Kansas State is back on the commit scoreboard in the 2021 cycle for football. After not having landed a commit since August 25 when they added linebacker Krew Jackson of Arizona, the Wildcats picked up in-state safety Desmond Purnell of Hayden Catholic High in Topeka.

Purnell is a late bloomer, by definition. He lacked much college interest at all but had begun to impress some programs during his senior season. He's one of those that benefited the most of having a football season in the middle of a pandemic.

Iowa State is the other program that had recently picked up interest in him and had been in contact. The Cyclones had not offered to date, as the Wildcats have

He becomes the 16th commitment of the class. It perhaps could be 20 if not for four defections in Jayden Williams, Matthew Langlois, DeShawn Page and Noah Bolticoff.

Purnell also becomes the seventh in-state addition of the class, joining Austin Weiner, Davonte Pritchard, Dorian Stephens, Gaven Haselhorst, Damian Ilalio and Darell Jones.