Wanted to post about a few things, some of which may be self explanatory but it may be helpful for a few.
I guess I'll start with Tre Bryant and his de-commitment last night. I think anyone who has followed his situation recently could see it coming. I know I sure could. Tre went from being the type of recruit who would message me randomly about upcoming games and other recruits, to someone who it was like pulling teeth to get to respond. I had a feeling after we spoke this last time after his visit for the OU game that something had changed. Those on the inside have told me that Bryant didn't feel comfortable with the depth chart at his position, something he has since denied. My question is, if that is really one of the biggest reasons for his de-commitment, why did it take him four months to realize the position had talented underclassmen? A glance at the roster could have answered that for him a long time ago. And I know that there's been a ton of speculation behind whether Dalvin Warmack offered him a poor perspective of the program, but I think that's all that is - speculation. Warmack isn't the type to sabotage this staff or another person's thought process, regardless of how happy or unhappy he is.
All in all, losing Bryant's talent stings because he's a well balanced running back with a good head on his shoulders -- he's a good, underrated player in my opinion. However, if there was any one commitment that K-State could afford to lose and still be fine, it was him. Why? The exact reason he may have de-committed in the first place: The depth at running back. Jones, Silmon, Warmack all return plus it sounds like (for the time being) Alex Barnes and Kalin Heath are staying put there too. It's a log jam and, to be honest, I was surprised K-State was even recruiting another running back in this class to begin with.
Now, let's brush that aside and get on to the future. Coney Durr is the primary focus of the staff right now. K-State wants and needs him BADLY for 2016. Getting in touch with Coney has become somewhat of a challenge as well - not sure if there's any need to read too much into that just yet though. We have exchanged text messages, the most recent coming last night. As I posted before, he got home from his Minnesota visit and said the Gophers and Wildcats were "neck and neck". Last night, he added on to that by saying that he now needs more time to make the best decision and instead of making his decision this week/weekend, he probably will hold out until after his senior season is over. My first reaction was the assumption he might be looking at even more schools, but Coney quickly refuted that. "I'm thinking about those two schools, I just need time," he texted when asked if more schools were coming into play. So, it's K-State vs. Minnesota for Durr. For those curious about how much season he may have left, Dutchtown High plays their final district game tomorrow night and then begins the playoffs so my guess is we'll still know his commitment before the end of the month.
Aside from Durr, the two biggest known targets on the board remain Andrew Fitzgerald and Isaiahh Loudermilk. I think these three have been the main focus for some time and that doesn't appear to be changing any. Durr and Loudermilk are real possibilities, Fitzgerald will be a tougher sell but I still give K-State a fighting chance. Also keep an eye on Darta Lee, who is working on setting up an official visit in December from what I've heard. Lee actually has relatives who live in or near Topeka, so there's a greater connection to the Sunflower State for him than most imagine. I think there's also a high probability that K-State adds at least one JUCO offensive lineman to the mix as well because even with the current commits, the depth up front still needs help. They're evaluating a number of guys right now, some with offers already and others who don't yet, but haven't seemed to hone in on one in particular. Names included in that discussion could be teammates Dwayne Wallace and Lio Lafaele, Chris Gaynor, Breontae Matthews, and Paul Ramirez (just to name a few). On the defensive side, rest assured that Isi Holani will make a visit in the near future and K-State will be involved until the end with him. I'd guess DE & DB will also be major interests from here on out, whether you land Durr and/or Fitzgerald or not. Whether or not those positions come via the JUCO market or high school is the mystery question because there are a handful of names out there hearing from K-State but none are getting more attention than others. If I had to guess, I'd say at least one JUCO of each (DE & DB).
Lastly, I think it will be a pretty quiet finale for this class, which will be a different feeling for Wildcat fans compared to recent years when K-State seems to go into scramble mode. They simply don't have much room left when you start to calculate the 85 scholarship limit. Expect the coaching staff to be patient with the offers they have left as they try to go down their recruiting board one name at a time. So, on one hand it's a downer for the recruiting freaks (less fireworks), but on the other hand it could be equally exciting because it's vital this staff not miss out on the remaining scholarships.
I guess I'll start with Tre Bryant and his de-commitment last night. I think anyone who has followed his situation recently could see it coming. I know I sure could. Tre went from being the type of recruit who would message me randomly about upcoming games and other recruits, to someone who it was like pulling teeth to get to respond. I had a feeling after we spoke this last time after his visit for the OU game that something had changed. Those on the inside have told me that Bryant didn't feel comfortable with the depth chart at his position, something he has since denied. My question is, if that is really one of the biggest reasons for his de-commitment, why did it take him four months to realize the position had talented underclassmen? A glance at the roster could have answered that for him a long time ago. And I know that there's been a ton of speculation behind whether Dalvin Warmack offered him a poor perspective of the program, but I think that's all that is - speculation. Warmack isn't the type to sabotage this staff or another person's thought process, regardless of how happy or unhappy he is.
All in all, losing Bryant's talent stings because he's a well balanced running back with a good head on his shoulders -- he's a good, underrated player in my opinion. However, if there was any one commitment that K-State could afford to lose and still be fine, it was him. Why? The exact reason he may have de-committed in the first place: The depth at running back. Jones, Silmon, Warmack all return plus it sounds like (for the time being) Alex Barnes and Kalin Heath are staying put there too. It's a log jam and, to be honest, I was surprised K-State was even recruiting another running back in this class to begin with.
Now, let's brush that aside and get on to the future. Coney Durr is the primary focus of the staff right now. K-State wants and needs him BADLY for 2016. Getting in touch with Coney has become somewhat of a challenge as well - not sure if there's any need to read too much into that just yet though. We have exchanged text messages, the most recent coming last night. As I posted before, he got home from his Minnesota visit and said the Gophers and Wildcats were "neck and neck". Last night, he added on to that by saying that he now needs more time to make the best decision and instead of making his decision this week/weekend, he probably will hold out until after his senior season is over. My first reaction was the assumption he might be looking at even more schools, but Coney quickly refuted that. "I'm thinking about those two schools, I just need time," he texted when asked if more schools were coming into play. So, it's K-State vs. Minnesota for Durr. For those curious about how much season he may have left, Dutchtown High plays their final district game tomorrow night and then begins the playoffs so my guess is we'll still know his commitment before the end of the month.
Aside from Durr, the two biggest known targets on the board remain Andrew Fitzgerald and Isaiahh Loudermilk. I think these three have been the main focus for some time and that doesn't appear to be changing any. Durr and Loudermilk are real possibilities, Fitzgerald will be a tougher sell but I still give K-State a fighting chance. Also keep an eye on Darta Lee, who is working on setting up an official visit in December from what I've heard. Lee actually has relatives who live in or near Topeka, so there's a greater connection to the Sunflower State for him than most imagine. I think there's also a high probability that K-State adds at least one JUCO offensive lineman to the mix as well because even with the current commits, the depth up front still needs help. They're evaluating a number of guys right now, some with offers already and others who don't yet, but haven't seemed to hone in on one in particular. Names included in that discussion could be teammates Dwayne Wallace and Lio Lafaele, Chris Gaynor, Breontae Matthews, and Paul Ramirez (just to name a few). On the defensive side, rest assured that Isi Holani will make a visit in the near future and K-State will be involved until the end with him. I'd guess DE & DB will also be major interests from here on out, whether you land Durr and/or Fitzgerald or not. Whether or not those positions come via the JUCO market or high school is the mystery question because there are a handful of names out there hearing from K-State but none are getting more attention than others. If I had to guess, I'd say at least one JUCO of each (DE & DB).
Lastly, I think it will be a pretty quiet finale for this class, which will be a different feeling for Wildcat fans compared to recent years when K-State seems to go into scramble mode. They simply don't have much room left when you start to calculate the 85 scholarship limit. Expect the coaching staff to be patient with the offers they have left as they try to go down their recruiting board one name at a time. So, on one hand it's a downer for the recruiting freaks (less fireworks), but on the other hand it could be equally exciting because it's vital this staff not miss out on the remaining scholarships.
