Kansas State announced the addition of 22 scholarship players to its football program on National Signing Day. The Wildcats keyed on bringing in help in the trenches, as well as in the defensive backfield.
The Wildcats finished the recruiting period extremely strong, landing four-star linebacker Daniel Green and a pair of three-stars in the final hours.
Green is the third Rivals 250 player K-State has landed since coach Bill Snyder came out of retirement in 2009. The last was Wildcat cornerback Duke Shelley.
Four of the signees are early enrollees who are already on campus; one of them, linebacker Da’Quan Patton, is among the three junior college transfers.
Below is a complete list of additions, followed by a position-by-position breakdown of K-State’s performance on the recruiting trail.
K-STATE 2017 RECRUITING CLASS (22 Signed NLI)
- Daniel Green – 6-3 228 LB – ★★★★ – Portland, OR
- Wyatt Hubert (E) – 6-3 240 DE – ★★★ – Tecumseh, KS
- Eli Huggins (E) – 6-4 285 DT – ★★★ – Cumming, GA
- Xavier Davis (JC) – 6-6 250 DE – ★★★ – Tuscon, AZ
- Elijah Walker (JC) – 6-2 195 DB – ★★★ – Norwalk, CA
- Tancey Richardson – 6-0 185 ATH – ★★★ – Aiken, SC
- Bernard Goodwater – 5-9 175 RB – ★★★ – Dallas, TX
- Ben Adler – 6-4 310 OL – ★★★ – Wichita, KS
- Josh Rivas – 6-6 330 OL – ★★★ – Hutchinson, KS
- Anthony Payne – 6-2 255 DE – ★★★ – Peculiar, MO
- Josh Brown – 6-1 205 DB – ★★★ – Fairburn, GA
- Chabastin Taylor – 6-3 210 WR – ★★★ – Giddings, TX
- Da’Quan Patton (JC-E) – 6-2 215 LB – ★★ – Athens, TX
- Harrison Creed – 6-5 310 OL – ★★ – Ulysses, KS
- Aidan Mills – 6-5 265 OL – ★★ – Newton, KS
- Bill Kuduk – 6-5 280 OL – ★★ – Chicago, IL
- Drew Wiley – 6-4 290 DT – ★★ – Vinton, IA
- Sammy Wheeler – 6-4 200 QB – ★★ – Lenexa, KS
- Spencer Misko – 6-5 235 TE – ★★ – Keller, TX
- Danny Walker – 6-3 215 LB – ★★ – Wheaton, IL
- Antonio Oliver – 6-0 185 DB – ★★ – Atlanta, GA
- Isaiah Stewart – 6-0 180 DB – ★★ – DeSoto, TX
JC – Junior college transfer E – Already enrolled at K-State
ANALYSIS BY POSITION
Quarterback – Priority: Low – Grade: C
Sammy Wheeler will be a long-term project, and the QB position was already in nice shape for the future with Jesse Ertz, Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson.
Running Back – Priority: Low – Grade: B-
K-State has always loved undersized running backs, and Goodwater has the skills to be a solid one. He can also take a surprising amount of contact for his size. Snyder said using him as a slot receiver is a possibility.
Wide Receiver – Priority: Low – Grade: C+
Taylor is a solid and sturdy addition at a position that is currently well-stocked, but he is the only true WR in the class.
Offensive Line – Priority: High – Grade: B+
In Adler, Rivas, and Creed, K-State didn’t get any linemen ready to play immediately, but all of them have the potential to be starters at the Big 12 level in a year or two.
Defensive Line – Priority: Medium – Grade: B
The Wildcats did better with defensive ends than with interior linemen. Huggins is probably the most game-ready player in this position group.
Linebacker – Priority: High – Grade: B+
Not only did K-State land four-star Daniel Green on Signing Day, but the Wildcats also snagged JUCO All-American Da’Quan Patton on Monday. Replacing Elijah Lee and Charmeachealle Moore won’t be easy, though.
Defensive Back – Priority: High – Grade: B-
K-State is in good shape at cornerback, but safety was perhaps the biggest priority in this class. The Wildcats lost Evan Field to Arizona State, but managed to grab Elijah Walker. That’s a solid consolation prize.
OVERALL GRADE: B
