM | Sr | 86 | Injury 94 |
| 06 | VJ Payne | SS | Sr | 86 | Toughness 95 |
| 07 | Garrett Oakley | TE | Jr | 85 | Jumping 90 |
| 08 | Jayce Brown | WR | Jr | 85 | Acceleration 93 |
| 09 | Gunner Maldonado | FS | Sr | 84 | Toughness 93 |
| 10 | Tobi Osunsanmi | REDG | Jr | 82 | Pursuit 90 |
Position Group Grades
RB
B+Edwards at 89 (junior, acceleration 98). Top-3 of 83.7.
WR
BBrown at 85 (junior, acceleration 93). Top-3 of 81.0.
TE
BOakley at 85 (junior, jumping 90). Top-3 of 81.3.
OL
BTop-3 of 80.0.
DL
B+Ilalio at DT (87, senior, strength 93), Osunsanmi at REDG (82, junior, pursuit 90). Top-3 of 83.0.
LB
A-Romaine at MIKE (92, junior, play recognition 96), Purnell at SAM (86, senior, injury 94). Top-3 of 86.0, the strongest unit on the roster.
DB
B+Payne at SS (86, senior, toughness 95), Maldonado at FS (84, senior, toughness 93). Top-3 of 83.0.
ST
C-Top-3 of 67.0.
Recommended Playbooks
Offense
Power Spread (Kansas State Default)
Run Power Spread because the junior skill triumvirate carries the design. Edwards explodes through the line at acceleration 98 and agility 95. Johnson extends plays at stamina 95 and throws on the run at 94. Brown stretches the field at acceleration 93. Oakley at TE junior 85 with jumping 90 operates as a chain-mover.
Why this fits
Four top-10 multi-year offensive players (Johnson, Edwards, Oakley, Brown) gives the Power Spread the multi-year skill cohesion the scheme demands. The system's run-first identity matches Edwards's elite speed.
Defense
3-3-5 (Kansas State Default)
Run the 3-3-5 because the LB-and-secondary core is the design's whole point. Romaine reads run-pass at play recognition 96 and awareness 94. Purnell closes run fits at injury 94. Payne at SS reads single-high coverage at toughness 95. Maldonado patrols deep at toughness 93. The 3-3-5's nickel personnel matches the DB grade B+ unit.
Why this fits
The 3-3-5's nickel base matches an LB grade A- unit and a B+ DB room. Romaine's junior eligibility carries the multi-year LB bridge into Year 3.
Recruiting Outlook
Pipeline regions
- KansasTier 3
- MissouriTier 2
- Metro AtlantaTier 2
- East TexasTier 2
- North TexasTier 2
- ColoradoTier 1
- IowaTier 1
- OklahomaTier 1
- Central FloridaTier 1
- South GeorgiaTier 1
You'll recruit hard in Kansas. The in-state Tier-3 pipeline is the only above-Tier-2 reach, and the four Tier-2 reaches (Missouri, Metro Atlanta, East Texas, North Texas) extend the regional plan to a five-state Midwest-and-Texas band. Below those five, the visit budget gets thin: five Tier-1 long-distance reaches that aren't worth the spend. Klieman at A- coach prestige can land specific recruits the bigger Big 12 schools also want, but the recruiting math doesn't compound the way Sanders's A+ pull does at Colorado.
Position priorities for Year 1 are dictated by the 4-senior cliff at DT/SAM/SS/FS. Defensive line is critical. Ilalio graduates after Year 1; the Year 1 DL recruit becomes Year 2's identity behind Osunsanmi at REDG junior. After DL, replacement SAM behind Purnell, replacement DB depth behind Payne and Maldonado, replacement OL.
Avoid the deep South and Sun Belt entirely beyond a single targeted player. The Tier-1 cluster (Colorado, Iowa, Oklahoma, Central Florida, South Georgia) is for filling specific position gaps with single-player targets only.
Your Year-by-Year Path with Kansas State
Year 1
The Junior Setup Year
You're inheriting a 3.5-prestige roster with an 80 overall and a 6-deep junior cluster. Don't experiment. Run Power Spread, lean Johnson on Edwards's acceleration, let Romaine anchor the defense at MIKE. Year 1 is bowl eligibility and a 7-win baseline where the senior anchors hold and the juniors develop in real reps. While you're winning, sign the Year 1 DL and OL classes that Klieman's A- coach prestige closes.
Goal
Big 12 bowl eligibility, 7-8 wins, top-20 recruiting class with DL and OL at the top, the six juniors develop toward Year 2's senior apex.
Years 2-3
The Senior Apex
The six juniors all become seniors. Romaine, Johnson, Edwards, Oakley, Brown, Osunsanmi lead the program together. The Year 1 DL recruit pushes for the starting spot. This is the apex of the Klieman window: the year the six juniors pay off as a coordinated senior class.
Goal
Big 12 title contender, 9-10 wins, Romaine and Johnson and Edwards leading All-Big-12 selections, top-15 recruiting class to backfill the cliff.
Year 4+
The Cliff
By Year 3, the six-junior cluster graduates together. Whichever recruits Klieman signed in Year 1-2 become the new identity. If those classes developed, K-State holds a 7-8 win Big 12 baseline. If they didn't, the program rebuilds under the same Program Builder system.
Goal
Stable 7-8 win Big 12 program with the Program Builder development cycle intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kansas State good for dynasty mode in CFB 26?
Yes for a Program Builder Klieman two-year compound with a 6-deep junior cluster, with caveats. Kansas State enters CFB 26 with an 80-overall roster, A- coach prestige Klieman under a Program Builder archetype, and Romaine at MIKE junior 92 anchoring an A-grade LB room. The 3.5-prestige cap and narrow Kansas Tier-3 home are the structural caps.
What's Kansas State's prestige in CFB 26?
Kansas State enters CFB 26 with a 3.5-star prestige rating, paired with A- coach prestige and B- coach stability. The Tier-3 Kansas home plus four Tier-2 reaches (Missouri, Metro Atlanta, East Texas, North Texas) gives K-State a Midwest-and-Texas recruiting structure that's structurally narrow without a Tier-4 or higher home.
What playbook does Kansas State use in CFB 26?
Klieman's Kansas State runs the Power Spread offense and the 3-3-5 defense, a rare scheme combination at the 3.5-prestige tier. The Power Spread fits Edwards at HB, Johnson at QB, Brown at WR, and Oakley at TE. The 3-3-5 deploys Romaine at MIKE (92, junior, play recognition 96), Purnell at SAM (86, senior, injury 94), and the senior DB pair (Payne, Maldonado).
Who is Kansas State's best player in College Football 26?
Austin Romaine at 92 OVR, junior middle linebacker, with play recognition 96, awareness 94, and pursuit 94. Romaine is the highest-rated player on the roster and the multi-year defensive anchor of Klieman's 3-3-5. Avery Johnson at QB (89, junior, stamina 95) and Dylan Edwards at HB (89, junior, acceleration 98) round out a junior-led top three.
Should I rebuild Kansas State or take an easier team?
Kansas State is a Program Builder two-year compound, not a Year 1 CFP contender. The Year 1 ceiling is bowl eligibility while the juniors develop in real reps; the Year 2 floor depends on whether the six-junior class compounds into a Big 12 title bid as seniors. Take Kansas State if you want the rare Program Builder archetype at 3.5 prestige with a 6-deep junior cluster. If you want a deeper home pipeline at the same prestige tier, look at Arizona State or Colorado.