Iowa State Lands Kansas State's Taj Manning from Transfer Portal

Veteran forward joins Cyclones for 2026-2027 season after 4 years with Wildcats.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 7:36pm

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Kansas State forward Taj Manning has committed to play his final year of college basketball at Iowa State after entering the NCAA transfer portal. Manning, who spent the first four seasons of his career at Kansas State, will join the Cyclones for the 2026-2027 season under head coach TJ Otzelberger.

Why it matters

Iowa State has been one of the most consistent programs in the Big 12 in recent years, making five straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Adding an experienced player like Manning, who has played significant minutes in the conference, will bolster the Cyclones' roster as they look to build on their Sweet Sixteen run last season.

The details

Manning took a redshirt as a freshman at Kansas State before gradually earning more playing time over the next three seasons. This past year, he started 17 of 30 games and averaged career-highs of 4.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang praised Manning's team-first attitude, noting how he volunteered to be on the scout team to help the team even when his minutes were reduced.

  • Manning spent the first four years of his college career at Kansas State from 2022-2026.
  • He will join Iowa State for the 2026-2027 season after entering the NCAA transfer portal.

The players

Taj Manning

A forward who spent the first four seasons of his college career at Kansas State before entering the NCAA transfer portal and committing to play his final year at Iowa State.

TJ Otzelberger

The head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones, who has led the program to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

Jerome Tang

The head coach of the Kansas State Wildcats, who praised Manning's team-first attitude during the 2023-2024 season.

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What they’re saying

“I'm so proud of Taj Manning. The most of what I hope we do is develop men and teach them how to be great people first and love their teammates and care about the team more than they care about themselves. This week coming back, minutes in practice were cut down, and Taj could've stood on the sideline and sulked. Instead, he sent a text message to Anthony Winchester, who had the scout, and asked him if he could be on the scout team. You have a scholarship guy volunteering to be on the scout team to help the team in any way he can. Because of that he was ready for this (moment).”

— Jerome Tang, Kansas State Head Coach

What’s next

Manning will join the Iowa State program and look to contribute immediately as the Cyclones aim to build on their recent success and make another deep NCAA Tournament run.

The takeaway

The addition of Taj Manning, an experienced and team-oriented forward from the Big 12, is a significant boost for an Iowa State program that has established itself as one of the more consistent contenders in the conference in recent years. His arrival will provide depth and veteran leadership as the Cyclones seek to maintain their status as an NCAA Tournament regular.