From K-State Athletics
Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman announced his inaugural signing class in Manhattan on Wednesday with the announcement of seven more student-athletes who plan on joining the K-State football program in 2019. With the seven signees on Wednesday, K-State’s current class comes to 23 players.
The 2019 K-State signing class features a pair of FBS transfers in former Ball State running back James Gilbert and New Mexico safety Marcus Hayes in addition to community-college transfers Jonathan Alexander and Ty Zentner, while the remaining 19 are from the high school ranks. Of the 23 players, all four transfers and high school quarterback Jaren Lewis are currently enrolled at K-State and will participate in spring practices.
K-State’s Class of 2019 includes 12 players on offense and 10 on defense, while Zentner is a punter/kicker. The class is comprised of six defensive backs, four running backs, three defensive tackles, two apiece of offensive linemen, quarterbacks and wide receivers, and one linebacker, one fullback, one punter/kicker and one tight end.
In addition to signing five players from the state of Kansas and one from the Kansas City area (Clyde Price), the state with the highest amount of signees was Texas with six. The Wildcats also signed two from Illinois, two from Missouri, and one apiece from Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
K-State continued its recent stretch of tapping into the state of Georgia with now 15 hailing from the Peach State over the last six signing classes. The Wildcats also sourced the high school ranks in Florida for the first time since 2009, while running back Joe Ervin became the first prep player from the state of South Carolina to ink with K-State since at least 1998.
Full 2019 Class (in alphabetical order)
Joshua Youngblood, WR, 5-11, 170, Brkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.)
Kenny Givens, DT, 6-4, 272, Hubbard (Chicago)
Thomas Grayson, RB, 6-0, 190, Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.)
Clyde Price, RB, 6-1, 220, North Kansas City (Kansas City, Mo.)
Kenyon Reed, DB, 6-0, 165, Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.)
Matthew Pola-Mao, DT, 6-3, 309, Chandler (Chandler, Ariz.)
Tyrone Lewis, DB, 6-0, 190, Hammond (Hammond, La.)
Cooper Beebe, OL, 6-3, 329, Piper (Kansas City, Kan.)
Jax Dineen, FB, 5-11, 230, Free State (Lawrence)
Khalid Duke, LB, 6-4, 225, Riverside Military Academy (Gainesville, Ga.)
Joe Ervin, RB, 5-10, 190, South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Konner Fox, TE, 6-5, 225, Reagan (San Antonio)
Keenan Garber, WR, 6-0, 175, Free State (Lawrence)
James Gilbert, RB, 5-9, 198, Ball State (Indianapolis)
Marcus Hayes, DB, 6-0, 192, New Mexico (Rockford, Ill.)
Chris Herron, QB, 6-1, 192, Langham Creek (Houston, Texas)
William Jones, DB, 5-11, 170, Summit (Mansfield, Texas)
Jaren Lewis, QB, 6-3, 215, Battle (Columbia, Mo.)
Taylor Poitier, OL, 6-3, 258, Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission)
Trevor Stange, OL, 6-3, 272, Coppell (Coppell, Texas)
Logan Wilson, DB, 5-11, 165, Bishop Dunne (Dallas)
Ty Zentner, K, 6-2, 200, Butler CC (Tecumseh, Kan.)
