What Chris Klieman likes about the recruits Kansas State added on early signing day
The Kansas State Wildcats officially added 23 recruits to their football roster on the first day of the early signing period Wednesday.
K-State coach Chris Klieman spoke with media about the core of the Wildcats’ 2020 recruiting class, which currently ranks 41st nationally by Rivals and 48th nationally by 247Sports.
Here are some of the most noteworthy things Klieman said at his early signing day news conference:
Happy for Howard
It’s obvious that Klieman thinks the Wildcats found a potential recruiting gem in Will Howard. The 6-foot-4 quarterback from Downingtown, Pennsylvania is considered one of the top 20 dual-threat quarterbacks in his high school class after throwing for 5,308 yards and 48 touchdowns on top of 512 yards and 21 touchdowns rushing.
A three-star prospect, Howard chose K-State over Kansas, Minnesota and Rutgers. He plans to enroll next semester and participate in spring practice.
“He’s a really, really smart football player,” Klieman said. “He is athletic and he has got a really strong arm. He is a guy who is a sponge and wants to learn and he comes at semester which is huge for us to get him in that early.”
Kliemans thinks Howard will bring extra “competition” to the quarterback position behind junior starter Skylar Thompson.
It’s rare for K-State to land recruits from Pennsylvania, but Klieman had an advantage. He used to coach Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz at North Dakota State.
“His favorite player is Carson Wentz,” Klieman said. “That was obviously a big sell when he and his folks sat in his office and saw the pictures of Carson Wentz and knew my background with Carson and knew the success he had within our system.”
Electric things come in small sizes
Chris “Deuce” Vaughn was listed as a running back on K-State’s signing announcement, but that’s not the only position he will play for the Wildcats.
At 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds, the Round Rock, Texas athlete brings speed to K-State’s offense. That’s something Klieman and his coaching staff will get creative to utilize.
“He’s an electric guy,” Klieman said. “He’s a home-run hitter, and that is something we are really excited about. He’s got great quickness, but he has got a second gear, too, to take it the distance.”
Vaughn is also a skilled receiver, who accumulated 5,472 all-purpose yards for Cedar Ridge High School.
“He will allow us to do a lot of different things, whether we have him in the backfield like we plan or line him up wide or in the return game. You can’t have enough explosive players, and he brings that to the table.”
Wanting winners
Klieman made one thing clear on Wednesday when he told the media that “I want winners.”
K-State coaches valued high school success during this recruiting cycle and zeroed in on players who helped their teams play for state championships. The Wildcats have high expectations for themselves, and they want players who are accustomed to living up to them.
Two such players are Pearland, Texas teammates Jay Harris (linebacker) and Ronald Triplette (defensive end).
“I want guys who have been at a championship level and have played at a championship level,” Klieman said. “Success breeds success. Winning is a habit. Make no mistake, being from successful programs is important.”
Junior college help
K-State signed five junior college transfers on Wednesday, and they all come at positions at need.
Dawson Delforge will help the Wildcats on the offensive line, which will lose five senior starters next season. Kirmari Gainous, Robert Hentz and Derick Newton will all help on the defensive line, which is also set to lose key players. And Justin Gardner, who committed and signed with the Wildcats on Wednesday, will help in the secondary.
Klieman likes to prioritize high school recruits, but he thinks those transfers can compete for starting spots next season.
“We are happy with what we have done,” Klieman said. “But we still have work to do.”
Signing day omissions
A few recruits who previously committed to the Wildcats didn’t sign with K-State on Wednesday.
Lee’s Summit defensive end Felix Anudike, Manhattan offensive lineman Sam Shields and Lakin offensive lineman Hadley Panzer are expected to defer their enrollments, or grayshirt, allowing K-State to sign more players during the 2020 recruiting cycle.
Houston defensive back Joseph Wilson and Louisiana athlete Makholven Sonn are expected to wait and sign with a team on traditional signing day in February. Both remain publicly committed to the Wildcats.
K-State’s football signings
Player, Position, Height, Weight, Previous school (Hometown)
Aamaris Brown, DB, 6-0, 180, Armwood (Seffner, Fla.)
Dawson Delforge, OL, 6-5, 317, Butler C.C. (Wamego)
Tee Denson, DB, 6-1, 172, Cedar Grove (Ellenwood, Ga.)
Kirmari Gainous, DE, 6-4, 255, Hutchinson C.C. (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Justin Gardner, DB, 6-2, 180, Hutchinson C.C. (Charlotte, N.C.)
Jeremiah Harris, LB, 6-1, 205, Shadow Creek (Pearland, Texas)
DeMarrquese Hayes, LB, 6-1, 190, La Vega (Waco, Texas)
Robert Hentz, DT, 6-1, 270, Northwest Mississippi C.C. (Batesville, Miss.)
Will Howard, QB, 6-4, 210, Downingtown West (Downingtown, Pa.)
Nate Matlack, DE, 6-4, 220, Olathe East (Olathe)
Malachi Mitchell, DB, 6-0, 185, Mansfield Legacy (Mansfield, Texas)
Witt Mitchum, OL, 6-7, 265, McKenzie (McKenzie, Tenn.)
Christian Moore, TE, 6-2, 223, Huntington Beach (Hungtington Beach, Calif.)
Keyon Mozee, ATH, 5-7, 170, Lee’s Summit North (Lee’s Summit, Mo.)
Derick Newton, DT, 6-2, 280, Butler C.C. (Douglas, Ga.)
Tajiri Smith, DB, 5-9, 183, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)
Cody Stufflebean, TE, 6-4, 235, McPherson (McPherson)
Will Swanson, TE, 6-5, 230, Papillion-La Vista South (Papillion, Neb.)
Jaelon Travis, WR, 6-0, 190, Mansfield Summit (Arlington, Texas)
Ronald Triplette, DE, 6-2, 240, Shadown Creek (Pearland, Texas)
Chris Vaughn, RB, 5-6, 166, Cedar Ridge (Round Rock, Texas)
Talor Warner, OL, 6-4, 265, Gardner Edgerton (Gardner)
Carver Willis, OL, 6-5, 260, Durango (Durango, Colo.)
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 4:51 PM.