Collin Klein lands football recruit on his first day as Kansas State head coach
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- Collin Klein hired as Kansas State head coach and secured first recruit.
- Josiah Vilmael, a three-star DB, committed after weighing offers from Power Four.
- Klein, former Texas A&M offensive coordinator, inherits 2026 class and portal work.
Kansas State hired Collin Klein as its new head football coach Thursday night.
He landed his first recruit Friday morning.
Klein worked fast as he convinced Josiah Vilmael, a three-star defensive back from Richmond (Texas), to commit to the Wildcats.
Vilmael held scholarship offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor and Texas. He weighed all of his options until Klein arrived in Manhattan.
“The head coach is an alum,” Vilmael told Rivals, “and he’s going to win there.”
K-State signed a batch of 23 new recruits earlier this week. Vilmael will join them in the recruiting class of 2026.
Klein arrived in Manhattan on Friday and began working in his new role. He was previously the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, which gave him an up close look at Vilmael on the recruiting trail.
Klein takes over for former K-State football coach Chris Klieman, who surprisingly decided to retire on Wednesday.
Many expect Klein to have a busy next few weeks when it comes to recruiting for the Wildcats. Things may get even more hectic for him in January when the transfer portal opens.
But he already has his first recruiting win as a head coach.
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 2:01 PM.