A look at Kansas State coach Collin Klein's success in coaching QBs
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MANHATTAN — Collin Klein is on his way to earning the coveted title of quarterback whisperer, based on the success of the signal callers he’s tutored over his young coaching career.
Four of his starters between Northern Iowa and Kansas State have signed or been drafted by NFL teams, while he’s coached three active players who will start for power-conference teams come 2026.
Now Kansas State’s head football coach, Klein returns to Manhattan and will look to add to his list of quarterbacks he’s developed to play at a high level.
Here’s a look at Klein’s quarterbacks since he first became Northern Iowa’s quarterback coach in 2016.
Aaron Bailey, Northern Iowa
Klein entered his first quarterback coaching role in a strong situation, absorbing Bailey, who was coming off a single-season school and Missouri Valley Football Conference record-breaking season. Unfortunately, Bailey got hurt six games in. He had thrown for 882 yards and six touchdowns, to go along with 426 rushing yards and six scores, before his season ended. The Baltimore Ravens ultimately picked him up as an undrafted free agent.
Skylar Thompson, Kansas State
Thompson took over as K-State’s starting QB near the end of his redshirt-freshman season in 2017, throwing for 689 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for 237 yards and three scores. That began a career that culminated in his becoming one of the best Wildcats QBs in program history.
Thompson finished his career as the only K-State QB to throw for 6,000 yards and rush for 1,000 over a career. Upon graduation, he held the school record for lowest interception percentage and finished second in passing touchdowns, yards, and completions.
During that stretch from 2017-21, Thompson led the Wildcats to a pair of bowl victories, and they finished ranked 16th in the 2019 postseason AP Poll.
Thompson was drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft and has made three career starts, including one for the Miami Dolphins in the 2022 postseason. He remains a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Adrian Martinez, Kansas State
Martinez finished his career with Kansas State after starting at Nebraska. He started nine games during the Wildcats’ Big 12-championship-winning season in 2022, but injuries impacted him during the second half of the season.
Martinez still threw for 1,261 yards, six touchdowns and just one pick, while also rushing 111 times for 627 yards and 10 touchdowns. He earned All-Big 12 honorable mention nods from the league’s coaches during his lone season with the Wildcats.
Martinez went undrafted in 2023 but has hung around in the NFL. He’s spent time with the Lions and 49ers, and is in his second stint with the New York Jets. Martinez served as Brady Cook’s backup QB on Dec. 14.
Will Howard, Kansas State
Howard started 27 games for the Wildcats across four seasons with the Wildcats, setting the school’s career record for touchdown passes and ranking fourth in career completions, fifth in passing yards, attempts and total offense. He was behind center for the 2022 Big 12 Championship win over TCU.
Howard used his extra year of eligibility that the pandemic allowed to transfer and play at Ohio State in 2024, where he threw for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing a school-record 73% of his passes. He led the Buckeyes to a national championship, completing 17 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 57 yards in a 34-23 win over Notre Dame.
Howard was drafted in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers and now serves as the team’s third-string quarterback.
Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Johnson played his freshman season under Klein, appearing in eight games and making two starts, including starting in the Pop-Tarts Bowl victory.
Johnson finished his freshman year by throwing for 479 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions, while also rushing for 296 yards and seven scores. He’s started every game for the Wildcats since he earned Pop-Tarts Bowl MVP, and he could be Klein’s starter in 2026.
Conner Weigman, Texas A&M
Klein absorbed Weigman, who started eight games for the Aggies under Jimbo Fisher. He started five of the six games that he appeared in under Klein when he joined Mike Elko’s staff. He threw for 819 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions, while completing 56% of his passes.
Weigman transferred to Houston after 2024 and had a successful 2025 season. He threw for 2,475 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while also rushing for 644 yards and 11 scores during the regular season. The Cougars will play LSU in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27.
Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
Reed was another Fisher commit who stayed to play for Elko and Klein. He has since become a Heisman candidate and has led the Aggies to the College Football Playoff.
After redshirting his true freshman season, he took the starting quarterback job from Weigman in 2024. From 2024 to 2025, Reed made a big jump as a passer, averaging nearly 75 more yards through the air, while he’s also not running as much as he did as a first-year starter. Reed threw for 2,932 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2025. Early Heisman predictions for 2026 say he’s one to watch.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State coach Collin Klein quarterback coaching history
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