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Kansas State lands Illinois transfer Kaleb Patterson

On3 imageby: Drew Galloway01/05/26galloway__drew

Kansas State is off to a hot start in the transfer portal market and has added another player to its 2026 roster. Illinois defensive back Kaleb Patterson has committed to K-State.

The announcement from Patterson comes just after an official visit to Kansas State. Manhattan, Kansas has been a popular place over the last few days since the transfer portal opened January 2. Patterson is the third commit in the last three hours for the Wildcats. It is likely there is more on the way.

Like a few of the other transfers, there are a few ties for Patterson and the Wildcat coaching staff. While he was on the opposite side of the ball, Thad Ward has spent the last three seasons at Illinois which all line up with the corner’s time at Illinois.

Marcus Woodson also has deep ties in the south, specifically in Mississippi which helped K-State land the Mississippi native.

Patterson has had a productive three seasons for the Fighting Illini.

In 2023, he played in four games while maintaining his redshirt after coming from Pearl River Community College. The 2024 season was his most productive season for Illinois, starting all 12 games for the Fighting Illini while recording 31 tackles, two tackles for a loss, one forced fumble and two pass breakups. He also had the fifth best tackling grade among corners in the 2024 season according to Pro Football Focus.

This season he played in nine games making three starts. Statistically his best game came in a non-conference contest versus Duke where he tallied four tackles and also recovered a fumble.

Overall, the Illinois transfer is commitment No. 4 for Kansas State so far in the transfer portal. He joins Emporia State punter Dylan Davidson, Texas A&M wide receiver Izaiah Williams and Missouri offensive lineman Keiton Jones.

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