A Full-Unit Effort Leads to a Great Start on Pass Defense
Sep 23, 2026 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Nearly 10 months after Jordan Peterson slapped on a purple quarter-zip with a silver Powercat and a gray ballcap that read "CATS" and sat at a table at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, many of the characteristics that the 39-year-old first-year Kansas State defensive coordinator envisioned for the Wildcats' defense are coming together, as K-State nears its first Big 12 Conference season of the Collin Klein era.
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"If you want to be the MOB, you'd better come with the MOB mentality," Peterson said back on January 2. "We're going to play fast, physical, violent freaking football. That's what it's going to be."
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Peterson was officially hired by Klein at K-State on December 21, 2025, after the two masterminds spent two seasons together at Texas A&M with Klein serving as one of the top offensive coordinators in the country and Peterson serving as the ultra-successful co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at his alma mater. Texas A&M ended its 2025 season with an 11-2 record and advanced to its first-ever College Football Playoff. Under Peterson, the Aggies ranked first in the FBS in third down defense, second in sacks, third in tackles for loss, 16th in passing yards allowed, 19th in total defense and 22nd in fourth down defense.
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Upon his arrival at K-State, Peterson pledged to help bring grit, relentless effort, tenacity and violence to the Wildcats' defense — part of the new-old school movement at K-State of which Peterson was vastly familiar as he faced K-State as both a Texas A&M player and as a coach in the Big 12.
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"It better be a fast, violent, relentless effort," Peterson said. "You ought to be able to feel it on tape when you're watching it. The first reaction should be, 'Wow, these guys play hard, together and with a level of confidence and swagger about them.' That's the first thing I want people to say about this defense."
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After three games together, the K-State defense assuredly has people talking. The like-minded group, which features several FBS transfers who have made an immediate impact while many returners have also made splashes, have helped K-State to a 3-0 record with convincing wins over Nicholls (71-3), Washington State (34-7) and Tulane (31-20) at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
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As K-State junior cornerback Zashon Rich put it: "We want to be the best in the country."
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K-State ranks No. 2 in total defense (182.7 yards per game) and No. 11 in scoring defense (10.0 points per game) as the Wildcats prepare to face Cincinnati, 3-0, in Saturday's 6:00 p.m. kickoff at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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K-State allows just 96.0 yards on the ground and 86.7 yards through the air. That means that the Wildcats rank No. 1 in the FBS in passing defense, which must be particularly pleasing to Peterson, the longtime defensive backs coach who helped the Aggies to a top-20 ranking in total defense while showcasing one of the nation's best passing defenses a year ago in College Station, Texas.
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"JP definitely coaches us hard," said K-State fifth-year transfer cornerback Kaleb Patterson, who was named to the All-Big 12 Transfer Team by Pick Six Previews. "He coaches everybody hard, but you can see the pride when he comes to the backend with technique, assignment, keys and responsibility. He wants us to be great.
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"JP demands greatness."
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K-State held Nicholls (122 total yards and 30 passing yards), Washington State (166 total yards and 65 passing yards) and Tulane (260 total yards and 165 passing yards) in check while surrendering just one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown in the entire non-conference season.
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How's this for starters? Against Nicholls, K-State held an opponent to its fewest passing yards in a full game since Ball State posted five passing yards against the Wildcats in 2000. Coupled with just 65 passing yards allowed to Washington State, the Wildcats held two-straight foes to less than 100 passing yards for the first time in 26 years.
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At a time when the Wildcats still seek their first interception, they've kept opposing offenses under wraps in allowing just three pass plays of 20-plus yards, which ranks fourth fewest in the FBS and only behind Penn State (1) and Tennessee (2) among Power 4 teams.
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In fact, opposing quarterbacks have completed just 29-of-65 passes (a nation-worst 44.6%) for 260 yards with one touchdown, and the Wildcats possess a defensive passing efficiency rating of 83.30, which ranks fourth in the FBS behind Penn State (80.91), Utah (81.04) and Iowa (81.82).
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"We've been playing great," Rich said. "We can turn it up a notch and the whole defense knows that. Coming into conference play gets our juices flowing. We're competitive. Whatever it is, we're going to compete. We love each other and have a lot of relationships in the locker room, and I go out there knowing they have my back, and I have their back. Our coach loves us and tells us it's nothing but a game, to study them, to get it right, and to come into the game prepared and confident in our ability to cover anybody."
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That love meant a lot to Patterson, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound native of Jackson, Mississippi, who committed to K-State on January 5 after his second season at Illinois, where he had 22 games of official playing experience and 15 career starts.
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Patterson was one of 13 newcomers, including nine FBS transfers, who were on K-State's initial defensive depth chart of the 2026 season.
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"When I came to K-State on my visit, just hearing JP talk about the defensive secondary and the things that he had in the backend for us to be great, I could see that JP had a lot of pride in the backend, for sure," Patterson said. "We're definitely ready for the Big 12. I'm excited for all the work we put in together as brothers and growing together to prepare for this moment. We've put in a lot of work, and I can't wait to see at the end where we're standing."
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For now, it all starts at 7:00 a.m. each Monday with K-State player seated in the team meeting room as Klein address the ups and downs of the previous game. The defensive unit meeting follows, which is followed by position meetings, which begin at 8:15 a.m.
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While 24-year coaching veteran Jeremiah Johnson coaches the safeties, the cornerback room is led by Marcel Yates, who came to K-State after he had six players from his defensive secondaries earn All-Big 12 honors during his tenure as passing game coordinator and defensive secondary coach at Texas Tech from 2022 to 2024. Yates has helped to send 11 defensive backs to the NFL Draft, including six in the first four rounds.
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"Coach Yates allows us to be us," said Patterson, who has a team-high three pass breakups in this early 2026 season. "We joke, but he coaches us hard and when we make mistakes with technique, he demands greatness. He keeps it fun but lets us know when we mess up, for sure. We're relentless. We're dawgs, man. In the back end, we call ourselves the 'Bird Gang.' We just make plays, man."
Â
Interestingly, the "Bird Gang" was a nickname that former K-State standout cornerbacks Dyshod Carter and Jerametrius Butler used many years ago when they were a part of several dominant defenses. K-State has finished with a top-10 defense eight times in its history, most recently when it finished sixth in the country in total defense in 2003. That also marked the last time the Wildcats possessed a defense that finished in the top 25 nationally.
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Those K-State teams also harbored physical and attacking defensive lines. On Monday, K-State earned Big 12 Defensive Line of the Week honors by the league office after recording 12 tackles for loss and six sacks against Tulane. Five different players recorded at least half a sack, led by 2.0 sacks from Jayden Bryant and 1.5 sacks by Darien Whitaker Jr. Fellow defensive end Wendell Gregory post 3.0 tackles for a loss for a second-straight week, becoming the first Wildcat with at least 3.0 tackles for loss in consecutive games since Chris Johnson had 7.0 against Kansas and 3.0 against Oklahoma in 2000.
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K-State's 30 tackles for loss rank No. 3 in the FBS and its 11 sacks are tied for No. 6 heading into Saturday.
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"The game of football is won and lost up front," Klein said. "Our secondary is doing a great job. Teams are afraid to drop back and pass because of our ability to rush the passer and get to the quarterback. Through the first three weeks, there's been a conscious decision on our opponents' part to adjust to how many times they drop back and how many times they put the ball into the air. It's a credit to everybody. It's part of the game of them scheming and doing what they think is in their best interest to win.
Â
"I'm excited as we move through this season as they continue to grow and develop when we get tested."
Â
The tests will assuredly come — and that starts on Saturday. That's when K-State will face Cincinnati senior quarterback JC French IV, who has completed 62-of-81 (76.5%) of his passes for 631 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. French is one of only three FBS quarterbacks completing at least 75.0% of his passes for more than 600 yards without an interception, joining Darian Mensah (Miami) and Ethan Grunkemeyer (Virginia Tech).
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French found wide receiver JV Gibson seven times for 68 yards and one touchdown in Cincinnati's 35-31 win over rival Miami (Ohio) last Saturday in one of the Bearcats' most memorable performances in 30 years. Trailing 28-7 at halftime, the Bearcats completed their largest second-half comeback in three decades, while Gibson recorded a touchdown catch for a third straight game.
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Cincinnati ranks No. 20 in scoring offense (43.7 points per game) and No. 24 in total offense (491.7 yards per game) as the Bearcats prepare for their toughest test yet.
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"Man, this is a testament to our hard work, everything we've put in since January, and just growing together," Patterson said. "We're having a lot of fun, for sure. When a guy makes a play, it's like I made a play. JP demands greatness, so we work hard every day, and we keep trying, and on Saturday we end up getting it right.
Â
"We just go out there and do what we do."
Â
It's a system and formula that Peterson brought to K-State in hopes of helping build one of the best defensive units in the country.
Â
It all goes back to Peterson on January 2 sitting in his purple quarter-zip and "CATS" ballcap for the first time while discussing his plans for the Wildcats. He was asked to describe what he intended to bring to the defense. A grin turned into a glare from the former defensive backs coach. And he leaned forward in his chair.
Â
"We are going to play fast, physical, violent freaking football," Peterson said.
Â
Heading into the Big 12, the Wildcats also have the best pass defense in the country to show for it.
Nearly 10 months after Jordan Peterson slapped on a purple quarter-zip with a silver Powercat and a gray ballcap that read "CATS" and sat at a table at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, many of the characteristics that the 39-year-old first-year Kansas State defensive coordinator envisioned for the Wildcats' defense are coming together, as K-State nears its first Big 12 Conference season of the Collin Klein era.
Â
"If you want to be the MOB, you'd better come with the MOB mentality," Peterson said back on January 2. "We're going to play fast, physical, violent freaking football. That's what it's going to be."
Â
Peterson was officially hired by Klein at K-State on December 21, 2025, after the two masterminds spent two seasons together at Texas A&M with Klein serving as one of the top offensive coordinators in the country and Peterson serving as the ultra-successful co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at his alma mater. Texas A&M ended its 2025 season with an 11-2 record and advanced to its first-ever College Football Playoff. Under Peterson, the Aggies ranked first in the FBS in third down defense, second in sacks, third in tackles for loss, 16th in passing yards allowed, 19th in total defense and 22nd in fourth down defense.
Â
Upon his arrival at K-State, Peterson pledged to help bring grit, relentless effort, tenacity and violence to the Wildcats' defense — part of the new-old school movement at K-State of which Peterson was vastly familiar as he faced K-State as both a Texas A&M player and as a coach in the Big 12.
Â
"It better be a fast, violent, relentless effort," Peterson said. "You ought to be able to feel it on tape when you're watching it. The first reaction should be, 'Wow, these guys play hard, together and with a level of confidence and swagger about them.' That's the first thing I want people to say about this defense."
Â
After three games together, the K-State defense assuredly has people talking. The like-minded group, which features several FBS transfers who have made an immediate impact while many returners have also made splashes, have helped K-State to a 3-0 record with convincing wins over Nicholls (71-3), Washington State (34-7) and Tulane (31-20) at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Â
As K-State junior cornerback Zashon Rich put it: "We want to be the best in the country."
Â
K-State ranks No. 2 in total defense (182.7 yards per game) and No. 11 in scoring defense (10.0 points per game) as the Wildcats prepare to face Cincinnati, 3-0, in Saturday's 6:00 p.m. kickoff at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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K-State allows just 96.0 yards on the ground and 86.7 yards through the air. That means that the Wildcats rank No. 1 in the FBS in passing defense, which must be particularly pleasing to Peterson, the longtime defensive backs coach who helped the Aggies to a top-20 ranking in total defense while showcasing one of the nation's best passing defenses a year ago in College Station, Texas.
Â
"JP definitely coaches us hard," said K-State fifth-year transfer cornerback Kaleb Patterson, who was named to the All-Big 12 Transfer Team by Pick Six Previews. "He coaches everybody hard, but you can see the pride when he comes to the backend with technique, assignment, keys and responsibility. He wants us to be great.
Â
"JP demands greatness."
Â
K-State held Nicholls (122 total yards and 30 passing yards), Washington State (166 total yards and 65 passing yards) and Tulane (260 total yards and 165 passing yards) in check while surrendering just one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown in the entire non-conference season.
Â
How's this for starters? Against Nicholls, K-State held an opponent to its fewest passing yards in a full game since Ball State posted five passing yards against the Wildcats in 2000. Coupled with just 65 passing yards allowed to Washington State, the Wildcats held two-straight foes to less than 100 passing yards for the first time in 26 years.
Â
At a time when the Wildcats still seek their first interception, they've kept opposing offenses under wraps in allowing just three pass plays of 20-plus yards, which ranks fourth fewest in the FBS and only behind Penn State (1) and Tennessee (2) among Power 4 teams.
Â
In fact, opposing quarterbacks have completed just 29-of-65 passes (a nation-worst 44.6%) for 260 yards with one touchdown, and the Wildcats possess a defensive passing efficiency rating of 83.30, which ranks fourth in the FBS behind Penn State (80.91), Utah (81.04) and Iowa (81.82).
Â
"We've been playing great," Rich said. "We can turn it up a notch and the whole defense knows that. Coming into conference play gets our juices flowing. We're competitive. Whatever it is, we're going to compete. We love each other and have a lot of relationships in the locker room, and I go out there knowing they have my back, and I have their back. Our coach loves us and tells us it's nothing but a game, to study them, to get it right, and to come into the game prepared and confident in our ability to cover anybody."
Â
That love meant a lot to Patterson, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound native of Jackson, Mississippi, who committed to K-State on January 5 after his second season at Illinois, where he had 22 games of official playing experience and 15 career starts.
Â
Patterson was one of 13 newcomers, including nine FBS transfers, who were on K-State's initial defensive depth chart of the 2026 season.
Â
"When I came to K-State on my visit, just hearing JP talk about the defensive secondary and the things that he had in the backend for us to be great, I could see that JP had a lot of pride in the backend, for sure," Patterson said. "We're definitely ready for the Big 12. I'm excited for all the work we put in together as brothers and growing together to prepare for this moment. We've put in a lot of work, and I can't wait to see at the end where we're standing."
Â
For now, it all starts at 7:00 a.m. each Monday with K-State player seated in the team meeting room as Klein address the ups and downs of the previous game. The defensive unit meeting follows, which is followed by position meetings, which begin at 8:15 a.m.
Â
While 24-year coaching veteran Jeremiah Johnson coaches the safeties, the cornerback room is led by Marcel Yates, who came to K-State after he had six players from his defensive secondaries earn All-Big 12 honors during his tenure as passing game coordinator and defensive secondary coach at Texas Tech from 2022 to 2024. Yates has helped to send 11 defensive backs to the NFL Draft, including six in the first four rounds.
Â
"Coach Yates allows us to be us," said Patterson, who has a team-high three pass breakups in this early 2026 season. "We joke, but he coaches us hard and when we make mistakes with technique, he demands greatness. He keeps it fun but lets us know when we mess up, for sure. We're relentless. We're dawgs, man. In the back end, we call ourselves the 'Bird Gang.' We just make plays, man."
Â
Interestingly, the "Bird Gang" was a nickname that former K-State standout cornerbacks Dyshod Carter and Jerametrius Butler used many years ago when they were a part of several dominant defenses. K-State has finished with a top-10 defense eight times in its history, most recently when it finished sixth in the country in total defense in 2003. That also marked the last time the Wildcats possessed a defense that finished in the top 25 nationally.
Â
Those K-State teams also harbored physical and attacking defensive lines. On Monday, K-State earned Big 12 Defensive Line of the Week honors by the league office after recording 12 tackles for loss and six sacks against Tulane. Five different players recorded at least half a sack, led by 2.0 sacks from Jayden Bryant and 1.5 sacks by Darien Whitaker Jr. Fellow defensive end Wendell Gregory post 3.0 tackles for a loss for a second-straight week, becoming the first Wildcat with at least 3.0 tackles for loss in consecutive games since Chris Johnson had 7.0 against Kansas and 3.0 against Oklahoma in 2000.
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K-State's 30 tackles for loss rank No. 3 in the FBS and its 11 sacks are tied for No. 6 heading into Saturday.
Â
"The game of football is won and lost up front," Klein said. "Our secondary is doing a great job. Teams are afraid to drop back and pass because of our ability to rush the passer and get to the quarterback. Through the first three weeks, there's been a conscious decision on our opponents' part to adjust to how many times they drop back and how many times they put the ball into the air. It's a credit to everybody. It's part of the game of them scheming and doing what they think is in their best interest to win.
Â
"I'm excited as we move through this season as they continue to grow and develop when we get tested."
Â
The tests will assuredly come — and that starts on Saturday. That's when K-State will face Cincinnati senior quarterback JC French IV, who has completed 62-of-81 (76.5%) of his passes for 631 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. French is one of only three FBS quarterbacks completing at least 75.0% of his passes for more than 600 yards without an interception, joining Darian Mensah (Miami) and Ethan Grunkemeyer (Virginia Tech).
Â
French found wide receiver JV Gibson seven times for 68 yards and one touchdown in Cincinnati's 35-31 win over rival Miami (Ohio) last Saturday in one of the Bearcats' most memorable performances in 30 years. Trailing 28-7 at halftime, the Bearcats completed their largest second-half comeback in three decades, while Gibson recorded a touchdown catch for a third straight game.
Â
Cincinnati ranks No. 20 in scoring offense (43.7 points per game) and No. 24 in total offense (491.7 yards per game) as the Bearcats prepare for their toughest test yet.
Â
"Man, this is a testament to our hard work, everything we've put in since January, and just growing together," Patterson said. "We're having a lot of fun, for sure. When a guy makes a play, it's like I made a play. JP demands greatness, so we work hard every day, and we keep trying, and on Saturday we end up getting it right.
Â
"We just go out there and do what we do."
Â
It's a system and formula that Peterson brought to K-State in hopes of helping build one of the best defensive units in the country.
Â
It all goes back to Peterson on January 2 sitting in his purple quarter-zip and "CATS" ballcap for the first time while discussing his plans for the Wildcats. He was asked to describe what he intended to bring to the defense. A grin turned into a glare from the former defensive backs coach. And he leaned forward in his chair.
Â
"We are going to play fast, physical, violent freaking football," Peterson said.
Â
Heading into the Big 12, the Wildcats also have the best pass defense in the country to show for it.
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