K-State coaches worked ‘two full-time jobs’ ahead of early signing day

Kansas State football coaches have worked long hours this month preparing for the Cactus Bowl and a new December signing day at the same time.

Bill Snyder said K-State has done a solid job on both fronts. The Wildcats have practiced well leading up to their postseason game against UCLA, and they signed 15 recruits on Wednesday. But it wasn’t easy.

“It’s hard,” Snyder said. “Both of them are full-time jobs, and it just means you have to do a lot more because of signing day coming up right into preparation time. You had to do a lot more right up to that last week in order to solidify some commitments, and it’s sill in the process.”

Snyder has criticized the new early signing period in the past, but he may have softened his stance after securing more than a dozen verbal commitments. In past years, they would have had to fight other schools to sign them until February.

“When all the dust settles, we’ll give some heavy thought to it, because there will be some legislation coming up in early January to address it,” Snyder said. “Nothing has come up that has made it something that concerns me a great deal.”

K-State got some good recruiting news on Wednesday when it signed three previously uncommitted players.

Luke Sowa, a fullback from Butler Community College, announced his commitment on Wednesday morning and immediately signed. Kevion McGee, a defensive back from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, did the same a few hours later. Derick Netwon, a defensive end from Douglas, Ga., also joined K-State’s recruiting class of 2018.

Snyder doesn’t know how good this bunch will play in the field. He doesn’t like making those predictions. But he did say “all of them are good young guys.”

He is excited to have them on campus, and begin focusing exclusively on the Cactus Bowl.

This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 3:45 PM with the headline "K-State coaches worked ‘two full-time jobs’ ahead of early signing day."