NOTE: Kansas State has elected to advance players’ classification even though the 2020 season did not affect eligibility. Those who wish to take advantage of this extra year will be listed as a (“super”) senior again after their original eligibility would have been exhausted.

Goal No. 13: EXPECT TO WIN. And truly believe we will.

#13 Kirmari Gainous

True Senior | 6-3 | 240 lbs. | Tallahassee, Florida

Courtesy Kansas State Athletics

• Position: Defensive End
• Previous College: Hutchinson Community College
• Projection: Third-String
• Status: On Scholarship

Kirmari Albert Gainous (b. March 21, 2000) is a powerful defensive end who transferred in from Hutchinson Community College in time for spring practices as part of the 2020 class.

He contributed as a member of the regular playing rotation at defensive end for all 10 games in 2020 and also slid to the interior defensive line during obvious passing situations.

Gainous carded 14 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks during the year, recorded those sacks in consecutive games against Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

He had a season-high two tackles on five occasions, including in each of the final three games, and forced a fumble at West Virginia that was recovered by the Wildcats.

Gainous prepped under head coach Quinn Gray at Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Florida, where he picked up all-county honors as a senior in 2017 after totaling 50 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, four sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.

He totaled 84 tackles during his prep career for the Trojans.

Gainous then played two years for the Hutch Blue Dragons under head coach Rion Rhoades. He was rated the 33rd-best overall community-college prospect in the Class of 2020 by 247Sports, while he was ranked No. 38 by Rivals and No. 39 by ESPN.

Gainous also was viewed as the eighth-best defensive end in the community college ranks by ESPN, while he was ranked No. 9 by 247Sports.

He earned second-team NJCAA All-American honors as a sophomore in 2019 after posting 49 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, and he also forced three fumbles, broke up a pass and recovered one fumble.

Gainous tallied a season-high seven tackles at Iowa Central, a game that included 3.5 tackles for loss; registered a season-high 1.5 sacks on two occasions, at Iowa Central and in the Salt City Bowl win over Monroe College; helped Hutch to finish with a 10-2 record and final No. 3 national ranking; and played with current Wildcat cornerback Justin Gardner.

He chose K-State over offers from Arkansas, Central Michigan, Colorado State, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Hawai’i, Houston, LSU, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon State, SMU, UCF, UTEP and Western Kentucky.

Gainous’ lead recruiter was K-State running backs coach Brian Anderson.