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Wildcats Recruiting Roundup: K-State Staff Offer Intriguing Prospects

I caught up with 2027 Illinois QB Jake Nawrot and Texas DB Joshua Vilmael to get their thoughts on Kansas State. They were both visited by members of the coaching staff in January.
Julio Gonzales, Jr.|
Sep 17, 2022; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats defensive end Cartez Crook-Jones (58) and the Wildcats wear throw-back logos on their helmets during the game against the Tulane Green Wave at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium.
Sep 17, 2022; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats defensive end Cartez Crook-Jones (58) and the Wildcats wear throw-back logos on their helmets during the game against the Tulane Green Wave at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

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Recruitment is heating up for plenty of prospects in the 2027 class. In this Wildcat Recruiting Roundup, I caught up with Arlington Heights (IL) quarterback Jake Nawrot and Richmond (TX) defensive back Joshua Vilmael to get their thoughts on Kansas State Wildcats.

Jake Nawrot  

Jake Nawrot has seen his recruitment soar recently, and one of the schools that is standing out in his recruitment is the Wildcats. The Arlington Heights (IL) John Hersey High School quarterback is rated as a three-star quarterback by the 247Sports Composite, which has rated him as an 89 overall, No. 370 nationally, No. 25 among quarterbacks, and No. 10 in Illinois. This season, he completed 187 of 263 passes for 3,078 yards and 41 touchdowns, with a 71.1% completion rate, for the Huskies. He set school records for passing yards, touchdowns, and completion percentage, and was named an Illinois High School Football Coaches Association (IHSFCA) Class 7A All-State selection.

Nawrot has developed a good relationship with the new Kansas State staff in the short time they have been in Manhattan. He received an offer from the Wildcats on January 12, after speaking with head coach Collin Klein, quarterbacks coach Christian Ellsworth, offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson, and special team's coordinator Stanton Weber. “It was special receiving an offer from all four of them together, “Nawrot said.

He took a visit to the “Little Apple” in mid-January, where he spent time meeting with the coaching staff and getting a closer look at what Kansas State has to offer. Ever since, the Wildcats have become one of the top schools in his recruitment. “The visit was great, and I felt a deep connection with everybody there and the community. K-State has been a very good program historically, and it has great people in charge of it for the foreseeable future.”

Near the end of January, Ellsworth made a trip to Illinois and made a quick visit to the Nawrot household, enjoying dinner with the family. “It was awesome! Coach Ellsworth is the man, and I really like talking with him. Our family gets along with him and all of the coaching  staff at K-State, and sees a bright future.”

In addition to the Wildcats, Nawrot has received scholarship offers from Toledo, Miami (OH), Purdue, Northwestern, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Duke, Boston College, Rutgers, Iowa, Washington, Wisconsin, and Syracuse. He picked up his latest from the Kentucky Wildcats on Wednesday. Another school with a Wildcat name that has also been in constant contact with him is Northwestern.

Joshua Vilmael

Vilmael, the Fort Bend Travis High School defensive back, is the younger brother of K-State 2026 signee Josiah Vilmael. He received his offer from the Wildcats on February 10 after speaking with co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson. “I had a great talk with Coach Woodson, and he explained to me how he didn’t want to extend an emotional offer based on my last name and on who I am. I appreciate that, and he gave me a committable offer to K-State. Our relationship has been new but consistent since last week. Coach Toth (Linebackers coach Nick Toth) is my area recruiter, so we have been talking for a while, and I expect to see a lot more of him throughout my recruitment, “Vilmael said.  

With his brother already a Wildcat, Vilmael is able to talk to him and get a much better insight into the K-State program. With his offer, there is also the possibility that the two of them can play in the same backfield once again, as they did for the Travis Tigers the past couple of years. “Kansas State is definitely a good program. With my brother already being there, I get a little more insight into them. Last year was amazing and way more fluid than I expected playing with him, so the chance of being able to play alongside him once again is big for me!”

Vilmael helped lead the Tigers to an 8-3 season, which included a trip to the Texas Class 6A Division I playoffs. He finished the 2025 season with seven pass breakups, four forced fumbles, four blocked PATs, three tackles for loss, and two interceptions. For his effort, he was named a District 21-6A First Team All-District selection. In addition to the Wildcats, Vilmael also has offers from Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Maryland, Arizona, Arizona State, Stephen F. Austin, UNLV, New Mexico, Florida State, Pittsburgh, Tulane, Louisiana Tech, Missouri, Arkansas, Houston, North Texas, TCU, Kentucky, Sam Houston State, and added UCLA on Thursday.

The Cougars are one of the teams recruiting Vilmael the most. He was in Houston at the end of January for their Junior Day and will be there again for an official visit with them on June 4. However, with K-State now in the mix and the fact that his brother is a Wildcat, I look for them to be one of his top schools moving forward.

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Julio Gonzales, Jr.
JULIO GONZALES, JR.

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