The Kansas State Wildcats’ defense looks to build on last season’s strong performance. Kansas State was in the top 50 in points allowed and yards of total offense, with defending against the run as their strong suit, finishing as one of the best in the nation. The Wildcats allowed 118.7 rushing yards per game, 3.6 yards per carry, and 1.2 touchdowns per game, finishing 28th in rushing offense, tied for 24th in yards per carry, and tied for 29th in touchdowns per game.
The good news for the defense is that their standout defender is returning for what might be his last season in college.
The Kansas State Wildcats standout LB is back for another season
Austin Romaine is looking forward to playing in his junior season, quite possibly his last year at Kansas State, before he declares for the 2026 NFL Draft. Romaine had a breakout sophomore season, finishing as one of the top run defenders by a linebacker and being named Second-Team All-Big 12. He recorded 96 tackles, eight TFLs, two sacks, two pass deflections, and three forced fumbles, scoring an impressive 90.7 run defense grade and a 90.8 overall PFF grade in 13 games.
He is ranked among the top linebackers by PFF
In a PFF article, Max Chadwick goes through the top 10 linebackers to know for the 2026 NFL Draft. Chadwick ranks Austin Romaine as the sixth-best linebacker to keep an eye on during the 2025 season. He points to Romaine’s elite ability as a run-stopper and his “prototypical” Mike LB build.
“Romaine was the Power Four’s highest-graded linebacker as just a true sophomore, earning a 91.0 mark. That was mainly due to his dominance in the run game, as his 90.7 run-defense grade was third in the nation while his 43 run-defense stops were fourth among Power Four ones,” Chadwick said.
“Romaine’s a prototypical ‘Mike’ linebacker at 6-foot-2, 242 pounds and is excellent at beating blockers before they can even get a clean shot on him.”
He could rise on draft boards
Austin Romaine is currently the 47th-best prospect in PFF’s 2026 NFL Draft Big Board, but he could rise with another strong performance. Romaine does need to clean up on a few issues with his game. He needs to get better at tackling after finishing with 20 missed tackles and converting pressures into sacks, with only two sacks on 22 pressures and 16 hurries.
