SE: Klieman and Staff Use Every Resource, Time Available to Put Together 2019 Recruiting Class
Feb 07, 2019 | Football, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
If K-State's first recruiting class under head coach Chris Klieman indicated any one thing in particular, it's that he and his staff are going to hustle from start to finish to find future Wildcats across the United States.
K-State's 23-man 2019 recruiting class, which wrapped up with seven new additions on National Signing Day on Wednesday, showed so.
For starters, Klieman and his staff won over multiple players late in the recruiting process, some as late as last weekend.
"We had two recruiting weekends, and those were big weekends for us, great weekends for us, and we were able to get a few kids, even in the last recruiting weekend, which typically is difficult to do," Klieman said. "We were able to land a bunch of those on that last weekend."
K-State also signed players from 11 different states, ranging from California to Florida. The class included five players from Kansas, one from Kansas City, Missouri, and six from Texas.
"We're still going to hammer the footprint area, which is Kansas, the Kansas City area, Missouri, and obviously the state of Texas is always going to be big," Klieman said. "But you have to be able to nationally recruit. Kansas State has a national name, a national brand. We'll be in all of those areas. We do want to make sure we have those pipelines open."
Matthew Pola-Mao, rated by ESPN as the sixth-best player in the Class of 2019 in the state of Arizona; Kenyon Reed, a 6-foot defensive back out of Long Beach, California; and Kenny Givens, a 6-foot-4 defensive tackle out of Chicago, Illinois, fit in both categories. All were convinced to come to K-State late and hail from a recruiting area outside of the program's typical foothold.
Klieman said the first key to getting these types of players on board was seeing how quickly the coaching staff could get them excited about Kansas State.
"We wanted to find guys that wanted to come to Kansas State," he said. "When we found those guys, we attacked those guys with a number of coaches."
Since being hired at K-State, Klieman has labeled relationship-building as he and his staff's number one priority in recruiting players and coaching the ones they sign. During Wednesday's press conference, he said it has to be a group effort — meaning players and their families should get to know everyone on his staff.
He said this approach paid off in this recruiting class, which included 19 high school players, two community college additions and a pair of FBS transfers.
"That was the thing that we tried to hit upon with every recruit that came here: You're not just going to get to know the position coach or the recruiting coach or the coordinator or the head coach. We're going to put you with everybody," he said. "All of us are going to spend a good amount of time with you, so you do build relationships with more than just one or two guys.
"I think when you look at the guys that we were able to secure late, that was the thing that was the common theme that we heard from parents or the student-athlete, 'I felt comfortable with so many coaches on your staff, and that's why I know my son is going to be in great shape.'"
After garnering the initial interest, Klieman said it was truly about getting them to Manhattan, around town and on campus. Whether he's in a school or a recruit's home, he said his first pitch starts there.
"You have to come and see the people," Klieman said. "It doesn't take much to see how great the people are here. I've been here not very long, but whether I'm on campus, off campus, people have been overwhelmingly supportive of myself and the staff. That's what you're trying to sell."
Klieman further complimented the support from K-State's professors and even President Richard Myers on selling the entire atmosphere of being a Wildcat.
"President Myers was even on a flight with a few of them and did a great job of selling Kanas State. He was an integral part of us getting a couple kids as well," Klieman said. "The support that our staff has received, as well as the support that we have on campus when we bring these recruits in, I think, is unmatched."
The community members' welcoming nature and passion for the football program has already left positive impressions on many recruits in Klieman's tenure, he said. In one instance, he said a recruit was recognized by a fan at a gas station. It's one more selling point he said that happens organically but can go a long way.
"I love it," he said. "That's Kansas State and that's Wildcat football and that's what I'm excited about. Now, you put on top of that the relationships that our staff has with these young men and I think you have a home run."
If K-State's first recruiting class under head coach Chris Klieman indicated any one thing in particular, it's that he and his staff are going to hustle from start to finish to find future Wildcats across the United States.
K-State's 23-man 2019 recruiting class, which wrapped up with seven new additions on National Signing Day on Wednesday, showed so.
For starters, Klieman and his staff won over multiple players late in the recruiting process, some as late as last weekend.
"We had two recruiting weekends, and those were big weekends for us, great weekends for us, and we were able to get a few kids, even in the last recruiting weekend, which typically is difficult to do," Klieman said. "We were able to land a bunch of those on that last weekend."
K-State also signed players from 11 different states, ranging from California to Florida. The class included five players from Kansas, one from Kansas City, Missouri, and six from Texas.
"We're still going to hammer the footprint area, which is Kansas, the Kansas City area, Missouri, and obviously the state of Texas is always going to be big," Klieman said. "But you have to be able to nationally recruit. Kansas State has a national name, a national brand. We'll be in all of those areas. We do want to make sure we have those pipelines open."
Matthew Pola-Mao, rated by ESPN as the sixth-best player in the Class of 2019 in the state of Arizona; Kenyon Reed, a 6-foot defensive back out of Long Beach, California; and Kenny Givens, a 6-foot-4 defensive tackle out of Chicago, Illinois, fit in both categories. All were convinced to come to K-State late and hail from a recruiting area outside of the program's typical foothold.
Klieman said the first key to getting these types of players on board was seeing how quickly the coaching staff could get them excited about Kansas State.
"We wanted to find guys that wanted to come to Kansas State," he said. "When we found those guys, we attacked those guys with a number of coaches."
Since being hired at K-State, Klieman has labeled relationship-building as he and his staff's number one priority in recruiting players and coaching the ones they sign. During Wednesday's press conference, he said it has to be a group effort — meaning players and their families should get to know everyone on his staff.
He said this approach paid off in this recruiting class, which included 19 high school players, two community college additions and a pair of FBS transfers.
"That was the thing that we tried to hit upon with every recruit that came here: You're not just going to get to know the position coach or the recruiting coach or the coordinator or the head coach. We're going to put you with everybody," he said. "All of us are going to spend a good amount of time with you, so you do build relationships with more than just one or two guys.
"I think when you look at the guys that we were able to secure late, that was the thing that was the common theme that we heard from parents or the student-athlete, 'I felt comfortable with so many coaches on your staff, and that's why I know my son is going to be in great shape.'"
After garnering the initial interest, Klieman said it was truly about getting them to Manhattan, around town and on campus. Whether he's in a school or a recruit's home, he said his first pitch starts there.
"You have to come and see the people," Klieman said. "It doesn't take much to see how great the people are here. I've been here not very long, but whether I'm on campus, off campus, people have been overwhelmingly supportive of myself and the staff. That's what you're trying to sell."
Klieman further complimented the support from K-State's professors and even President Richard Myers on selling the entire atmosphere of being a Wildcat.
"President Myers was even on a flight with a few of them and did a great job of selling Kanas State. He was an integral part of us getting a couple kids as well," Klieman said. "The support that our staff has received, as well as the support that we have on campus when we bring these recruits in, I think, is unmatched."
The community members' welcoming nature and passion for the football program has already left positive impressions on many recruits in Klieman's tenure, he said. In one instance, he said a recruit was recognized by a fan at a gas station. It's one more selling point he said that happens organically but can go a long way.
"I love it," he said. "That's Kansas State and that's Wildcat football and that's what I'm excited about. Now, you put on top of that the relationships that our staff has with these young men and I think you have a home run."
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