Colby McCalister Becomes Third Kansas State Defender to Follow Joe Klanderman to Baylor

Kansas State rising redshirt junior safety Colby McCalister has committed to Baylor. He becomes the third Wildcat player, joining EDGE Ryan Davis and cornerback Jayden Rowe, to follow defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman to Waco; Klanderman spent the last six seasons as K-State’s defensive coordinator.

McCalister missed the 2025 season with an injury, but has appeared in 26 games in his career at Kansas State, totaling 50 tackles, two pass breakups, one sack and one forced fumble. The 5-foot-10, 198-pound safety played 500-plus snaps and started five games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons after redshirting as a true freshman in 2022.

He was a three-year starter at Clear Brook High School, outside of Houston, and totaled 63 tackles and two interceptions in his career. He was regarded as the 87th-best cornerback and a three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class; he chose Kansas State over Colorado and Army.

McCalister will have two seasons of eligibility remaining and will likely be an immediate contributor to a thin safety room that features Devin Turner, who missed all of 2025 with an injury, Jacob Redding, Tyler Turner and Micah Gifford.