Kansas State Football Recruiting: Silas Etter Commits!

Silas Etter, a 6’2, 200 pound athlete out of Eudora, Kansas, verbally committed to the Wildcats 2022 recruiting class this morning.

Etter is the first commitment for 2022, in what looks to be a Kansas and Missouri heavy class. He received an offer from Coach Klieman two weeks ago and decided pull the trigger on his first Division 1 offer. Other schools showing interest include Kansas, Iowa, and Iowa State.

Silas is a versatile athlete and plays on both sides of the ball for Eudora. The K-State coaching staff puts a premium on multi-positional athletes, and he fits the mold. He could play wide receiver, outside linebacker, or safety and the staff is willing to take a wait and see approach on his position in college.

He isn’t currently ranked by any of the recruiting sites, but that will change when they start updating the 2022 class this winter. I expect him to initially start as a mid/low 3* prospect, but has the potential to move up to a mid/high 3* when all is said and done, depending on how he performs in camps. Top end speed may be the limiting factor for his ranking.

Player Evaluation

Etter is a smooth, versatile athlete who does a little bit of everything for his high school team.

As a wide receiver he has the physical tools you look for at the boundary position. His height and strength make him a terror on the outside for Eudora. They like to line him up wide to the boundary and throw deep whenever he draws single coverage. He has strong hands and will highpoint balls over smaller defensive backs when he appears to be covered. Etter is a willing and physical blocker on the outside, and has the frame to add an additional 15-20 pounds in college, making him an asset in both the run and pass game. He reminds me of current Wildcat Chabastin Taylor.

On defense, he projects as either a safety of an outside linebacker. Size wise, he’ll be ready out of the box to compete at safety. Much like at wide receiver, his ability to play the ball in the air and prevent bigger receivers or tight ends from winning 50/50 balls would be an asset. His willingness to get stuck in on running backs is a positive, and he’s big enough to be either a free or strong safety. While he doesn’t appear to have blazing speed, he’s a smooth athlete with easy speed who eats up ground with his long strides. My only concern is he may eventually outgrow safety.

He needs to add some muscle mass hold up at linebacker, but that’s what college strength and conditioning programs are for. He has excellent range for the outside linebacker position, and his speed, athleticism, and ball skills could be an asset in both zone and man coverage (matched up with a tight end). If the coaches want to get him on the field early, wide receiver or safety is the play. If they’re willing to wait a season or two, his best long term position, for my money, is linebacker.

What Next

This is a nice start for 2022. The coaching staff has been working Kansas and Missouri hard for the 2022 class, and Etter is a prime example of the type of versatile athlete they are looking to add to the roster.

It’s hard to predict early commitments, but it wouldn’t shock me to see K-State add a few more local products before the new year.