Kansas State’s recruiting board is starting to shift, and one of the names drawing the most momentum is Butler County Community College defensive lineman Jekai Lee.
Lee wasn’t a widely known target when Collin Klein extended an offer last month, but that’s changing fast. The junior college prospect has climbed to a three-star rating and now sits as the No. 2 defensive lineman in the country according to 247 Sports. He also took to social media recently to highlight his rise.
Lee visited Manhattan on Sept. 25.
At 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds, Lee brings the kind of size that jumps off the page, and Kansas State isn’t alone in showing interest. Florida International, Georgia State, Southern Mississippi and the University of Texas-San Antonio have also offered him.
Kansas State’s latest wave of offers has stretched across several positions, with tight end getting plenty of attention. Brady Reeves became the newest name in that group.
The three-star prospect from Hill-Murray High School in Maplewood, MN, is ranked just outside the top 20 at his position by 247Sports. Last season, he posted 25 catches for 327 yards and nine touchdowns.
He also holds offers from Vanderbilt, Iowa State and Miami (OH).
Another tight end on the board is Sloan Blackwell, whom the program offered on Tuesday night. Blackwell plays at Waco Midway High School in Waco, TX, and has also been offered by Arizona, Syracuse and Arizona State. He finished last season with 18 receptions for 254 yards and two touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.
The Wildcats also added offensive line targets to the mix. Jerry Richmond, an offensive lineman at East St.
Louis High School in East St. Louis, IL, picked up an offer as well.
He has already been offered by Florida Atlantic, North Carolina and South Dakota.
Kansas State’s Friday offer went to offensive tackle Asher Megonnell of Ankeny Centennial High School in Ankeny, IA. He also has an offer from Big 12 rival Iowa State, and he is currently unranked.
Elsewhere on the defensive side, Kansas State is tracking a few more prospects with strong résumés. 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 lists him as the 16th-best player in Ohio.
The Wildcats are also monitoring several other defensive backs and linemen. Dailon Denkins, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback from Fort Bend (Texas) High School, is rated as a four-star recruit by 247 Sports.
Quinn Jacobs, a defensive lineman from Blessed Trinity Catholic (Ga.) High School, is rated as a three-star prospect.
Mason Pearsall-Brown, a wide receiver from Hough (N.C) High School and a member of the 2029 class, is a four-star recruit who already has offers from Miami and Indiana.
In Other News...
Jerome Tang's Kansas State Split Just Got More Interesting For Baylor
Kansas States separation from Jerome Tang is moving toward a resolution, with the school and its former basketball coach nearing a $12 million settlement after his firing for cause in February. Tang had been owed more than $18 million if he had been let go without cause, so the financial gap underscores how messy the split became after a difficult season and a postgame rant helped lead to the dismissal.
For Baylor, the part that matters now is Tangs return to Waco as associate head coach. His presence adds another layer to a rivalry that already has plenty of familiarity, and the settlement chatter only makes the aftermath of Kansas States coaching change feel more consequential. The legal and financial pieces are still falling into place, but the coaching fallout has already shifted the focus to what Tangs next chapter means for the Bears. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas States Costly Jerome Tang Split Is Finally Nearing An End
Kansas States long-running dispute with Jerome Tang appears close to wrapping up, with the school and its former mens basketball coach finalizing a settlement tied to his February firing for cause. Tang, who spent four seasons in Manhattan and is now an associate head coach at Baylor, had about $18.7 million left on his contract when he was dismissed, leaving the sides to sort out a pricey separation that has lingered for months.
The agreement would pay Tang $12 million through the end of 2027, trimming the buyout figure and bringing a measure of closure to one of the more costly off-court issues facing the program. For Kansas State, the resolution should finally clear the way to move past the financial fallout of Tangs exit and keep attention on what comes next for a program still adjusting after the breakup. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Can Finally Move On From The Jerome Tang Split
Kansas States coaching search is over, but the fallout from the Jerome Tang era is still being sorted out long after the Wildcats decided to move in a different direction. Tang was let go after the 2022-23 season, and the school has spent the months since trying to close the book on a split that carried real financial weight as well as basketball implications.
The latest step is a deal that would pay Tang $12 million by the end of 2027, trimming the remaining money from his contract and allowing both sides to put the separation behind them. Tang has already resurfaced at Baylor as an assistant coach, while Kansas State has turned the program over to Casey Alexander, who now inherits the task of moving the Wildcats forward without the unresolved business hanging over the transition. [Read more 🡒]