Kansas State’s recruiting board keeps stretching farther into the future, and the latest name to surface is Cyrus Johnson, a receiver from Stillwater High School in Oklahoma.
Johnson is a member of the 2029 class, and the Wildcats are trying to get in early. He already has an offer from Arkansas, and he was among the recruits who took in Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma State. By all accounts, he came away impressed with what he saw in Manhattan.
The Wildcats’ offer list has grown quickly beyond Johnson, with a heavy mix of 2028 and 2029 prospects - plus a couple of even younger names. One of the more notable additions is quarterback/wide receiver Amari Roberts, a standout for Mary Country Day Institute in the St. Louis area who is in the 2030 class.
Kansas State also offered Noah Gigger, a wide receiver from CarrollWood Day School in Tampa. Gigger is a 2030 prospect as well and already has offers from Maryland, North Carolina and Syracuse. The Wildcats are clearly getting in on the ground floor there; he has played varsity since he was 14 and is expected to develop into one of the nation’s top prospects.
Among the in-state targets, offensive tackle Benaiah Rizer of Topeka Seaman High School is part of Klein’s push to herd in-state talent. Another Kansas name on the list is tight end Israel Johnigan of Center High School in the Kansas City area, who is one of the top players in the nation and a four-star recruit according to 247 Sports.
Kansas State’s recent tight end work also includes Brady Reeves, a three-star prospect from Hill-Murray High School in Maplewood, MN. Reeves has offers from Vanderbilt, Iowa State and Miami (OH), and he’s ranked just outside the top 20 at his position by 247Sports. Last season, he caught 25 passes for 327 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Wildcats also moved on Sloan Blackwell, a tight end at Waco Midway High School in Waco, TX. Blackwell picked up offers from Arizona, Syracuse and Arizona State, and last season he finished with 18 receptions for 254 yards and two touchdowns, per MaxPreps.
On the line, Kansas State offered Jerry Richmond, an offensive lineman from East St. Louis High School in East St.
Louis, IL, who also has offers from Florida Atlantic, North Carolina and South Dakota. Another offensive line target is James Bennett, a 2028 recruit from 6-foot-7, 300-pound frame with offers from Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas Tech.
The Wildcats’ defensive board is just as broad. That group includes edge rusher Darias Johnson of Broughton High School in Raleigh, N.C., who already has offers from Alabama, LSU, Florida and Auburn; linebacker AK Mekaowulu of McKinney Boyd High School in Texas, who has offers from Arizona State and Oklahoma State; and defensive lineman Quinn Jacobs from Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Georgia, who is rated as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports.
Kansas State also offered defensive back Elijah Smith of Hough High School in North Carolina, a 2029 four-star recruit with offers from Miami and Indiana. Another 2029 defensive back on the board is Dailon Denkins of Fort Bend High School in Texas, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback who is rated a four-star recruit by 247 Sports.
The list continues with defensive end Julian Dwyer of Cincinnati Moeller High School, a three-star recruit and the 16th-best player in Ohio according to 247 Sports. He has offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Illinois and Indiana. Kansas State also offered Jekai Lee, a defensive end from Butler Community College who stands 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds and also has offers from Florida International, Georgia State, Southern Mississippi and UTSA.
Elsewhere, the Wildcats have extended offers to Aisaiah Bollen, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound cornerback from Northeast Lincoln High School in Nebraska; Jayden Stephens, an athlete from Waverly-Shell Rock High School in Iowa; Ashton Tayler, a two-way athlete from Trinity High School in Louisville; and Jordan Hall, a defensive back from Aledo High School in Texas.
Other names on the board include Khalil Shavers, a defensive lineman from South Gwinnet High School in Georgia who is still just 16 and beginning the recruiting process, and Troy Falke, an offensive tackle from Prosper Rock Hill High School who also has offers from Baylor, Syracuse and TCU.
Kansas State has also offered wide receiver Deuntra Scheanette, linebacker Cortez Jones of Westlake High School in Georgia, offensive/defensive lineman Jamison Mobley of Jenks High School in Oklahoma, and wide receiver Uram of St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, who is 6-2 and 195 pounds and already has offers from Syracuse and Minnesota.
In Other News...
K-State Is Still Waiting On Timo Malovec For One Big Reason
Timo Malovecs absence has been one of the early storylines for Kansas State, but there is finally some optimism around the senior forward. He has missed the first two games because of an injury, yet coach Casey Alexander said Malovec is progressing well and is moving closer to a return after a setback in July. The good news for the Wildcats is that he has been back on the practice floor recently, which is usually the clearest sign a player is nearing game action.
What makes this situation worth watching is how quickly Malovec could matter once he is cleared. Alexander indicated the forward could slide into the rotation or even the starting lineup, giving Kansas State another experienced piece as the season settles in. For a team still sorting out its early-season rhythm, getting a veteran forward back in the mix would be a meaningful boost, even if the exact timing is still being worked out. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Now Faces Kansas States Toughest Job Yet
Kansas States first season under Collin Klein has reached a difficult stretch, with the Wildcats now stuck in a three-game losing streak and the early momentum of the year giving way to frustration. The injury to the starting quarterback has only added to the strain, leaving the position unsettled and making it harder for the offense to find any rhythm as the conference race has slipped further out of reach.
Kleins challenge now is less about chasing a title and more about keeping the group engaged through the final weeks. For a team that entered the season with bigger ambitions, the task has shifted to preserving effort and focus, and making sure the slide does not carry over into the way this team finishes. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Faces A Brutal Home Test For Its Three Point Identity
Kansas State gets one of its toughest early measuring sticks at Bramlage Coliseum with Creighton coming to town, a matchup that should tell plenty about how real the Wildcats perimeter-heavy identity is. The Bluejays bring a defense that has already made life difficult for opponents and a size edge that can change the feel of a game quickly, while Kansas State is leaning hard on its three-point shooting to keep the offense afloat.
That makes this a tricky spot for the Wildcats, who have to balance pace, spacing and shot selection against a team built to punish empty possessions. The matchup also comes with the usual early-season intrigue around probable starters and recent form, but the bigger question is whether Kansas State can turn its long-range approach into enough consistent offense to stay within striking distance of a Creighton team that enters as the favorite. [Read more 🡒]