K-State recruiting notebook: Wildcats claim Kansas with pair of in-state pledges
Kansas has zero in-state pledges to its recruiting class of 2021. Kansas State has three out of three.
Here is a recap of a busy week on the recruiting trail for the Wildcats:
Rising Rose Hill star stays home
He is believed to be the first K-State Wildcat on scholarship out of Rose Hill.
The Rockets recently wrapped up a 3-6 season, and as they continue to rebuild under coach Lee Weber, Bolticoff is the centerpiece.
And now he is pledged to stay home, he announced on Twitter Thursday.
Bolticoff blew up on the recruiting trail ahead of his junior season. At 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, he has the frame of a Division I offensive lineman, and some of the top programs in the country recognized that. He picked up his first offer from Kansas Aug. 21, and went on an unofficial visit to Notre Dame.
Bolticoff isn’t yet the dominant force on the offensive line K-State is hoping for. He was named to the AVCTL IV honorable mention team this season.
But with an outstanding work ethic under the training of Blaize Foltz, a former Rose Hill great and TCU Horned Frog, Bolticoff has a lot of room to grow.
Gardner-Edgerton’s next in line picks Cats
Since K-State coach Chris Klieman got to Manhattan, Gardner-Edgerton has been his school of choice in Kansas.
DaVonte Pritchard, a junior linebacker and defensive back, pledged to the Wildcats via Twitter Wednesday, joining Blue Valley receiver Dorian Stephens and Bolticoff a day later.
Pritchard is already the second player out of Gardner-Edgerton to join Klieman. He follows All-State offensive lineman Talor Warner, who is pledged to the 2020 class.
Pritchard was named to The Eagle’s Class 6A All-State team as an honorable mention. He helped the Blazers to an 8-2 record. Over the past two seasons, Pritchard has been a part of 18 wins with Gardner-Edgerton.
At 6-1, 200 pounds, Pritchard is a blend of a linebacker and defensive back. At Gardner-Edgerton he’s a strong safety but is quick to drop into the box and make plays.
K-State coaches visit pledges
With the Wildcats idle until after Christmas, December is all about recruiting for the K-State coaches.
As the class of 2021 begins to take shape, K-State coaches have also visited a lot of prospects in the 2020 class. On Dec. 2, defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton went to Houston to visit Jeremiah Harris. Harris, a linebacker, is K-State’s highest-rated pledge in the 2020 class, according to 247 Sports.
Monday, Klieman and quarterbacks coach Collin Klein got on a plane to Pennsylvania to meet with Will Howard, K-State’s only quarterback pledge in the 2020 class.
And then on Wednesday, defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt went to Olathe to see Olathe East’s Nate Matlack, the second-highest-rated pledge in the Cats’ 2020 class.
The K-State coaches also took visits to see Lee Summit North’s Keyon Mozee, Deuce Vaughn of Cedar Ridge, Texas; Tajiri Smith, who recently flipped from Memphis; Ronald Triplette, of Pearland, Texas, and others.
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 1:08 PM with the headline "K-State recruiting notebook: Wildcats claim Kansas with pair of in-state pledges."