SLATE: Kansas State gets transfer portal action

Kansas State football got several shots in the arm over the weekend, possibly none bigger than the decision of Ole Miss transfer Jadon Jackson to come to Manhattan. (Arne Green, Capital-Journal)

Jackson, at 6’1” 200 lbs., will join the Wildcats as a one-plus-one, with one true year of eligibility remaining plus his COVID year.

Jackson was just the first of several players to announce their decision to come to K-State over the weekend. Drake Cheatum, a 5’10” junior safety from Prairie View A&M, and JUCO transfer Jordan Wright, a 5’11” corner from Fullerton College, both announced on Twitter that they will join the Wildcat secondary.

Meanwhile, Stu Jackson introduced Los Angeles fans to new draftee Russ Yeast on the Rams’ official website.

Baseball

K-State let a lead slip away in game one of the Sunflower Showdown at Tointon on Friday, falling 5-3 to the Jayhawks. The BatCats got solo homers from Dylan Phillips, Josh Nicoloff, and Jeff Heinrich to stake a 3-1 lead after five, but Kansas came back. Two runs in the top of the ninth saddled Blake Corsentino (3-5) with the loss, spoiling a very nice six-inning effort by starter Griffin Hassall.

On Saturday, K-State got another good start as Blake Adams (5-4) worked into the seventh only giving up a pair of runs and exiting with a 4-1 lead, helped by homers from Dominic Johnson and Kaelin Culpepper. German Fajardo picked up his second save, and Johnson homered again as the Cats came out on top 5-2.

Heinrich, Culpeper, and Nick Goodwin all homered in the deciding game on Sunday as the Cats roared back from a 3-1 deficit in the sixth to claim a 6-3 win and the series. Connor McCullough took a no-decision as the starter, but 4 ²⁄₃ innings of shutout relief from Tyler Ruhl (3-2) sealed the deal.

With the series win, K-State stands at 25-22, 6-12 in Big 12 play; Kansas falls to 20-29, 4-14. Sandwiched between the Cats and Jayhawks: Baylor (23-22, 5-13), which will visit Manhattan this weekend for a three-game set starting Friday.

Basketball

From Robby McCombs at our sister site Vanquish the Foe, we learn that former Wildcat Rudi Williams has transferred again. After coming to K-State as a JUCO transfer then moving on to a very successful year at Coastal Carolina (14.7 ppg, 45% from three), Williams is heading to BYU to play his final season as a grad transfer.