The Kansas State football program has had some pretty good quarterbacks throughout their history. Who have been the 15 best to ever don the purple and silver jerseys?
The Kansas State Wildcats have had some darn good quarterbacks throughout their storied history, including three Heisman candidates in Lynn Dickey, Michael Bishop, and Collin Klein. K-State also saw one of their quarterbacks go in the first round of the NFL Draft in Josh Freeman.
So who have been the best signal callers for the Kansas State Wildcats? Let’s take a look.
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 15. Dennis Morrison
The first quarterback to appear on this list is Dennis Morrison, who played for the team in the early 1970s.
Morrison, a left-handed quarterback (at least according to his Wikipedia page) first got the nod to start the 1971 season and saw two solid years as the starter for the Wildcats. He threw for 3,428 yards and 18 touchdowns during three total seasons with K-State.
It’s worth noting that during Morrison’s tenure at Kansas State, the team was not very good. They went 5-6 in 1971 and 3-8 in 1972 under head coach Vince Gibson.
Despite playing for a losing team during his college career, Morrison was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 14th round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He only spent a small amount of time on the 49ers roster, throwing one touchdown and five interceptions.
Although his pro career didn’t go too well, Dennis Morrison is one of the best Kansas State quarterbacks in team history.
Next: Number 14
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 14. Brian Kavanagh
During the first Bill Snyder era of Kansas State football, Brian Kavanagh was one of his quarterbacks running the offense. Kavanagh was with the Wildcats from 1993 to 1996 and didn’t start a significant amount of games until the 1995 season.
Kavanagh had one season in which he threw for over 1,000 yards, which was during his senior year in the 1996 season. He finished his KSU career with 2,352 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Kavanagh’s best season was indeed in 1996 when he tossed for 1,893 yards and 20 touchdowns to only six interceptions. He had a nice season and the Wildcats went 9-3 in the school’s first year in the Big 12 Conference.
Although K-State lost the Cotton Bowl that year, 1996 was a very successful season for the Wildcats, and Brian Kavanagh played a large part in that.
Next: Number 13
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 13. Carson Coffman
Coming in at number 13 on this list is Carson Coffman, who spent four years in Manhattan as a member of the K-State football program.
Coffman’s quarterbacking skills began the streak of the Kansas State football team posting winning records each season.
Coffman passed for over 2,000 yards during his senior year in 2010, which happened to be the near the beginning of the second Bill Snyder era for the Wildcats. That season saw KSU going 7-6 and losing in the Pinstripe Bowl, but Coffman was a bright spot.
He finished his college career with 3,224 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He had nine rushing touchdowns during that impressive 2010 campaign and had 12 total trips into the end zone with his legs during his four-year career.
Coffman went undrafted in 2011 and never made it onto an NFL roster. His brother Chase played for the Missouri Tigers and is currently a tight end for the Seattle Seahawks.
Coffman’s quarterbacking skills began the streak of the Kansas State football team posting winning records each season, and that put him at number 13 on this list.
Next: Number 12
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 12. Steve Grogan
After Dennis Morrison departed in 1972, Steve Grogan stepped up in the quarterback role for the Kansas State football team.
Grogan went on to start for the Wildcats from 1972-1974 and threw for 2,213 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He played for K-State when the team wasn’t very good (they went 12-25 during his three seasons as the starter there) and Vince Gibson was let go from the team after the 1974 season.
Although Steve Grogan didn’t have the best stats in college, he arguably had the best NFL career out of any member of the Kansas State football program during its tenure.
Grogan did a lot of damage with his legs, rushing for a total of 585 yards and getting into the end zone six times (five of those occurring during his junior season in 1973).
Grogan, despite playing for a dreadful team in college, was a fifth-round pick by the New England Patriots in the 1975 NFL Draft. He went on to spend 15 years with the Patriots, constantly battling injuries and other quarterbacks threatening to take his job.
Although Steve Grogan didn’t have the best stats in college, he arguably had the best NFL career out of any member of the Kansas State football program during its tenure.
His jersey number, 11, is retired by the Wildcats (though that number also belonged to another quarterback, one you’ll see much later on this list).
Next: Number 11
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 11. Paul Watson
During the early years of the Bill Snyder era (the first one, obviously), Paul Watson was the quarterback in Manhattan.
Watson ended his four-year KSU career with 3,963 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. He had the misfortune of playing for some pretty bad teams during his college career, only notching 13 wins in the span of four years
Watson’s freshman year in 1988 saw the Wildcats go winless. They won one game in 1989 (Snyder’s first year with the team) and then won 12 over the next two seasons.
Paul Watson had five rushing touchdowns during his senior season in 1991. He threw for 2,312 yards that year and led Kansas State to a 7-4 record.
Though not a big name, Paul Watson held his own through some pretty bad years for KSU. He makes this list at number 11.
Next: Number 10
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 10. Carl Straw
Fifth all-time on the Kansas State football passing yards leaderboard is Carl Straw, who spent four seasons with the Wildcats. He threw for a total of 5,223 yards during his four years with the team.
The Wildcats only won six games during Straw’s four years on the team, but the fact that he’s still near the top of the KSU passing yards leaderboard is impressive.
Straw was with K-State from 1987-1990 and had two different head coaches during his tenure. Stan Parrish was his coach for the first two seasons, and then the first era of Bill Snyder football began in 1989, Straw’s junior year.
The Wildcats only won six games during Straw’s four years on the team, but the fact that he’s still near the top of the KSU passing yards leaderboard is impressive. He had 19 touchdown passes but tossed 31 interceptions.
Straw never went on to play in the NFL, but he had the misfortunate of playing for some very bad Kansas State teams, which could be to blame for him not making it there. He sits at number ten on the list.
Next: Number 9
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 9. Chad May
Coming in at number nine on the countdown is Chad May, who spent time with the Wildcats in 1993 and 1994.
Chad May threw for 5,253 yards in just two seasons with K-State. He sits at number four on the all-time passing yards list.
May was with the team near the end of the first Bill Snyder era, and led the Cats to a record of 9-2-1 in 1993 and 9-3 in 1994. The 1993 season ended with a win in the Copper Bowl and the 1994 season ended with a loss in the Aloha Bowl.
Chad May threw for 5,253 yards in just two seasons with K-State. He sits at number four on the all-time passing yards list. May also threw for 34 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
He was a fourth-round pick in the 1995 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings but only spent one year with the team. He went on to play for the Arizona Cardinals in 1996 before heading over to the World’s League of American Football and Arena Football before hanging up the cleats in 2001.
May didn’t have a great professional career, but he sits in the top ten for the Kansas State Wildcats all-time.
Next: Number 8
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 8. Darrell Ray Dickey
Darrell Ray Dickey played for the Kansas State football program under head coach Jim Dickey, who happened to be his father.
Dickey quarterbacked the Cats from 1979-1982 and the team only had a winning record once during that stretch. That winning season came in 1982, Dickey’s senior year, and the Wildcats went 6-5-1.
He also had the freshman passing yards record until the 2005 season, which is impressive considering it stood for 26 years.
Dickey threw for 4,118 yards and 23 touchdowns during his four-year KSU career. He had quite a few interceptions during his early seasons, but Darrell was able to lead the Wildcats to a bowl game for the first time in school history (a loss in the Independence Bowl in 1982).
He also had the freshman passing yards record until the 2005 season, which is impressive considering it stood for 26 years.
Darrell Ray Dickey went on to play for the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints in the NFL, both short term positions for him. Since 1980, Dickey has jumped around with different coaching jobs, currently holding the assistant head coach job at Memphis.
Next: Number 7
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 7. Jake Waters
One of the more familiar names to recent Kansas State football fans is Jake Waters, who spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons as a member of the Wildcats.
Waters had an impressive two-year stint with the Cats, tossing for 5,970 yards, good for third all-time in KSU history. He also had 40 touchdowns to 16 interceptions and did a lot of damage with his legs, rushing for 15 touchdowns in two seasons.
Waters had an impressive two-year stint with the Cats, tossing for 5,970 yards, good for third all-time in KSU history.
In 2013, Waters led the Wildcats to their first bowl game victory in 11 years, a victory in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl over the Michigan Wolverines. That season saw the Cats go 8-5 and the next season they were even better with a 9-4 record, but lost in the Alamo Bowl to the UCLA Bruins.
Despite his impressive career with the Kansas State football team, Waters went undrafted in 2015. A large part of that was due to surgery he had to have after the season ended. He briefly spent time on the Seahawks’ and Jaguars’ practice squads, but that was about it for the former Wildcat.
He comes in at number seven on this list.
Next: Number 6
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 6. Jonathan Beasley
During Bill Snyder’s first regime at Kansas State, Jonathan Beasley enjoyed a successful college career quarterbacking the Wildcats. Beasley spent time with the team in 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2000.
The Wildcats shined during Beasley’s two years as the starting quarterback. Both years saw the Cats post winning records and both years the team won their respective bowl games.
Beasley jumped onto the scene in 1999 and finished his college career with 4,642 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions.
Where Beasley killed opposing defenses was with his legs. He had a whopping 17 rushing touchdowns during his senior season in 2000 and rushed for just shy of 500 yards. Beasley rushed for 26 total touchdowns during his four years with KSU.
The Wildcats shined during Beasley’s two years as the starting quarterback. Both years saw the Cats post winning records and both years the team won their respective bowl games.
Beasley spent time with the Green Bay Packers in the NFL in 2001 and then spent time between the American Professional Football League and Arena Football League before calling it quit in 2005.
Since stepping away from the game, Beasley has taken on coaching. He currently is the running backs coach for Tarleton State. He makes this list at number six.
Next: Number 5
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 5. Lynn Dickey
One might be surprised to see Lynn Dickey listed so low on here, but his stats while at K-State just weren’t as impressive as the four quarterbacks ahead of him.
Lynn Dickey played football for Kansas State from 1968-1970 and threw for 6,208 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 64 interceptions. The touchdown to interception ratio isn’t the most impressive, but Dickey was one of the best quarterbacks in college at the time.
Dickey’s number 11 jersey is retired by K-State. It is the only number retired in Kansas State football history.
In 1970, he finished tenth in Heisman voting after leading his Wildcats to a 6-5 record in the Big Eight conference. He also held the KSU passing yards record until the next guy on this list showed up to break it.
Dickey was drafted in the third round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers and was traded to the Green Bay Packers in 1976. He went on to spend the rest of his NFL career there and is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame.
Dickey’s number 11 jersey is retired by K-State, which was also Steve Grogan’s number. It is the only number retired in Kansas State football history.
Lynn Dickey cracks the top five best KSU quarterbacks of all-time.
Next: Number 4
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 4. Josh Freeman
Here’s another name that recent K-State fans might recognize in Josh Freeman.
Freeman, a standout quarterback at Grandview High School in Missouri, took his talents to Kansas State University and became one of their best quarterbacks of all-time.
From 2006-2008 (under Ron Prince between the Bill Snyder eras), Freeman did all he could to keep the Cats relevant. He threw for 8,078 yards in three seasons, which still stands for the best in K-State history.
Freeman also threw 44 touchdowns to 34 interceptions and ran for 343 yards and 20 touchdowns during his college career.
Freeman did all he could to keep the Cats relevant. He threw for 8,078 yards in three seasons, which still stands for the best in K-State history.
Despite Bill Snyder returning to Kansas State for the 2009 season, Freeman opted to forego his senior year and enter the NFL Draft as a junior. He was selected in the first round (17th overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and at first, looked to be on his way to an impressive NFL career.
Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out for the former Wildcat and he was on his way out of Tampa Bay after the 2013 season. He since then has spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, and Indianapolis Colts, but currently remains a free agent.
Although his NFL career didn’t go as planned, Josh Freeman still holds the record for most passing yards at Kansas State and did have a great college career, even if the team’s record during that time doesn’t show it.
Freeman makes this list at number four.
Next: Number 3
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 3. Ell Roberson
In the early 2000s, Ell Roberson was a member of the Kansas State Wildcats, and he made a name for himself during the 2003 season.
That season saw Roberson toss for 2,525 yards and 24 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. He led the Cats to an 11-3 record and a bid in the Fiesta Bowl, where they ultimately lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Roberson did, however, win the Big 12 Championship MVP Award for his efforts, a game in which he threw four touchdown passes in a blowout effort against Oklahoma.
Robeson came through for the Wildcats that day, as the Sooners were favorites, but K-State showed them who was the better team.
Throughout four seasons with the team, Roberson threw for just shy of 5,100 yards and 37 touchdowns. He lit things up with his legs, rushing for 604 yards in four seasons and making it into the end zone 40 times (31 of those coming during his junior and senior seasons).
Roberson never played in the NFL, but he spent several years in the Canadian Football League as a member of the Montreal Alouettes. He cracks the top three on this list.
Next: Number 2
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 2. Michael Bishop
In their second year being apart of the Big 12 Conference, the Kansas State football team welcomed heavily recruited quarterback Michael Bishop to their ranks.
Bishop had spent time at a smaller college in Texas before joining KSU. He went on to have one of the most successful careers for a quarterback at Kansas State, throwing for 4,401 yards and 36 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. He also had over 1,000 yards rushing and rushed for a whopping 23 touchdowns.
Bishop truly was one of a kind for the Cats. He led them to winning records in both of his seasons (11-1 in 1997 and 11-2 in 1998) and also to a bowl game victory in 1997. The Cats also made it to a bowl game in 1998 but lost to Purdue, who was led by a young Drew Brees.
Bishop truly was one of a kind for the Cats. He led them to winning records in both of his seasons (11-1 in 1997 and 11-2 in 1998) and also to a bowl game victory in 1997.
Bishop placed second in Heisman Trophy voting in 1998, where he was a Consensus All-American and won the Davey O’Brien Award.
Michael Bishop heard his name called during the 1999 NFL Draft, but not until the seventh round. He was drafted by the New England Patriots and was there for two seasons.
Bishop jumped around between the NFL, World League of American Football, Canadian Football League, Arena Football League, among others before calling it a career in 2011.
Michael Bishop most definitely could be considered the best quarterback in Kansas State football history, but there’s one guy who was a little bit better.
Next: Number 1
Best Quarterbacks in Kansas State football history: 1. Collin Klein
The best that ever was at Kansas State University is none other than Collin Klein, who played for the Cats from 2009-2012. One year removed from Josh Freeman, the Wildcats wound up with the best quarterback they’d ever have in Klein, who threw for 4,724 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.
Klein was yet another Wildcat, who could do damage on the ground, rushing for a total of 2,485 yards in four years. He had 56 trips into the end zone with his legs, 50 of those occurring during his junior and senior seasons.
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During both of [Klein’s] years as a starter, the Kansas State Wildcats were relevant in football. He had the ability to kill defenses with his running abilities, but also could make nice throws when needed as well.
Klein didn’t become a starter for the Cats until his junior year in 2011, where he led K-State to a 10-3 record and a berth in the Cotton Bowl. The next year, Klein was able to lead Kansas State to another winning season (11-2) and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl.
Collin Klein placed third for the Heisman Trophy in 2012, and during both of his years as a starter, the Kansas State Wildcats were relevant in football. He had the ability to kill defenses with his running abilities, but also could make nice throws when needed as well.
Here are some notes on Klein’s career, courtesy of his Wikipedia page.
"2012 2nd Team All-American (AP) 2012 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award 2012 The Kellen Moore Award 2012 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (AP, Big 12) Tied with Ricky Williams for most rushing TDs in a single season by a Big 12 player (27) Tied with Ricky Dobbs for most rushing touchdowns in a season by an FBS QB Holds K-State single-season record for most rushing yards by a QB Holds K-State single-season record for most rushing TDs 2011 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention 2011 All-American Honorable Mention by Sports Illustrated"
Despite his success with KSU, Collin Klein went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent some time in the Canadian Football League, but currently is a coach for the Kansas State football team.
Klein was so much fun to watch during his two years as a starter, and it’ll be tough for any future Wildcat quarterbacks to knock him off the top of this list.
Next: Well?
In all honesty, Collin Klein or Michael Bishop could have sat atop this list, but Klein ultimately got the first place spot due to sitting in the top ten in passing yards, rushing yards, and holding the title for most rushing touchdowns in K-State history.
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Although Kansas State football had a long streak of not being relevant in football, they’ve turned the corner throughout the past two decades and have shown that they’re one of the best football programs in the country.
Kansas State recently has fixated on having a quarterback who is mobile and can break away and make plays with his legs. This is showcased on this list with guys like Collin Klein, Michael Bishop, and Jake Waters all making appearances and being guys who found the end zone with ease during their days as a Wildcat.
While few of these guys saw success in the NFL, these are the 15 best quarterbacks that have ever played for the Kansas State Wildcats and who made the program the proudest over its storied history.
Next: Best NFL Players From the Big 12
So what do you think of this list, Kansas State fans? Would you agree with Collin Klein being the best quarterback in Kansas State football history, or should Michael Bishop have been at the top?