Kansas State’s 2028 recruiting board is starting to take shape, and the first commitment is already in place.
Taylen Washington, a standout linebacker/athlete at Derby High School, announced earlier this week on social media that he plans to play for the Wildcats. Washington is part of the 2028 class and checks in at 6-foot-3, 208 pounds.
That makes him the first pledge in Kansas State’s 2028 group, giving Collin Klein an early win on the recruiting trail as he continues settling into his first year leading the program. Klein has been working aggressively over the past nine months, and the staff has been busy offering more names in the same class.
One of the newest targets is Robert Brown, a defensive lineman from Effingham County High School in Springfield, Ga. Brown is 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, and while he has not been rated yet by any scouting services, his offer sheet already includes Georgia Tech, Arkansas, Florida State and Georgia.
Kansas State has also been active at linebacker and on the edge. The Wildcats offered four-star linebacker Denkins, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound prospect from Fort Bend (Texas) High School.
They’ve also extended offers to Julian Dwyer, a defensive end at Cincinnati Moeller High School. Dwyer is a three-star recruit, ranked 16th in Ohio by 247 Sports, and his other offers include Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Illinois and Indiana.
Another defensive end on the board is Jekai Lee, a Butler Community College prospect listed at 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds. Lee’s other offers include Florida International, Georgia State, Southern Mississippi and UTSA.
The tight end group has drawn plenty of attention too. Kansas State offered three-star Brady Reeves, who plays at Hill-Murray High School in Maplewood, MN.
Reeves is ranked just outside the top 20 at his position by 247Sports and also holds offers from Vanderbilt, Iowa State and Miami (OH). Last season, he posted 25 catches for 327 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Wildcats also offered Sloan Blackwell, a tight end at Waco Midway High School in Waco, TX. Blackwell has offers from Arizona, Syracuse and Arizona State, and he finished last season with 18 receptions for 254 yards and two touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.
Up front, Kansas State has added more offensive line targets as well. Jerry Richmond, an offensive lineman from East St.
Louis High School in East St. Louis, IL, has offers from Florida Atlantic, North Carolina and South Dakota.
The Wildcats also offered offensive tackle Asher Megonnell, who attends Ankeny Centennial High School in Ankeny, IA. Megonnell, who is currently unranked, also picked up an offer from Big 12 rival Iowa State.
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Collin Klein Is Sending A Clear Message As Big 12 Play Starts
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.
Still, Collin Klein is not treating that as a reason to relax. He made clear after the Tulane game that the penalties Kansas State did commit left him frustrated, especially the ones the Wildcats can control, and he pointed to discipline as an area that still needs tightening even with the overall count staying low. For a team trying to carry clean football into conference play, the standard is clear, and Klein does not sound interested in letting a good early trend hide the rough spots. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Still Has One Missing Piece As Big 12 Play Starts
Kansas States passing game has found ways to move the ball early this season, but one of its most intriguing spots has yet to fully open up. The tight end room, led by Garrett Oakley and Linkon Cure, has put together only modest production so far, with 15 catches for 174 yards and no touchdowns, even as the staff continues to view the position as a meaningful part of the offense.
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 🡒]