SE: Everything is Earned – Incoming Transfers Ready to Make Immediate Impact
Jan 28, 2021 | Football, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
On Tuesday afternoon, K-State Football got better.
It's an expression that coaches fall back on throughout the offseason, a time when college football programs put in work behind-the-scenes that might take years to pay off.
The three players who walked into the Vanier Family Football Complex this week will not make the Wildcats better years from now.
Julius Brents (Iowa), Russ Yeast (Louisville) and Eric Munoz (Utah State) are going to make a difference in September.
Along with Timmy Horne (Charlotte) and Daniel Imatorbhebhe (Illinois), the class of five incoming transfers will have a chance to make a different kind of impact for K-State Football .
Part of that has to do with an NCAA rule that, due to COVID-19, did not force players to use a year of eligibility last season.
That's big for a sophomore like Brents, who began his college career at Iowa where he started five games as a true freshman.
"I heard nothing but great things about Coach Klieman, Coach Malone and the whole staff here," Brents said. "I'm looking forward to getting to work."
The kind of players that make up this transfer class are also worth noting.
Namely, an emphasis on improving every level of the defense and answering the biggest question mark K-State had on offense coming into the 2021 season.
Brents and Yeast are defensive backs, Munoz is a linebacker and Horne is a defensive lineman. All four players should help give the Wildcats a boost on defense in 2021.
Starting at the line of scrimmage, the Wildcats have their work cut out for them next season replacing Wyatt Hubert and Drew Wiley, after the All-Big 12 duo combined for 14 sacks.
Horne will get a shot after starting 29 games at Charlotte and earning an All-Conference USA Honorable Mention in 2020, when the 49ers played just five games.
He gives K-State some muscle on the interior of the defensive line, and as a run-stopper, could be a difference-maker for a group that surrendered 4.7 yards per carry in 2020.
Pairing Horne with Eli Huggins would also offer the Wildcats some legitimate experience up front. Behind Horne, Munoz is another Group of 5 veteran looking to step up in the Big 12.
His college football journey has been a case study in doing things the hard way, going from DII Upper Iowa to JUCO San Diego Mesa to walking on at Utah State.
"Since I was a kid, I've missed out on opportunities that I felt like I should have been a part of. I've just been overlooked across the board," Munoz said. "I like going to a new school, working hard and proving that I deserve to be there."
He certainly did that at Utah State. Munoz played his way into a starting role as a redshirt junior in 2019 and earned Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors after hauling in two interceptions in a win over Wyoming.
With the departure of Justin Hughes and Elijah Sullivan, K-State could look to Munoz to anchor the linebacking core and stabilize the position group alongside more youthful players.
The addition of Brents and Yeast gives the Wildcats two former four-star recruits with starting experience in the Big Ten and ACC, and a secondary that is beginning to look pretty loaded.
Yeast started 29 games at Louisville after arriving in 2017.
In researching the Wildcats, Yeast said he saw an opportunity to step in and make a difference, reaching out to Brents when both players decided to make the move to Manhattan.
He also got in touch with a former teammate in Harry Trotter, who transferred from Louisville to Kansas State in 2019.
"I'm excited about the people that I'm around," Yeast said. "Harry was a big factor. You can't take visits during the virus, so I reached out to him to see what the vibe was out here and get a second-hand opinion…Everything that he said was spot-on with what the coaches were saying."
Alongside returning senior Jahron McPherson and Justin Gardner, Brents said his versatility as a bigger cornerback should help him fit in wherever the Wildcats need him.
"We start workouts here soon, so I'm excited to meet the guys," Brents said. "You have to work for everything. Nothing is given, everything is earned."
On offense, K-State only added one transfer target this week, but Imatorbhebhe is a big name looking to fill a big role for the Wildcats at tight end.
Graduate transfer Briley Moore stepped into that spot last season, becoming the team's second-leading receiver and a legitimate big play threat in his only season with the program.
Imatorbhebhe certainly has the experience to fill that role, signing with Florida before productive stints at USC and Illinois. Injuries derailed his tenure with the Trojans, but the Georgia native rebounded with 394 yards and four touchdowns in his only Big Ten season.
As a proven target for a K-State offense that relies heavily on getting their running backs and tight ends involved in the passing game, Imatorbhebhe seems like an ideal fit in Manhattan.
On Tuesday afternoon, K-State Football got better.
It's an expression that coaches fall back on throughout the offseason, a time when college football programs put in work behind-the-scenes that might take years to pay off.
The three players who walked into the Vanier Family Football Complex this week will not make the Wildcats better years from now.
Julius Brents (Iowa), Russ Yeast (Louisville) and Eric Munoz (Utah State) are going to make a difference in September.
Along with Timmy Horne (Charlotte) and Daniel Imatorbhebhe (Illinois), the class of five incoming transfers will have a chance to make a different kind of impact for K-State Football .
Part of that has to do with an NCAA rule that, due to COVID-19, did not force players to use a year of eligibility last season.
That's big for a sophomore like Brents, who began his college career at Iowa where he started five games as a true freshman.
"I heard nothing but great things about Coach Klieman, Coach Malone and the whole staff here," Brents said. "I'm looking forward to getting to work."
The kind of players that make up this transfer class are also worth noting.
Namely, an emphasis on improving every level of the defense and answering the biggest question mark K-State had on offense coming into the 2021 season.
Brents and Yeast are defensive backs, Munoz is a linebacker and Horne is a defensive lineman. All four players should help give the Wildcats a boost on defense in 2021.
Starting at the line of scrimmage, the Wildcats have their work cut out for them next season replacing Wyatt Hubert and Drew Wiley, after the All-Big 12 duo combined for 14 sacks.
Horne will get a shot after starting 29 games at Charlotte and earning an All-Conference USA Honorable Mention in 2020, when the 49ers played just five games.
He gives K-State some muscle on the interior of the defensive line, and as a run-stopper, could be a difference-maker for a group that surrendered 4.7 yards per carry in 2020.
Pairing Horne with Eli Huggins would also offer the Wildcats some legitimate experience up front. Behind Horne, Munoz is another Group of 5 veteran looking to step up in the Big 12.
His college football journey has been a case study in doing things the hard way, going from DII Upper Iowa to JUCO San Diego Mesa to walking on at Utah State.
"Since I was a kid, I've missed out on opportunities that I felt like I should have been a part of. I've just been overlooked across the board," Munoz said. "I like going to a new school, working hard and proving that I deserve to be there."
He certainly did that at Utah State. Munoz played his way into a starting role as a redshirt junior in 2019 and earned Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors after hauling in two interceptions in a win over Wyoming.
With the departure of Justin Hughes and Elijah Sullivan, K-State could look to Munoz to anchor the linebacking core and stabilize the position group alongside more youthful players.
The addition of Brents and Yeast gives the Wildcats two former four-star recruits with starting experience in the Big Ten and ACC, and a secondary that is beginning to look pretty loaded.
Yeast started 29 games at Louisville after arriving in 2017.
In researching the Wildcats, Yeast said he saw an opportunity to step in and make a difference, reaching out to Brents when both players decided to make the move to Manhattan.
He also got in touch with a former teammate in Harry Trotter, who transferred from Louisville to Kansas State in 2019.
"I'm excited about the people that I'm around," Yeast said. "Harry was a big factor. You can't take visits during the virus, so I reached out to him to see what the vibe was out here and get a second-hand opinion…Everything that he said was spot-on with what the coaches were saying."
Alongside returning senior Jahron McPherson and Justin Gardner, Brents said his versatility as a bigger cornerback should help him fit in wherever the Wildcats need him.
"We start workouts here soon, so I'm excited to meet the guys," Brents said. "You have to work for everything. Nothing is given, everything is earned."
On offense, K-State only added one transfer target this week, but Imatorbhebhe is a big name looking to fill a big role for the Wildcats at tight end.
Graduate transfer Briley Moore stepped into that spot last season, becoming the team's second-leading receiver and a legitimate big play threat in his only season with the program.
Imatorbhebhe certainly has the experience to fill that role, signing with Florida before productive stints at USC and Illinois. Injuries derailed his tenure with the Trojans, but the Georgia native rebounded with 394 yards and four touchdowns in his only Big Ten season.
As a proven target for a K-State offense that relies heavily on getting their running backs and tight ends involved in the passing game, Imatorbhebhe seems like an ideal fit in Manhattan.
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