K-State signing day updates: Chris Klieman adds 14 recruits to football roster
Even in a year when recruiting has been limited by the coronavirus pandemic, Chris Klieman and the Kansas State football team had a busy start to the early signing period.
The Wildcats signed 14 players before noon on Wednesday and celebrated their decisions after lunch with a series of video conferences. K-State has lined up commitments from 17 recruits over the past few months, and that majority of them made their pledges official.
DaVonte Pritchard, a 6-foot and 200-pound linebacker from Gardner, was the first recruit to sign with K-State during this cycle at about 7 a.m.
It was fitting that he was first in line, because Klieman singled him out as one of the new players he was most excited about during his signing day news conference. Klieman knew he wanted Pritchard as soon as he watched him play in a live game as a junior.
“I thought right away there is a kid who is a Big 12 football player, who will come and strike you,” Klieman said. “He was a really good athlete on offense, too, but defense is where we are going to play him. He is a kid who jumped out at me very quickly. He is going to be a phenomenal Big 12 defensive player.”
Linebacker is a position of need for the Wildcats, as current seniors Justin Hughes, Elijah Sullivan and Cody Fletcher could all leave this offseason. K-State has high hopes for Pritchard, as well as Hays linebackere Gaven Haselhorst.
K-State announced both of their additions to the roster with a graphic titled “2T1ICK TO THE PLAN” as well as some highlight videos.
Rivals ranked K-State’s latest recruiting class 49th nationally and seventh in the Big 12 as of Tuesday afternoon, while 247sports ranked it 51st nationally and seventh in the Big 12.
K-State’s class lost some luster because a handful of recruits withdrew their commitments from the school during the season, but the Wildcats hung onto their most touted prospect, four-star quarterback Jake Rubley.
He made the unusual decision to commit to the Wildcats on New Year’s Day, less than 24 hours after they lost to Navy at the Liberty Bowl, which was a major boost to the program early on in the recruiting process.
“We are excited about Jake,” Klieman said. “We have been recruiting him for an awfully long time ... Jake loves the game of football. That is what you are looking at from the quarterback position, a guy who is a sponge and wants to come in and learn our system.”
Of K-State’s 14 new signees, four are from the Sunflower State and two are from Missouri. The Wildcats also landed recruits from Georgia, Florida, Colorado and North Dakota.
There were no surprises, good or bad for K-State on signing day.
The three K-State pledges that didn’t sign with the Wildcats on Wednesday are fully expected to do so in February.
“It’s a great day for us at Kansas State to welcome these young men and their families,” Klieman said. “We couldn’t be more excited to have them.”
Klieman and his coaching staff aren’t finished recruiting, though. They will continue to search for more promising prospects to add to K-State’s roster before the traditional signing period begins in February.
Until then, here is a look at the players K-State signed on Wednesday:
Kansas State’s 2021 recruiting class
Omar Daniels: 6-0, 180-pound DB from Moultrie, Georgia (3 stars)
RJ Garcia: 6-1, 175-pound WR from Tampa, Florida (3 stars)
Gaven Haselhorst: 6-1, 230-pound LB from Hays (2 stars)
Brenen Hawkins: 6-4, 206-pound WR from Godley, Texas (3 stars)
Ozzie Hoffler: 6-3, 215-pound DE from College Park, Georgia (3 stars)
Krew Jackson: 6-5, 200-ound LB from Queen Creek, Arizona (3 stars)
Darell Jones: 5-11, 166-pound DB from Coffeyville (3 stars)
Andrew Leingang: 6-5, 260-pound OL from Bismarck, North Dakota (3 stars)
Marvin Martin: 6-1, 180-pound DB from Cedar Hill, Texas (3 stars)
Davonte Pritchard: 6-1, 195-pound DB from Gardner (3 stars)
Jake Rubley: 6-3, 195-pound QB from West Des Moines, Iowa (4 stars)
Devrin Weathers: 6-1, 230-pound ATH from Webb City, Missouri (3 stars)
Austin Weiner: 6-7, 255-pound OL from Gardner (3 stars)
Brayden Wood: 6-3, 257-pound DE from Longmont, Colorado (3 stars)
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 5:00 AM.