The five most notable things Chris Klieman said about K-State’s 2022 recruiting class
There were no surprises for the Kansas State football team as national signing day came and went this week.
That was good news for head coach Chris Klieman. He expected to ink 13 recruits on Wednesday, and K-State did exactly that. Twelve high school seniors and one junior-college transfer made their commitments official and signed scholarship papers with the Wildcats that will bring them to campus within the next few months.
Klieman is excited about the potential all 13 of them add to the roster, but K-State is still looking to add roughly a dozen more recruits or transfers by the time traditional signing day arrives in February.
Here are the five most notable things he said about K-State on signing day:
Immediate help on defense
Klieman was careful not to praise any single player he signed on Wednesday more than the rest of K-State’s 2022 recruiting class, but even he couldn’t help but get carried away with the potential of Kobe Savage.
“I think he will be able to help us immediately,” Klieman said.
Savage is a 5-foot-11 and 205-pound defensive back who spent the past two seasons at Tyler (Texas) Junior College. While there, he totaled 100 tackles and six interceptions. He was originally committed to North Texas but made the switch to K-State earlier this week.
K-State coaches were fired up about his late addition, because Savage plays a position of need. The Wildcats are set to lose Russ Yeast and Jahron McPherson at safety. Perhaps Savage can help fill their shoes next season.
“Just being around him this weekend and a few times talking ball with him on the phone, I can tell he understands the game really well,” Klieman said. “He was the quarterback of their defense and they had a lot of checks and adjustments. He had to be the guy to help the younger guys get lined up ... This kid has been through a system where he has played in a lot of situations and had a lot on his plate. That is why we think he is a guy who can help us immediately.
Another Lockett
K-State fans need no introduction to Sterling Lockett.
His father (Kevin), his uncle (Aaron) and his older brother (Tyler) were all standout receivers for the Wildcats before he decided to follow in their footsteps and sign with K-State this week.
Klieman said he offered Lockett a scholarship after watching him run routes at a K-State camp. He had the look of a receiver who could get open any time he wanted out of the slot position. It may be hard for him to live up to what the rest of his family has accomplished in Manhattan, but he is up for the challenge.
“He just needs to be Sterling,” Klieman said. “That is the biggest thing. But watching him at camp and seeing the explosiveness that he has, the ability to run routes and catch the football, we’re excited about him and his future here. We hope he will have a big impact.
Diamond in the rough?
It didn’t register as major recruiting news when Jalen Klemm committed to K-State last week, but perhaps it should have.
The 6-foot-6 and 260-pound offensive lineman from Mars, Pennsylvania chose the Wildcats over interest from a long list of high-profile suitors that included Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Vanderbilt and Washington State.
K-State rarely beats out that kind of competition for recruits.
There is more reason to be excited about Klemm, though. He has been invited to the U.S. Army Bowl for top high school talent. And he comes from a good football family. His father coaches offensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“He is very athletic, really smart and physical,” Klieman said. “He is a big guy who is really going to help us on the offensive line.”
No new quarterbacks ... yet
It may seem strange that K-State didn’t sign a single quarterback during the early period, but Klieman says the Wildcats are planning to bring in at least one new passer before the time spring practice gets underway.
K-State is in the running for Nebraska transfer quarterback Adrian Martinez. He is expected to choose between K-State and California in the coming days. The Wildcats appear to be in good shape with him, seeing as how he has visited campus twice in the past few weeks. But Klieman said he will all pursue high school quarterbacks in January.
“There are a lot of guys who didn’t sign early,” Klieman said. “I think that is a product of players having really good senior years and maybe nobody got a chance to see them as juniors. It is an area we will address in January.”
In favor of moving signing day
If it were up to Klieman, he would move national signing day back a month or two.
Why? There is too much movement happening in college football during November and December right now. Coaches are leaving for new jobs earlier than ever. Players are entering the NCAA transfer portal at a dizzying rate. Perhaps things would slow down a bit and be easier for everything got delayed.
He doesn’t have all the answers. For now, he is managing the landscape as best he can. Klieman said he has assigned two quality control assistants to monitor the transfer portal at all times. One on offense and one on defense. Those are jobs he never thought he would need as a head coach. But it is a sign of the times.
Kansas State’s 2022 recruiting class
High school recruits
Drake Bequeaith: 6-5, 255 offensive lineman from Grapevine, Texas
Jake Clifton: 6-3, 205 athlete from Owasso, Oklahoma
Jalen Klemm: 6-5, 262 offensive lineman from Gibsonia, Pennsylvania
Sterling Lockett: 5-10, 155 wide receiver from Overland Park
Brayden Loftin: 6-5, 207 tight end from Council Bluff, Iowa
Colby McCalister: 5-11, 180 defensive back from Friendswood, Texas
Garrett Oakley: 6-5, 205 tight end from Columbus, Nebraska
Tobi Osunsanmi: 6-3, 210 defensive back from Wichita
John Pastore: 6-6, 270 offensive lineman from Erie, Colorado
VJ Payne: 6-2, 190 defensive back from Buford, Georgia
Jordan Perry: 6-2, 180 athlete from Jefferson, Georgia
Donovan Rieman: 6-4, 230 defensive end from Enid, Oklahoma
Junior-college transfers
Kobe Savage: 5-11, 185 defensive back from Tyler (Texas) Junior College
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 5:34 PM.