Kansas State Football Recruiting: Breaking Down the Talor Warner Commitment

Talor Warner, a 3-star (87) OT/DT from Gardner, Kansas gave his verbal commitment to the Kansas State staff on Monday.

What Does Warner Bring to the Table?

Upside

The 247 Sports Composite Rankings has Talor rated as a high 3-star player and the 5th best prospect in Kanas. That’s impressive in its own right, but when you consider that he started playing football as a sophomore in high school, it adds another level of intrigue. Warner oozes potential and is just the type of athlete you want to get into your program and develop.

Athleticism

As I mentioned, Warner is new to football. You may wonder why he’s so highly thought of by recruiting sites.

The clip below will give you some idea.

6’4, 250 pounds guys shouldn’t be able to effortlessly dunk a basketball.

As a 6’3, 220ish pound former dunker of a basketball I can assure you that once you crack 210, gravity becomes a much bigger obstacle. The lower body strength and explosion required to get 250 pounds that high off the ground is immense. My knees hurt just watching him land.

Oh, to be young and hyper-athletic for just one day.

Versatility

Consider Warner a primo piece of clay for the coaching staff to mold. He’s listed by recruiting sites as an offensive line prospect, but he could just as easily end up on the defensive line. Scottie Hazleton and Mike Tuiasosopo may have to form a tag team to take on Courtney Messingham and Connor Riley for the right to coach Warner. Seriously, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is some spirited in the coaching offices regarding Warner’s ultimate position at Kansas State. It may come down to how the rest of the 2020 class shakes out.

What Does His Commitment Mean to the 2020 Class?

First and foremost, it means the Wildcats are adding yet another elite athlete to the class. One of the big goals for the 2020 class was to boost the athleticism on the roster, and I’ve been impressed with the versatile athletes the coaching staff has both targeted and landed.

It also gives the Wildcats their 3rd in-state commitment.

Kansas isn’t known as a talent hotbed, but you’ve got to be able to recruit in your own back yard. Adding Warner to fellow 2020 in-state commits Nate Matlack and Sam Shield gives the 2020 class a solid Sunflower State flavor. The new staff may have missed out on some of the bigger in-state fish in 2020, but in my opinion, have done a solid job of finding high upside in-state guys to make up for some of the misses.

In terms of position numbers, Talor gives the staff some flexibility since he could play on either line.

Ideally, this class will have five offensive linemen. If the staff misses out on some of their other offensive line prospects, Warner could easily slide into the offensive line.

If the staff struggles to find defensive tackles or strong side defensive ends they like, Warner could just as easily project as a defensive tackle or strong side end.

It’s nice to have a player with that sort of ability in a class. “Jumbo Athletes” tend to be hard to come by for that reason. Warner just hit the recruiting radar, and securing his verbal commitment early may help fight off some “bigger” programs late.

I don’t think he will remain a secret much longer.

Also, just as a fun, but ultimately worthless piece of information, according to 247 at the time of this publishing, Kansas State has the 35th best recruiting class in the nation.

What’s Next?

I’m a little behind, so this is an easy question to answer. Ronald Triplette, a 3-star defensive end from Texas gave the Wildcats his verbal commitment last night. Look for my breakdown for Triplette in the next few days.