By Matt AudiletShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Texas A&M Aggies dropped to No. 7 in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings after their first loss of the 2025 season against the Texas Longhorns this past Saturday.
That being said, the 11-1 program is still preparing to compete for a national championship title as one of the 12 playoff teams in this year's bracket.
Any successful college football program knows the unfortunate downside of success: losing top coordinators to head coaching vacancies around the country.
Texas A&M was hit with that reality on Wednesday.
Aggies offensive coordinator Collin Klein will leave College Station to take over as the Kansas State Wildcats' head coach before the 2026 season.
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Longtime Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman is reportedly set to announce his retirement sometime this week, and Klein has already been scheduled to take over at the school's next program leader.
While Texas A&M is losing their up-and-coming coordinator in 2026, he plans to remain with the team through its upcoming College Football Playoff run. Klieman will coach Kansas State in its upcoming bowl game after finishing the 2025 regular season at 6-6, according to ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel.
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Klein was offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach under Klieman at Kansas State before taking the Texas A&M OC job prior to the 2025 season. Now, he'll return to his alma mater as head coach for 2026 and beyond.
Klein was a superstar quarterback for Kansas State from 2008-12. In his senior season, he led the Wildcats to a Big 12 Championship title and finished the year as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
In his first and only season with Texas A&M, the Aggies offense is averaging 454.4 yards and 36.3 points per game.
Klein and Texas A&M will receive their final College Football Playoff ranking on Selection Sunday after conference championship weekend.
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