Kansas State wasn’t busy during Wednesday’s National Signing Day, but none of that is a surprise.
College recruitment has changed, making December’s period the most important one. Instead, teams will mostly see preferred walk-ons and transfers sign during February.
And while Chris Klieman and company had an easy day, their entire class is a lesson in Kansas State exploiting the market and finding unique ways to build a formidable roster in college football.
Here are three lessons that we learned from Kansas State’s 2024 recruiting class.
HIGH UPSIDE MATTERS
Immediate contributors might be hard to come by in this year’s class, but that might be by design.
Kansas State apparently took a different approach in 2024, prioritizing high-upside players with unlimited potential. These players often require some additional refinement before being ready to contribute on offense or defense, but they can extend the roster’s talent if their ceilings hit.
Take cornerback ZaShon Rich, for example. Rich will need time to develop, but the ceiling for a 6-foot-2 cornerback with his athleticism is incredibly high. Kansas State is comfortable taking a redshirt year because his upside trumps any immediate production.
Running back De’Von Rice might end up contributing immediately with his speed, but he was primarily a backup in high school and might need more time to season in college. Regardless, Rice has shades of college football’s most lethal speedsters in his game. Give it time, and Rice could be a game-changing running back that adds an extra dimension to Kansas State’s offense.
HIGH SCHOOL > TRANSFERS
Ever since the introduction of the transfer portal, I have had coaches — high school and college — that high school recruiting has taken a massive hit.
Naturally, most teams prioritize quick fixes through college-ready players and replacing them when their eligibility expires.
And while Kansas State is still taking transfers, it’s a limited number to fill gaps in the roster. This cycle, Kansas State took just four transfers and also filled those spots with high school recruits.
Sure, offensive tackle Easton Kilty will be an immediate starter. But when his eligibility expires, the Wildcats will likely move on to Gus Hawkins or another offensive tackle acquired in the 2024 class. Same with wide receiver Dante Cephas.
That’s the key to high school recruitment. While transfers may offer quick fixes, National Championships are won through player development, which can’t happen with transfers that often have one year of eligibility.
VALUE IMPORTANT POSITIONS FIRST
Almost any coach will tell you that two positions on offense hold more value than any other: quarterback and offensive line.
And it appears that Chris Klieman and his coaching staff also realize this.
The Wildcats added additional quarterback depth, signing four-star Blake Barnett. Barnett might not play for a while because of Avery Johnson, but Barnett protects you if Johnson enters the portal or NFL Draft or suffers an injury.
Kansas State also added four offensive linemen in the class, including Gus Hawkins and Ryan Howard. Kansas State has prioritized building through the trenches, especially on offense, and this year’s recruiting class placed a real focus there.
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