Kansas State’s recruiting board keeps growing, and the Wildcats have added another name in the secondary.
The latest offer went to Elijah Smith, a defensive back in the 2028 class who plays at Allen (Texas) High School. Smith already has a few notable offers on the table, including Oklahoma State and Louisville.
Kansas State has also been active across several other spots, with a run of recent offers that spans both sides of the ball. The group includes Quinn Jacobs, a defensive lineman from Blessed Trinity Catholic (Ga.) High School and a three-star prospect according to 247 Sports.
At cornerback, the Wildcats offered Dailon Denkins, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound defender from Fort Bend (Texas) High School. 247 Sports lists Denkins as a four-star recruit.
The pass rush has been another area of focus. Julian Dwyer, a defensive end at Cincinnati Moeller High School, is a three-star recruit with offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Illinois and Indiana. 247 Sports ranks him 16th in Ohio.
Kansas State also went after Jekai Lee, a 6-foot-6, 280-pound defensive end from Butler Community College. Lee’s offer list also includes Florida International, Georgia State, Southern Mississippi and UTSA.
Tight end has been a busy position for the Wildcats, too. Brady Reeves, a three-star prospect at Hill-Murray High School in Maplewood, Minn., picked up an offer from Kansas State along with ones from Vanderbilt, Iowa State and Miami (OH). He is ranked just outside the top 20 at his position by 247Sports, and last season he posted 25 catches for 327 yards and nine touchdowns.
Kansas State also offered Sloan Blackwell on Tuesday night. The Waco Midway High School tight end from Waco, Texas, also has offers from Arizona, Syracuse and Arizona State. Last season, Blackwell finished with 18 receptions for 254 yards and two touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.
The offensive line got attention as well. Jerry Richmond, who attends East St.
Louis High School in East St. Louis, Ill., received an offer from Kansas State after also hearing from Florida Atlantic, North Carolina and South Dakota.
And on Friday, the Wildcats extended an offer to offensive tackle Asher Megonnell of Ankeny Centennial High School in Ankeny, Iowa. Megonnell also has an offer from Iowa State, and he is currently unranked.
In Other News...
K-State Defense Faces Its First Real Big 12 Stress Test
Kansas States defense has spent the early part of the season looking like one of the nations better units, but the next challenge is less about reputation and more about the kind of plays that can flip a game in an instant. The Wildcats have been strong in several statistical categories, yet the one vulnerability that keeps surfacing is the occasional explosive run, and that is not the sort of crack you want to carry into Big 12 play.
Cincinnati arrives with the kind of offensive line that has earned national recognition and helped fuel one of the countrys top rushing attacks, which makes this a useful early test of how sturdy K-State really is against power and movement up front. If the Bearcats lean on that ground game, the Wildcats could be forced to handle long drives and broken tackles, while quarterback JC French IV adds another wrinkle with his efficient, conservative passing style that keeps the offense on schedule without asking for much downfield risk. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Fans Should Watch One Overlooked Wildcats Target Saturday
Kansas State heads into Saturdays matchup with Cincinnati as a 6.5-point favorite, and the Wildcats passing game offers a few interesting angles for bettors looking beyond the usual names. One of the more overlooked options is Garrett Oakley, whose growing chemistry with quarterback Avery Johnson has started to make him a worthwhile piece of the offense, especially against a Bearcats defense that leans on zone coverage.
Oakleys role could be the kind that pays off quietly rather than loudly, which is often where value lives in the prop market. With the total sitting at 55.5, Kansas State should have chances to move the ball through the air, and Oakleys usage gives him a path to turn into a steady contributor if the game script opens up the right way. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Finally Faces The Test That Will Define This 3-0 Start
Kansas States unbeaten start has already given the Wildcats a little early momentum, but the next step looks a lot more revealing. After beating Tulane 31-20 to move to 3-0, the Wildcats now head to Cincinnati with a chance to reach 4-0 for the first time since 2012, and this one feels less like a checkpoint than a measuring stick.
The matchup brings a familiar kind of September tension, with both teams putting up similar offensive numbers but Kansas State carrying the clearer edge on defense. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. CT at Nippert Stadium, with ESPN2 among the outlets carrying the game, and the real question now is whether the Wildcats can turn a promising start into something sturdier before the schedule asks for even more. [Read more 🡒]