After a smoking hot start, the 2021 recruiting class has cooled considerably over the last few weeks. I’m not overly concerned, because this is a marathon and not a sprint, and I expect things to pick back up once students return to campus.
First the Bad News
Kansas State lost two commits last week.
DeShawn Page - ILB - East Mississippi C.C.
Im decommited............NO INTERVIEWS please and thank you! #GodsPlan
— 6.pages (@DeshawnPage7) May 13, 2020
This one seemed destined to happen after a not so reassuring commitment video. Page went ahead and made it official last week. Page is a solid linebacker recruit and would have helped the cause next season. Having him decommitt this early is helpful, because there are plenty of other linebackers at the JuCo level that can have a similar impact. This allows the coaching staff time to find them.
It appears that Page has some interest in Texas Tech. Potentially losing him to the Red Raiders would make this a little worse, but recruiting is all about getting better, and K-State has plenty of time to accomplish that goal without Page. It will be interesting to see if the coaching staff goes after another JuCo linebacker, or if they specifically wanted Page.
Noah Bolticoff - OL - Rose Hill, Kansas
While Page’s defection wasn’t at all surprising, this one caught me off guard. There was some serious smoke coming from the Bolticoff camp after this hit twitter.
What a day. After a great talk w/ Coach Anderson, I’m proud to say I’ve received my 3rd Offer from Texas Christian University! Alma mater of my oline coach @coachblaize God is good all the time! #GoFrogs #TPW pic.twitter.com/GHDHM2VMaT
— Noah Bolticoff (@NBolticoff) May 1, 2020
I wasn’t convinced there was fire, but then everything went up in flames a few days later.
First off I want to say thank you to the Kstate coaches for being incredible and appreciate all the love and support they gave me, but at this time after speaking with my family and loved ones I feel it is best for me to Decommit from KSU and Officially open up my recruitment. pic.twitter.com/NS3D5oOJma
— Noah Bolticoff (@NBolticoff) May 14, 2020
This appears to be a case of the wrong offer at the wrong time for the Wildcats. While nothing is official, TCU is trending for Bolticoff’s services. I’m guessing he received some guidance from his current offensive line coach, Blaize Foltz. Coach Foltz is a Rose Hill and Horned Frog graduate who put together a solid career in Ft. Worth. I can understand how this went down, and I’m not sure there was much the K-State staff could do about it once this offer from Coach Anderson arrived. This thing isn’t over yet, but at this point, I would be surprised if Bolticoff ended up in Manhattan.
It’s always tough to lose an in-state recruit, and it’s doubly tough to lose one to an out-of- state conference rival, but this is a bit of a unique situation with Coach Foltz on the staff at Rose Hill. I don’t blame Coach Foltz for putting in a solid word for his alma mater, and I don’t blame a high school player for listening. That’s just the way recruiting works sometimes.
While this one hurts more than Page, it’s another case of better sooner rather than later. I don’t want this to come off as sour grapes, because I thought, and still think, Bolticoff has solid potential, but there are enough offensive linemen right in that “not an immediate impact guy, but someone you could see developing into a solid starter” category that a like- for-like replacement is probable in this class.
Now the Good News
Omar Daniels - CB - 3* - Colquitt County High School - Moultrie, Georgia
Kansas State sandwiched in a solid defensive back commitment between the two defections.
⚒ Committed .. @KStateFB @ChadSimmons_ @Rivals @247Sports @CCPackersFball @spedbraet #POUNDtheSTONE⚒ #GoCats #EMAW #EMAW21 ⚒ Respect My Decision !!! pic.twitter.com/dIieMSOSUL
— OD ₉ (@OmarDaniels_10) May 13, 2020
Daniels is a physical defensive back who has the size to project as either a corner or a safety at the next level. Coach Van Malone drove through my old stomping grounds to pull a talented player from the middle of Georgia. Omar was picking up some steam in the recruiting world after Colorado jumped in late with an offer, but Coach Malone ended up getting his man.
Colquitt County High School is a powerhouse in Georgia high school football. In 2020, three Colquitt County players signed with D1 programs, including 4* running back Daijun Edwards to Georgia and 3* tight end Carter Boatright to Florida State. Their 2021 class includes Daniels, and 3* WR Lemeke Brockinton (Minnesota), and 2* defensive tackle Zy Brockington. If Coach Malone can get a foothold in Colquitt County, it could be lucrative for the Wildcats.
Brockington might be a name to watch. He doesn’t have a K-State offer yet, but he has several solid G5 offers included solid programs like Appalachian State and Memphis. At 6’2, 265, he doesn’t have ideal size for a defensive tackle....yet, but that’s always subject to change.
Moving back to Omar, you can see an early trend in the 2021 class for Kansas State. He joins Davonte Pritchard and Dorian Stephens as similar sized (6’1-6’3, 180-200) recruits who are dynamic athletes with size. It’s possible that all three may end up in the secondary for Coach Klieman, when all is said and done. I like that. I like that a lot.