Kansas State has everything CB commit McCalister searched for
Out of the six 2022 commits, only two are out-of-state prospects and they are Friendswood, Texas cornerback Colby McCalister and Iowa tight end Brayden Loftin. While all of the current commits have been on campus so far this month, he is the only one to take an official visit to Manhattan.
"The highlight of the visit was definitely the one-on-one meetings I got with the coaching staff," he said. "I got to see each of their personalities and they all have a positive vision about the future of Kansas State football and all want me to be a part of it, so that was really cool."
The coaches and staff members were why he picked the Wildcats. They were also what shine through when he was on the K-State campus. That's a ringing endorsement that the Wildcats receive on each trip - the people make the place.
Bill Snyder once said it and it hasn't changed.
"It was the love and energy that the people at Kansas State bring," McCalister explained. I had met all of these people for the first time in person and they welcomed me and treated me like family, as if they had known me for years."
"I felt an instant amount of trust when I first met all of the coaches," he added. "They kept it real and said they were going to challenge me, but that they also were going to love me and that's exactly what I'm looking for."
Those messages often came from assistant Van Malone, who has been his lead recruiter and will be his future position coach.
"Coach Malone is the best coach," McCalister divulged. "He always keeps it real, 100 percent of the time. He is extremely funny, too. But when it comes time to work, he doesn't play. So, he's got that great mix of joking and seriousness."
The host of his visit was former Clear Brook High teammate, Shane Porter. That was probably an easy choice for the recruiting staff, and Taylor Braet, to make.
"We have a great relationship and I trust him and know that I can come to him for anything," he noted about Porter.
Like many that are recruited by the Wildcats, McCalister has always hailed from a city and the surrounding areas. The perception of Manhattan isn't always accurate, and he admitted to his preconceived notions about the college town being defeated in quick order.
"I’m from the suburbs of Houston, so my first impression of Manhattan was that it would be flat land with a lot of open grass fields," he stated. "I was definitely wrong about Manhattan. It has a lot of hills and amazing architecture on the buildings."
Silas Etter has kind of been the leader thus far, but the coaches would also like to see McCalister share some of those duties, too.
"The coaches were impressed with my film and physical size when I saw them in person," he noted. "They told me that I was a leader in their 2022 class, and that is a role that I'm proud and ready to take on."
