‘My Main Goal is to Win’
Aug 17, 2026 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
It's a bitterly cold evening in Manhattan on January 26 and a snowstorm will blanket the Flint Hills later in the night, as Wendell Gregory, who moved into his new home less than two weeks prior, begins to talk. For the next 20 minutes, the 6-foot-3, 265-pound sophomore transfer from Oklahoma State, opens the door to his world, his life and his goals, as one of the most highly sought-after transfers for the 2026 football season, and as top candidate to become the next great pass rusher at Kansas State.
The 2025 Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year transferred to K-State after earning All-Big 12 Third Team honors behind 27 tackles, 12.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, one pass breakup and one forced fumble over 12 games with four starts. He had the second-most tackles for loss in the country by a freshman and had the most sacks by a freshman in the Big 12 Conference. He also made an instant splash with a three-sack performance against UT Martin in the 2025 season opener — the most sacks in a game by an Oklahoma State freshman in school history and tied for the most sacks in a game by a freshman in the history of the Big 12.
On December 16, Gregory entered the transfer portal, opening the door to boundless opportunity in the world of the Football Bowl Subdivision. He was the 11th-best edge rusher in the transfer portal by 247Sports, and he was ranked No. 24 among all players in the transfer portal by On3. Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama and Georgia contacted him. So did Texas Tech and Wisconsin. But former Oklahoma State running backs coach Cory Patterson, who had just joined the K-State coaching staff under new head coach Collin Klein, phoned and asked Gregory to "just come visit" and "give it a look."
Now sharing stories over the phone on January 26 — a day like all the others, which began at 6:30 a.m. with workouts, breakfast and tutoring on the K-State campus — Gregory offers a chuckle while recalling what happened next.
"I took four visits and K-State was my last visit," Gregory says. "I went to Texas Tech, Wisconsin, Texas and K-State. What set K-State apart from the other schools was the scheme. The other coaches had good schemes as well. I just wanted to come here and build something. The other teams are set in stone in the industry. I like building teams up. I like being an underdog.
"Coach Klein was a great player at K-State, and you just know he wants this as badly as we do because he was in our shoes. He wants to build something very special here. He wants to build something very special."
Today is Friday, August 14, as Gregory saunters into the Vanier Family Football Complex in his white practice jersey and a purple skull cap following a morning preseason practice. Temperatures are in the high 90s — a world away from that frigid night in Manhattan seven months ago, when his home still had that new smell, and he hadn't yet fully put his wealth of playmaking ability on display — as Gregory speaks to reporters for the first time as a Wildcat.
"It's been a grind," Gregory tells the reporters. "Obviously, it's a new program with new coaches and new players and teammates. Everything is coming together. And I'm loving it."
The new-home smell of the Shamrock Practice Facility for newcomers has long since dissipated, replaced by that lingering aroma of sweat and hard work. With each passing day, the Wildcats build toward the 2026 season, and fans will see Gregory and his teammates for the first time against Nicholls on September 5 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium — a game that, by virtue of its special storyline regarding Klein's return to his alma mater, could easily be billed as one of the most highly-anticipated season debuts in the history of K-State Athletics.
Today, standing surrounded by reporters inside Vanier, Gregory, named to the 2026 Preseason All-Big 12 team, recounts those formative days as a Wildcat — and his plans going forward for himself and his new team.
"I just showed that I want to be here," Gregory says. "Last year, I was Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, but I came in here with my head down and showed guys that I want to come in here and work just like everybody else and go to the Big 12 Championship and go win a national championship."
It's been quite a climb for Gregory.
Years ago, Gregory, a native of Marietta, Georgia, had to do some building of his own. Although basketball was his first love, Gregory decided to play football in middle school because his friends were playing it. Gregory began his high school career as a 6-foot, 198-pound wide receiver who had good hands, but his high school coach told him, "I think you should make a transition." So, Gregory switched to linebacker his sophomore season.
"It made a lot of plays and caused a lot of problems," Gregory says.
As a high school sophomore, Gregory received his first scholarship offer from South Carolina, where he later visited several times, and which was located close to Gregory's grandparents. That made it somewhat easy for him to choose the Gamecocks and turn down interest from Arkansas, Auburn, Kansas, K-State, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, NC State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee, USC and West Virginia.
Gregory had 56 tackles, including 18.0 tackles for loss with 7.0 sacks and 14 quarterback hurries his senior season at Walton High School.
He played seven snaps in two games his entire true freshman season at South Carolina.
"Things didn't go as planned," Gregory says.
Things went better last season at Oklahoma State. Now Gregory, who spent a part of his offseason immersed in individual training, has his sights set on helping the Wildcats go places in the fall.
He spent part of the offseason training under renown football trainer Brandon "BT" Jordan, who serves as a pass-rush consultant for the Dallas Cowboys, and who founded Trench Performance, which focuses on specialized footwork, leverage, and mechanics for defensive linemen. Jordan's clientele features NFL edge rushers Von Miller, T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons and Maxx Crosby.
Thanks to Patterson's phone call to Gregory that sparked conversations with new K-State defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson and veteran K-State defensive lineman coach Buddy Wyatt, Gregory feels prepared to help the Wildcats go places in the fall.
"I mean, you can name all the accolades like All-Big 12, All-American, this and that, but my main goal is to win," Gregory says. "Obviously, I have personal goals, but my main goal is to win."
That night back on January 26, when everything was just getting started, Gregory left no doubt about his career aspirations.
"My position coach, Coach Buddy Wyatt, is a great coach, and he's put a lot of people in the NFL," Gregory says. "I 100% want to be the next one to go to the NFL. Obviously, I had some individual success, but I'm coming for a lot more. I'm trying to be eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft. That's my goal."
Last season, Gregory had 32 pressures, 21 quarterback hurries, and hit the quarterback seven times, according to Pro Football Focus — statistics that were similar to NFL first-round pick Malachi Lawrence of UCF and second-round pick Zion Young of Missouri, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
"I bring versatility," Gregory says. "Sometimes I'll line up as middle linebacker doing stunts with my defensive tackles, and obviously, when I'm off the edge I can go back in space and put the tight end on his butt if I want to if he's trying to run a route. I'm definitely going to get to the quarterback, so I'm getting off the ball every single play. My versatility is big.
"We are going to have a very versatile defensive scheme. Every single play, we'll be coming off the ball, keying on the ball, and no matter the down or situation, we'll be getting to the ball.
"That excites me."
It's a feeling that Gregory experienced the first time he entered Vanier. He says it was "electric." Yes, so much has happened since that first day in Manhattan on January 26, when things were cold, and the sun set early.
Today, things are sizzling, and the sun shines brightly over Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Gregory, too, is ready to shine at his new home.
"This is my second home, honestly," Gregory tells the reporters after practice. "Obviously, I sleep at my house, but I'm here every day, and I spend most of my time here every day. This is my second home.
"I can be proud to say I'm a K-State Wildcat."
It's a bitterly cold evening in Manhattan on January 26 and a snowstorm will blanket the Flint Hills later in the night, as Wendell Gregory, who moved into his new home less than two weeks prior, begins to talk. For the next 20 minutes, the 6-foot-3, 265-pound sophomore transfer from Oklahoma State, opens the door to his world, his life and his goals, as one of the most highly sought-after transfers for the 2026 football season, and as top candidate to become the next great pass rusher at Kansas State.
The 2025 Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year transferred to K-State after earning All-Big 12 Third Team honors behind 27 tackles, 12.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, one pass breakup and one forced fumble over 12 games with four starts. He had the second-most tackles for loss in the country by a freshman and had the most sacks by a freshman in the Big 12 Conference. He also made an instant splash with a three-sack performance against UT Martin in the 2025 season opener — the most sacks in a game by an Oklahoma State freshman in school history and tied for the most sacks in a game by a freshman in the history of the Big 12.
On December 16, Gregory entered the transfer portal, opening the door to boundless opportunity in the world of the Football Bowl Subdivision. He was the 11th-best edge rusher in the transfer portal by 247Sports, and he was ranked No. 24 among all players in the transfer portal by On3. Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama and Georgia contacted him. So did Texas Tech and Wisconsin. But former Oklahoma State running backs coach Cory Patterson, who had just joined the K-State coaching staff under new head coach Collin Klein, phoned and asked Gregory to "just come visit" and "give it a look."
Now sharing stories over the phone on January 26 — a day like all the others, which began at 6:30 a.m. with workouts, breakfast and tutoring on the K-State campus — Gregory offers a chuckle while recalling what happened next.
"I took four visits and K-State was my last visit," Gregory says. "I went to Texas Tech, Wisconsin, Texas and K-State. What set K-State apart from the other schools was the scheme. The other coaches had good schemes as well. I just wanted to come here and build something. The other teams are set in stone in the industry. I like building teams up. I like being an underdog.
"Coach Klein was a great player at K-State, and you just know he wants this as badly as we do because he was in our shoes. He wants to build something very special here. He wants to build something very special."
Today is Friday, August 14, as Gregory saunters into the Vanier Family Football Complex in his white practice jersey and a purple skull cap following a morning preseason practice. Temperatures are in the high 90s — a world away from that frigid night in Manhattan seven months ago, when his home still had that new smell, and he hadn't yet fully put his wealth of playmaking ability on display — as Gregory speaks to reporters for the first time as a Wildcat.
"It's been a grind," Gregory tells the reporters. "Obviously, it's a new program with new coaches and new players and teammates. Everything is coming together. And I'm loving it."
The new-home smell of the Shamrock Practice Facility for newcomers has long since dissipated, replaced by that lingering aroma of sweat and hard work. With each passing day, the Wildcats build toward the 2026 season, and fans will see Gregory and his teammates for the first time against Nicholls on September 5 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium — a game that, by virtue of its special storyline regarding Klein's return to his alma mater, could easily be billed as one of the most highly-anticipated season debuts in the history of K-State Athletics.
Today, standing surrounded by reporters inside Vanier, Gregory, named to the 2026 Preseason All-Big 12 team, recounts those formative days as a Wildcat — and his plans going forward for himself and his new team.
"I just showed that I want to be here," Gregory says. "Last year, I was Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, but I came in here with my head down and showed guys that I want to come in here and work just like everybody else and go to the Big 12 Championship and go win a national championship."
It's been quite a climb for Gregory.
Years ago, Gregory, a native of Marietta, Georgia, had to do some building of his own. Although basketball was his first love, Gregory decided to play football in middle school because his friends were playing it. Gregory began his high school career as a 6-foot, 198-pound wide receiver who had good hands, but his high school coach told him, "I think you should make a transition." So, Gregory switched to linebacker his sophomore season.
"It made a lot of plays and caused a lot of problems," Gregory says.
As a high school sophomore, Gregory received his first scholarship offer from South Carolina, where he later visited several times, and which was located close to Gregory's grandparents. That made it somewhat easy for him to choose the Gamecocks and turn down interest from Arkansas, Auburn, Kansas, K-State, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, NC State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee, USC and West Virginia.
Gregory had 56 tackles, including 18.0 tackles for loss with 7.0 sacks and 14 quarterback hurries his senior season at Walton High School.
He played seven snaps in two games his entire true freshman season at South Carolina.
"Things didn't go as planned," Gregory says.
Things went better last season at Oklahoma State. Now Gregory, who spent a part of his offseason immersed in individual training, has his sights set on helping the Wildcats go places in the fall.
He spent part of the offseason training under renown football trainer Brandon "BT" Jordan, who serves as a pass-rush consultant for the Dallas Cowboys, and who founded Trench Performance, which focuses on specialized footwork, leverage, and mechanics for defensive linemen. Jordan's clientele features NFL edge rushers Von Miller, T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons and Maxx Crosby.
Thanks to Patterson's phone call to Gregory that sparked conversations with new K-State defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson and veteran K-State defensive lineman coach Buddy Wyatt, Gregory feels prepared to help the Wildcats go places in the fall.
"I mean, you can name all the accolades like All-Big 12, All-American, this and that, but my main goal is to win," Gregory says. "Obviously, I have personal goals, but my main goal is to win."
That night back on January 26, when everything was just getting started, Gregory left no doubt about his career aspirations.
"My position coach, Coach Buddy Wyatt, is a great coach, and he's put a lot of people in the NFL," Gregory says. "I 100% want to be the next one to go to the NFL. Obviously, I had some individual success, but I'm coming for a lot more. I'm trying to be eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft. That's my goal."
Last season, Gregory had 32 pressures, 21 quarterback hurries, and hit the quarterback seven times, according to Pro Football Focus — statistics that were similar to NFL first-round pick Malachi Lawrence of UCF and second-round pick Zion Young of Missouri, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
"I bring versatility," Gregory says. "Sometimes I'll line up as middle linebacker doing stunts with my defensive tackles, and obviously, when I'm off the edge I can go back in space and put the tight end on his butt if I want to if he's trying to run a route. I'm definitely going to get to the quarterback, so I'm getting off the ball every single play. My versatility is big.
"We are going to have a very versatile defensive scheme. Every single play, we'll be coming off the ball, keying on the ball, and no matter the down or situation, we'll be getting to the ball.
"That excites me."
It's a feeling that Gregory experienced the first time he entered Vanier. He says it was "electric." Yes, so much has happened since that first day in Manhattan on January 26, when things were cold, and the sun set early.
Today, things are sizzling, and the sun shines brightly over Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Gregory, too, is ready to shine at his new home.
"This is my second home, honestly," Gregory tells the reporters after practice. "Obviously, I sleep at my house, but I'm here every day, and I spend most of my time here every day. This is my second home.
"I can be proud to say I'm a K-State Wildcat."
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