Late additions propel Kansas State’s 2023 recruiting class into top 30 on signing day
.JPG "Kansas State coach Chris Klieman holds aloft the Big 12 Championship trophy after his Wildcats defeated TCU in overtime Saturday in Arlington, Texas.")
One of the best recruiting classes in recent memory got even better for the Kansas State football team on Wednesday.
The Wildcats landed three important late additions when the early signing period arrived, which pushed them all the way up to No. 28 in the national team rankings according to both 247Sports and Rivals.
K-State was already expecting a top 40 class. At that position, this would have been its highest-rated recruiting class since Ron Prince was roaming the sidelines. Any number inside the top 30 gives the Wildcats their best rating since ... maybe ever. They haven’t ranked this high since recruiting services began keeping track of such things two decades ago.
Everyone from head coach Chris Klieman to recruiting coordinator Taylor Braet celebrated the signings on social media with barbecue-sauce themed announcements.
Now let’s take a look at the three late additions.
Asa Newsom was the first to announce he was heading to K-State on Tuesday evening. The 6-foot-3 linebacker from Waverly, Iowa was considered a three-star recruit by most services and he chose the Wildcats over strong list of suitors that included Iowa, Kentucky and Nebraska. He could help K-State at an important position as early as next season.
Newsom led his high school with 66 tackles during his senior season to go along with six tackles for loss. He also had more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns on offense.
Terry Kirksey followed his lead early on Wednesday when he announced he was ready to play for K-State. The 6-2 linebacker from Hutchinson Community College was a hot junior-college recruit late in the process, but the Wildcats won a recruiting battle for his services.
Then everything fell into place for the Wildcats when Tre Spivey signed in the early afternoon.
A 6-foot-4 receiver from Chandler, Arizona, he totaled 1,000 yads and 15 touchdowns over his final two seasons in high school. He chose to play for K-State despite holding scholarship offers from several schools in the Pac-12, including Arizona and Arizona State.
He was selected to play in the U.S. Army Bowl in Frisco, Texas along with fellow K-State signee Avery Johnson.
Fans will have to wait and see how much of an impact they will make on the field with the Wildcats. But they have already provided a big boost to the 2023 recruiting class.