Kansas State Wildcats land two football recruits after Sunflower Showdown win over KU

Kansas State’s victory over rival Kansas in the Sunflower Showdown is helping the Wildcats on the recruiting trail.

A pair of K-State football recruits announced their intentions to play for Chris Klieman a few short days after they attended the game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

One of them is a heavily recruited prospect in the 2026 class.

Brandon Ford, a 6-foot defensive back from Crowley, Texas, became K-State’s first pledge for 2026 when he committed to the Wildcats on Monday. He has a three-star rating and holds scholarship offers from many notable football teams. The list includes Arizona, Arizona State, Houston, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, SMU, Texas Tech and Washington State.

The Wildcats made an early impression on him and then sealed the deal when he visited Manhattan over the weekend.

K-State also gained a commitment from a linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class.

Darien Whitaker, a 6-foot-4 defensive athlete from Omaha, was also sold on the Wildcats after he visited the Little Apple for the Sunflower Showdown. He was once committed to Northern Iowa and held offers from South Florida and Washington State. He has a three-star rating from 247Sports.