K-State recruiting notebook: Wildcats land two pledges after TCU win, more on the way
There have been rumblings of a Kansas State pledge for weeks, and when it came, it came as a pair.
Two prospected orally pledged to the Wildcats this week. Here are the biggest recruiting stories surrounding K-State:
The first 2021 pledge
Coach Chris Klieman has his first pledge of the 2021 class, and it came from within Kansas.
Blue Valley junior Dorian Stephens verbally pledged to K-State on Saturday while he was at the Wildcat’s game against TCU. Stephens held offers from K-State and Kansas. Quarterbacks coach Collin Klein was Stephens main recruiter.
Stephens is a 6-foot-3, 182-pound receiver. He is a multi-sport athlete at Blue Valley, also competing in basketball and track and field.
He picked up his K-State offer at a camp over the summer. At that camp, he worked as a receiver and linebacker, according to Rivals.
Since Klieman took over as football coach in Manhattan, he has talked about owning the state, especially the Kansas City area, in recruiting. Five in-state prospects have pledged with the Cats in the 2020 class already. There were six in 2019.
Stephens makes it one in 2021.
K-State lands Hentz
K-State’s biggest remaining need in the 2020 class was along the defensive line, and it has been addressed.
Robert Hentz verbally pledged to the Wildcats on Tuesday after attending the TCU game. Hentz is the No. 37 junior college player in the country, according to 247 Sports.
Hentz is a 6-1, 270-pound defensive tackle from Northwest Mississippi Community College. He held offers from the likes of Colorado State and Memphis.
K-State is losing three senior defensive tackles after this season and did not have another one pledged to the 2020 class. Hentz will come in a junior and likely be expected to play right away.
More on the way
Last week was massive for K-State recruiting, but there is reason to believe Saturday could be more important.
Against TCU, four uncommitted prospects came to Manhattan on official visits: defensive tackle Tanoa Togiai, running back Tajiri Smith, receiver DaJon harrison and defensive tackle Robert Hentz. The Wildcats got one pledge out of that group.
They might get another after a pair of Butler County College offensive linemen make their unofficial visit when K-State hosts Oklahoma.
Jeremiah Crawford and Dawson Delforge are scheduled to visit K-State. Crawford is 6-6, 300 pounds out of Goddard, where he helped turn the Lions into one of the best teams in Kansas. Similarly, Delforge is 6-5, 317 pounds from Wamego.
Crawford and Delforge have been stride for stride throughout their recruitment out of Butler. They have many of the same offers, and their unofficial visit to Manhattan is another sign of their tandem recruiting process.
Latrell Bankston, a Hutchinson Community College defensive tackle, is also expected to be on his unofficial visit to K-State this weekend. Bankston has helped make Hutch into one of the best juco teams in the country.
He holds offers from Iowa State, Oregon State and several others.