Warner blown away by Kansas State visit
Plenty of 2020 targets have visited Kansas State over the course of the month of October. One left committed – junior college defensive tackle Robert Hentz of Northwest Mississippi Community College. A few didn’t, such as defensive back TJ Smith, lineman Tanoa Togiai, athlete DaJon Harrison and defensive end Kershawn Fisher.
All of those names witnessed a Wildcat victory, either against TCU or on the last Saturday of the month against Oklahoma.
Lost in all that hoopla and courting was the fact the Wildcats also keep swinging and hammering away at retention, as well.
Nearly every commit made it to Manhattan in October. That’s a pretty impressive feat. There are still a few that haven’t been able to make the long trip, like Demarrquese Hayes, Will Howard, Mak Sonn and Carver Willis.
There are a few that have made it back often. McPherson tight end Cody Stufflebean, Olathe East defensive end Nate Matlack and Gardner-Edgerton lineman Talor Warner are the most frequent visitors.
The win over the Sooners had them blown away.
“It was unlike anything I have ever been a part of,” Warner said. “The guys showed a lot of heart and toughness, and it made me proud to know that one day the other commits and I will all be representing the town and the state like those boys did Saturday.”
Like Warner, Stufflebean and Matlack were in tow when Oklahoma traveled to Manhattan just a few days ago. It wasn’t just that trio this time around.
“I was able to meet JoJo (Wilson), Jay (Harris) and Trip (Ronald Triplette) for the first time Saturday,” Warner revealed. “I can’t wait to play with those guys. And it’s always nice seeing Nate (Matlack), Sam (Shields), Cody (Stufflebean) and Hadley (Panzer), as well. Overall, we all just had a great time together on Saturday.”
Everyone wants to know what the impact will be when a team rattles off a significant victory of that magnitude. In ways, it can be program-defining. That may be the case for the Wildcats, though it will probably be felt more in the 2021 cycle.
In the 2020 cycle it can strengthen the message from the coaches.
However, the commits didn’t need any reinforcement, according to Warner.
“No, that’s more for the guys who aren’t committed,” he explained. “All of us are already bought in. From day one, I have believed what the Kansas State coaches have been telling me, not just because they have said it, but because, individually, each and every coach has proved it in my eyes.
"From their resume at previous schools, to the way they coached me at camp, every member of the staff has shown me that they want to win and are going to do everything it takes to put the team in the best position to do so," Warner continued. "And that is ultimately what led to my decision to be a Wildcat.”
