MANHATTAN, Kan. – For the 25th time in his Hall of Fame career, Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder released the Wildcats’ annual recruiting class Wednesday with the announcement of 22 student-athletes who plan on joining or have already joined the K-State football program in 2016.
This year’s signing class includes 17 players from the high school ranks, four community-college players and an FBS graduate transfer who will be immediately eligible. Additionally, running back Justin Silmon was awarded a scholarship and will count toward the Class of 2016. Of the signing class, seven are currently enrolled at K-State and will participate in April’s spring practices, which culminate with the Purple/White Spring Game on April 23.
“As I’ve said each and every year, it will be two or three years before we can accurately assess the quality of this or any recruiting class,” Snyder said. “Hopefully we have assessed the skills and intrinsic values of this year’s class accurately, but time will tell. Including Justin Silmon and greyshirts from last year’s class, we have eight of these student-athletes presently in classes and participating in our out-of-season workouts.
“Each member of this class has demonstrated a commitment to becoming the best person, student and athlete possible,” Snyder continued. “As always, we greatly appreciate the high school and community college coaches, faculty members and administrators through the state of Kansas and across the nation who have received our coaches and program so very graciously. I am especially proud of and thankful for the Kansas State faculty, dean of students, director of finance, athletics support staff, athletics director and president for their assistance in conveying to these young men the great support services, education and caring relationships provided by our University.”
This year’s class features 15 players on offense and seven players on defense. The class is made up of four wide receivers, three offensive linemen and tight ends, two apiece of defensive backs, defensive tackles, fullbacks, linebackers and running backs, one defensive end and one quarterback.
National Signing Day Quotes
Head Coach Bill Snyder
On filling needs in this signing class…
“I think we did. Once again, it is true that we filled immediate needs if our perceptions are accurate, and we will find that out in a period of time. It is not a closed class right now; we still have a couple visits left. But, overall, I think if you look at the distribution, we have more offensive players than defensive players. In all reality, we will need to add a couple more defensively, but we lost more on offense. To answer the question, I think yes, we got reasonably close to fulfilling our needs.”
On what this class will bring to the program…
“In some cases the speed element is there. I have had the chance to watch all of the young guys that are on our campus. The younger (Tyler) Burns, I have been really impressed with. I have been impressed with the kind of speed that (Byron) Pringle, the wide receiver, has had. Our range is better and I think in some of the positions that it is important that we have taller individuals to begin with. In some cases, height gives you the opportunity, and in some cases we have young guys that we have brought in with the idea that was exactly what we were going to try to do. Then we would move them forward as you can take a guy that is really athletic from a position. All of a sudden, he comes more athletic than most people at that position. We have done that with a lot of guys; the tight end scenario has been pretty commonplace for us. I think we have had a lot of guys that have done that and gone on to play quite well. The speed element and the rage element, I think, are two things that noticeable to me right now.”
On quarterback Skylar Thompson…
“He is so athletic and he is a very hard worker. He is an intelligent, bright young guy that will pick things up quickly. Those are the key elements, but I like other things as well, like the ability to throw the football. I have not seen it in person yet. I have seen it on video tape, and what I see on video tape appears to be appropriate in that phase of the game. To get a dual-threat guy, he has the capacity to do exactly that.”
On quarterback Skylar Thompson competing for playing time this season…
“We will see. (Graduating and enrolling early) gives him the opportunity to come in and compete and get his degree or get started on his master’s. It also gives him out-of-season programs and spring practice going into the summer. You know with summer, coaches cannot be there with young guys, so it gives him the chance to go through that spring practice where he is with coaches. We get to see him before his eligibility really even starts. Then we can define at that time if he can step in immediately to compete for a great deal of time.”
On the wide receivers in the class…
“We have some speed and we also, like a said a moment ago, we have some range. We have some guys that have some height to them. That is kind of, in college football today, a key element because you see a lot of mismatches. Sometimes you see those 5-foot, 9-inch corners having to play against 6-foot-4 wide receivers and those become no contests sometimes. It is important to have that kind of range in your program. We need to do it on both sides of the ball, but certainly it helps you on the offensive side.”
On wide receiver Byron Pringle…
“They all look good on film, but we have the opportunity (to see him). He is here and he is in the out-of-season program. I get to see him in the agility work, and he does a nice job there. He shows some quickness. He is a good, hard worker, good change of direction guy. I cannot see him throwing or catching a ball, but that will come in spring practice. Again, that is the value of having people here so they can go through a competitive environment in the spring. Then, going into the summer, they are really invested in the program, and they can go out and continue to get better.”
