Kansas State’s recruiting push is already stretching beyond the 2027 class, and the Wildcats just added another name to the board in 2028 cornerback Bryce Willingham.
Willingham, a four-star defensive back at North Atlanta High School in Atlanta, GA, is the latest young prospect to hear from Kansas State as Collin Klein and his staff keep working to build on the momentum from a strong 2027 cycle. That upcoming group already includes seven defensive backs, along with a few four-star players, which has helped turn it into one of the program’s best recruiting classes in years.
The Wildcats still don’t have a 2028 commit, but the offers show they’re clearly active with rising juniors, and the early success with the 2027 class only adds to that pitch.
Kansas State has also offered four-star defensive back Bryson Hazley of East Laurens High School in East Dublin, GA. Hazley posted 41 total tackles, five interceptions, and five pass deflections last season, and his offer list also includes Florida, Maryland, and Georgia.
Another pair on the Wildcats’ radar is twin brothers Quinn and Cole Pollock, three-star defensive backs from McEachern High School in Powder Springs, GA. Kansas State is among the schools involved there, alongside Florida State, Nebraska, and Arizona State.
The offer list also includes four-star running back Dalen Powell from Ruston High School in Ruston, LA. Powell has drawn interest from Florida State, Auburn, and Miami as well. He plays baseball and competes in track and field, and last season he ran for 1,156 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 18 catches for 239 yards and three scores.
Kansas State has also offered three-star athlete Kipton Neighbors of Gilmer High School in Gilmer, TX. Neighbors put together a busy season last year with 1,333 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, 10 receptions for 303 yards and three touchdowns, plus 904 passing yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Baylor, Houston, and Wake Forest are among the other schools that have offered him.
In Other News...
Kansas State Just Took A Big Step In Crucial 2026 Pursuit
Kansas States frontcourt recruiting picture for 2026 continues to take shape, and Teke Deng is now part of the conversation after a recent visit to the program. The three-star center has already added a UNLV offer to his board, but the Wildcats are clearly making him a priority as they look to strengthen an area that needs more long-term depth.
The interest makes plenty of sense for a roster that is still leaning on younger bigs and trying to avoid the kind of frontcourt strain that showed up last season when injuries piled up. Kansas State already has Nash Stark, Jaylen Alexander and Devin Hutcherson committed in the 2026 class, and adding a center like Deng would fit the broader push to rebuild the roster with more size and stability inside. [Read more 🡒]
National Buzz Around Kansas State Just Got Very Real
Kansas States offseason buzz has started to travel beyond Manhattan, and the national conversation is beginning to catch up. CBS Sports recently put the Wildcats fourth among the Big 12 teams most likely to win the conference, a sign that this program is being viewed as more than just a solid returner in a league that rarely leaves much room at the top.
A big reason for that optimism is the change on the sideline, with Collin Klein stepping into his first head-coaching job after already carrying plenty of familiarity with the program. He has made it clear he expects this group to develop quickly, and quarterback Avery Johnson is viewed as one of the players who could help make that jump real if Kansas State can turn early confidence into the kind of fast start that changes a season. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Fans Wont Love What This NBA Moment Revived
Bennett Stirtz is headed to the NBA after a two-year rise that kept adding fuel to the resume, and his path will look even better now that hes done it with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Across those college seasons, he averaged 19.5 points, 1.7 steals and five rebounds, the kind of production that makes every program in the region think twice about recruiting misses and developmental upside.
For Kansas State fans, the old familiar sting comes from more than just Stirtzs ascent. The article also points to former Wildcats Nate Johnson and Onyenso finding their own NBA entry points, with Johnson now in Oklahoma City and Onyenso headed to Detroit, a reminder that K-State talent is still reaching the league even as another name from the area becomes impossible to ignore. What lingers is how a moment from Stirtzs college career against the Wildcats still fits so neatly into the larger story of what might have been. [Read more 🡒]