Kansas State has opened its 2028 recruiting class with a familiar kind of win: keeping one of the state’s top young prospects close to home.
Taylen Washington, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound linebacker from Derby, Kansas, announced his commitment to the Wildcats on social media. His message was short and celebratory: “Blessed is a understatement 💜 #Emaw.”
Washington gives Kansas State its first commitment in the 2028 class. He is currently listed by 247Sports as an unranked Athlete and is shown there at 6’3”, 195 pounds.
Even at this early stage, Washington is viewed as one of the top prospects in Kansas for the 2028 cycle, making him an important first piece for a class that is still far from signing day.
Kansas State had been in on him from the start. The Wildcats were the first school to offer him a scholarship, getting an early jump on a player who has drawn attention as a versatile defender. Washington has mostly been recruited as a linebacker, though his size and athleticism leave room for different possibilities once he gets to Manhattan.
His commitment also fits Kansas State’s broader push to keep the state’s best players home. Derby has long produced college football talent, and Washington now joins the list of in-state prospects choosing the Wildcats.
It’s early, of course. The 2028 class still has a long road ahead. But Kansas State has its first commitment locked in, and it comes from one of the most promising young players in Kansas.
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Kansas State has opened the season with a level of discipline that stands out nationally, and the numbers back it up. Through three games, the Wildcats have been flagged just eight times, a pace that trails only one college football team, which is the kind of early-season detail coaches usually love to see as Big 12 play begins.
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Kansas State Still Has One Missing Piece As Big 12 Play Starts
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Collin Klein said opposing defenses are clearly paying attention to the tight ends and trying to limit them, which helps explain why Avery Johnson has leaned more heavily toward wide receivers and running backs. Still, the expectation inside the program is that role will grow as Big 12 play settles in, and Cure remains the name to watch as a potential breakout piece and the tight end of the future. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State May Be Building Something Bigger With Its 2028 Start
Kansas State is already working well ahead of the usual recruiting calendar, and the 2028 class is starting to take shape through early contact and an emphasis on getting in front of prospects before the rest of the field catches up. The Wildcats have made in-state talent a clear priority, using those relationships to get on the board with players who fit the programs long-term vision.
One of the early pieces is Taylen Washington, a versatile athlete who looks likely to end up at linebacker and was offered by Kansas State before other schools entered the picture. For a staff trying to build a strong class from the ground up, those early wins matter because they help establish momentum, especially when the goal is to keep top local talent from drifting away. [Read more 🡒]