Recruit Reactions to Kansas State 43-20 Loss to #13 Texas Tech

Kansas State took an early 7-0 lead against No. 13 Texas Tech when Avery Johnson scored on a 46-yard touchdown run, following back-to-back turnovers by both teams. Unfortunately, five turnovers and going 0-for-4 on fourth downs cost the Wildcats, who ultimately lost 43-20 to the Red Raiders at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Kansas State, now 4-5 overall and 3-3 in the Big 12, will have a bye week, while Texas Tech, standing at (8-1, 5-1), will host No. 10 BYU in a potential Top 10 matchup.

Several Wildcats recruiting targets and a few commits attended the game. I caught up with some of them to gather their thoughts on it.

K-State Commits

Hall, a three-star recruit committed to the Wildcats on June 14, 2025, was back on campus for this one. "I connected the most with Coach Tui (Defensive Tackles coach Mike Tuiasosopo) and Coach Wyatt (Defensive Line coach Buddy Wyatt). I thought the defense was playing well; they just needed to keep attacking, while the offense just needed some momentum to take the lead. I will be back here for the Colorado game, " Hall said.

#EMAW26 in the house. @HDDavis5, @Kingstonhall33, @KeeganCollins77, @LBarber2008, and @BennettFraser66 from left to right. pic.twitter.com/suI9mlMuHW
— Cole Carmody (@ColeCarmody52) November 1, 2025

Collins is another three-star recruit who committed to K-State on June 2, 2025. "The game was great, we just couldn't handle business. But they're a great team with a good defense at the end of the day. I was able to see all my offensive line coaches: Coach Lepak, Coach Liddle, and Coach Will Farrar, " Collins said. He will be back in Manhattan for the Colorado game on November 29.

First and foremost, I want to thank God, my Family and my Coaches for helping me along this journey of mine.
I’m blessed to announce that I have committed to @KStateFB
RECRUITMENT IS 100% SHUT DOWN #EMAW @CoachKli @spedbraet @CoachBrianLepak @_CoachMattWells @WillFarrar_… pic.twitter.com/RnS5nJkjjE
— ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Keegan Collins (@KeeganCollins77) June 2, 2025

Another three-commit for the Wildcats, Davis committed to K-State on June 17, 2025. "It was a great competitive game, and I loved the atmosphere around it. I was able to catch up with and talk to Coach Anderson and Coach Wells, " Davis said.

Beyond excited to announce my commitment to Kansas State! Can’t wait to join the Wildcat family! #EMAW #GoWildcats @KStateFB @CoachKli @_CoachDonald @CoachAnderson15 @CoachBrianLepak @CoachNKaczor @seanmaguire_10 @seancooper_C4 @CoachBSmithey @ColeCarmody52 @galloway__drew pic.twitter.com/7XSmL6xCZA
— HD Davis (@HDDavis5) June 17, 2025

Recruits with an offer from K-State

Brady left Manhattan with an offer from the Wildcats after he spoke with Tight Ends coach Luke Wells. "I got to talk with some of the offensive coaches before the game today, and also with Coach Wells for the second time. After our conversation, he told me I had an offer. I was super excited, and it means a lot to me that K-State believes in me. It was a great atmosphere! The fans were loud the whole time, and you can really feel how much football means to everyone there, " Brady said. He also has an offer from Texas Tech and tells me he has been hearing from a couple of other Big 12 and Big 10 schools.

Had a great time today in Manhattan, Thank you @KStateFB for having me out! pic.twitter.com/uX6BArbJpA
— Breck Brady (@Breck_Brady) November 1, 2025

Similar to Brady, Zubeck also departed from the Little Apple with an offer from the Wildcats. "I connected with Coach Lepak (Offensive Line coach Brian Lepak), Coach Liddle (Assistant Offensive Line coach Drew Liddle), and Coach Braet (Director of Football Recruiting Tyler Braet). It was amazing receiving the offer! I wanna to thank God for the opportunity, and I am extremely blessed! The university was really amazing! The atmosphere was electric, and I loved the way everybody came out and was loud. It stinks that they couldn't pull out the victory, but they fought hard and showed what it meant to be a Wildcat, " Zubeck said. He has an offer from Kansas as well, and will be in Iowa next weekend for a game-day visit with the Hawkeyes.

After a great conversation with @CoachBrianLepak and @spedbraet I am blessed to receive my second Division 1 offer from the University of Kansas State! #gocats #emaw @SMEastFootball @RecruitLancerFB @M_Simoneau @coachliddle @CoachAGeddis316 @CoachZubeck pic.twitter.com/ODB226VUpY
— Cannon Zubeck (@CannonZubeck) November 1, 2025

Other Wildcat prospects

"The game was an incredible experience. The energy from the fans and the atmosphere at Kansas State really stood out to me. I was impressed by how the team competed and the way the entire staff made sure everyone got the same treatment. The facilities were great, and it really felt like a family environment. I was able to speak with Coach Braet and Coach Wells, " Zeller said. He has offers from Division II Nebraska-Kearney, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Washburn, Fort Hays State, NAIA Benedictine College, Butler Community College, and Iowa Western Community College.

On the way to the Little Apple for @KStateFB and @TexasTechFB #EMAW #GoCats pic.twitter.com/3GMYRwi8aC
— Austin Zeller (@ZellerAustin23) November 1, 2025

"I thought the atmosphere was great in Manhattan today, and what stood out to me was the tight end play. I was able to connect with and talk to Coach Wells before the game, " Daniel said. He told me he has been hearing from TCU and Tulsa, in addition to Kansas State.

Had a great time in Manhattan today! Thanks again to @KStateFB for having me out! @CoachKli @coachlukewells @spedbraet @aubreyschneids pic.twitter.com/N6xrIhs6kL
— Braxton Daniel (@Braxton__Daniel) November 2, 2025

"I had a great time on my visit. I loved seeing what the program is all about and how connected the team is with each other and with the fans. It was really cool seeing all the fans show up and support the team hours before kickoff. I think the game was a lot closer than what the final score shows, and K-State played super tough, but couldn't pull through. I was able to connect the most with Coach Stanard (Linebacker Coach Steve Stanard), " McGee said. He told me he has been hearing from K-State, Minnesota, North Dakota, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State. His next visit will be to NDSU on November 15.

Had a great time @KStateFB this weekend! Thanks for having me down @_CoachDonald @coachstanard pic.twitter.com/FfrJ3KteSu
— Andrew McGee (@andrew_mcgee27) November 2, 2025

"K-State started hot on defense and punched a touchdown in to go up 7-0, which was huge. In the first quarter, they were dominant, but started falling off every quarter. K-State struggled running the ball, which was a big problem, as well as finding open receivers. There wasn't a lot of offense other than Avery Johnson scrambling every other play. Overall, K-State is a very solid team; they just need to limit the mistakes. What stood out to me was all the fans. Everywhere you looked, there was purple in the stands, and it was a great atmosphere. The student section was huge, and the fans all showed up. I talked to running back Coach Anderson (Running Backs coach Brian Anderson) and Coach Braet, " Liggett said.

Had a blast at K-State yesterday! Huge props to @aubreyschneids and @spedbraet for making it happen and the great experience. @ptgraphics0 @coachhoelting @coachstrong5 @Coach3isenhauer @Coach_MillerOU pic.twitter.com/lsWJLA4kly
— Cade Liggett (@CadeLiggett2028) November 2, 2025

"I thought the environment around the whole game was something that stood out—it was cool to see how they prepared for a tough opponent like Texas Tech. I was able to talk with Coach Middleton and Coach Donald (Director of Player Personnel and Assistant General Manager Dimitri Donald), " Stephens said. He is rated as a three-star recruit and has offers from Iowa and Iowa State.

thank you to kansas state for the hospitality yesterday! 🐾🐾 pic.twitter.com/50ZhJdHKCu
— jayden stephens | 3⭐️ | 2028 (@jaydenstephenss) November 2, 2025

"I thought the game was good. Kansas State definitely beat themselves and didn't capitalize when they needed to. What stood out to me was the turnovers because in the first half, it was a good battle, but the turnovers made the difference in the game. I was able to talk to Coach Middleton (Wide Receivers coach Matthew Middleton) and Coach Braet, " Williams said. Some other schools he is talking to right now are K-State, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota State, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa State.

Had a great time at @KStateFB yesterday! Thank you for having me @Coach_Middleton @spedbraet @aubreyschneids @AidanMarks18 @AllenTrieu @JGonzalesJr10 @RecruitLNEagles @CoachMalone816 pic.twitter.com/TfCEImBQfe
— Mikai Williams (@mikaiwilliams_3) November 2, 2025

"The game didn't turn out how we hoped, but there was definitely a lot to be proud of for the cats. The crowd and environment stood out the most. Growing up in Knoxville, the standard was set pretty high, and the crowd definitely surprised me and earned my respect. I caught up with Coach Donald and Coach Anderson. We had lots of great conversations, and I feel like we're creating a good relationship, " Head said.

Thank you @KStateFB for the awesome experience! I had Lots of great conversations and made lots of relationships! @_CoachDonald @coachliddle @CoachAnderson15 @jeremycrabtree @AllenTrieu @6starfootballMO @GVEagleFootball @247recruiting pic.twitter.com/IbzCt7lIIg
— Dawson Head (@dawson20_) November 2, 2025

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