K-State announces six junior college signings

The Kansas State football program and head coach Ron Prince announced the signing of six highly-rated junior college prospects to National Letters of Intent Thursday, including four Rivals Top-100 performers.

Adrian Hilburn (New Braunfels, Texas), Blair Irvin (Patterson, La.), Billy McClellan (Torrance, Calif.), Ulla Pomele (Santa Rosa, Calif.), Hansen Sekona (San Mateo, Calif.) and Wade Weibert (Hillsboro, Kan.) have each signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play for the Wildcats, Prince said. The group of December junior college graduates is slated to enroll at K-State in January and participate in spring drills.

"We are extremely pleased with the addition of these six young men to our program," Prince said. "They are all tremendous athletes and we believe that each of them possesses the toughness and competitiveness that we are looking for in a Wildcat football player."

Hilburn, a tall and speedy wide receiver from City College of San Francisco, is rated the No. 41 junior college prospect in the nation and the fifth-best junior college receiver prospect according to Rivals after two solid seasons at San Francisco, which boasted one of the top offenses in the California Community College system. The New Braunfels, Texas, native caught 40 passes for 516 yards and three touchdowns this past season at City College and helped lead San Francisco to a 10-1 record, a NorCal Conference title and the California Community College Athletic Association football championship.

Irvin, a defensive back from Coffeyville Community College, earned second team all-conference honors this past season for the Red Ravens after totaling 24 tackles and one interception. The No. 48 junior college prospect in the nation by Rivals and a three-star prospect, Irvin also averaged 16.5 yards on 29 punt returns in 2007. After originally signing with LSU out of high school in 2002, Irvin was a 12th-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and played four seasons in the Rays and Florida Marlins organizations until his return to football in 2006.

McClellan, a three-star prospect by Rivals, was an all-conference defensive back at Los Angeles Harbor College and was tied for 15th in the Western State Conference with three interceptions this past season. The Torrance, Calif., native was an honorable mention all-conference selection as a freshman and collected 74 tackles, five interceptions and 10 pass breakups in two seasons at Harbor.

The Wildcat defense will get a boost at the linebacker position with the addition of Pomele and Sekona. The No. 38 junior college prospect in the nation and a four-star prospect according to Rivals, Pomele finished his second season at Santa Rosa with 44 total tackles, 11 of which went for losses, and five sacks. The Santa Rosa, Calif., native earned All-Big 8 Conference honors in 2007.

Sekona, a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout.com, was named First Team All-NorCal after tallying a team-leading 71 tackles, 10 of which went for losses, and two sacks this past season at San Mateo. The San Mateo, Calif., native totaled 23 tackles, three for losses, two sacks and one interception as a freshman.

The No. 46 junior college prospect in the nation and a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, Weibert anchored an offensive line that helped lead Butler County to the 2007 NJCAA National Football Championship and a perfect 12-0 record. A First Team NJCAA All-American and All-Region VI selection, Weibert led Butler County to a combined 23-1 record in two seasons.

Kansas State Mid-Year School Signees (6)

Name Pos Ht Wt *Elg. Hometown (Previous Schools)

Adrian Hilburn WR 6-2 190 Jr. New Braunfels, Texas (City College of San Francisco)

Blair Irvin DB 5-11 185 Jr. Patterson, La. (Coffeyville Community College)

Billy McClellan DB 5-9 180 Jr. Torrance, Calif. (Los Angeles Harbor College)

Ulla Pomele LB 6-1 235 Jr. Santa Rosa, Calif. (Santa Rosa Junior College)

Hansen Sekona LB 6-0 230 Jr. San Mateo, Calif. (College of San Mateo)

Wade Weibert OL 6-5 300 Jr. Hillsboro, Kan. (Butler County Community College)

*Elg. – Expected year of athletic eligibility for 2008 football season