Kansas State football is already building its 2027 class, adding another promising defensive product.
Three-star defensive tackle Dawayne Jones announced his commitment to the program on Sunday night. Jones is from Tulsa, OK, and currently attends Booker T. Washington High School. He also had offers from Arizona, Arizona State, and Auburn.
"Gods plan > mine," Jones tweeted. "Grateful and humble! I Can’t Thank The Lord enough for Allowing me to be in this situation! Blessed to say I am Committed to Kansas State University!"
He is the brother of former Wildcats defensive back Wayne Jones, who played three seasons with the team, logging 83 total tackles, two pass deflections, and two fumble recoveries. The younger Jones joins Nazir Pitchford as part of the 2027 class additions.
He is currently listed as a three-star recruit, but CBS Sports analyst Tom Lemming bumped him up to four stars.
ESPN LIKENS KANSAS STATE LEGEND COLLIN KLEIN TO NBA LEGEND
Collin Klein is a Kansas State program legend for a reason.
It's earned him a spot on ESPN's latest power rankings, where they're grading the best signal-callers of the century. Klein ranked No. 48 on the list, right behind the likes of Mac Jones (Alabama) and Alex Smith (Utah). The Wildcats legend was equated with NBA legend Dominique Wilkins for his flash and dual-threat play style. He remains all-time in the top five in touchdowns (56) among college football quarterbacks.
"If Dominique Wilkins was the Human Highlight Reel, Klein was the Human Third-and-Manageable Conversion," the article wrote. "He piloted an infuriatingly hard-to-stop K-State attack and, in 2011 and 2012, led the Wildcats to 21 wins and Bill Snyder's second Big 12 title."
Two of the team's three all-time conference championships were under Klein's watch. As a quarterback, he won the Big 12 championship and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. Ten years later, he won again as an offensive coordinator, guiding quarterback Will Howard to a career season and the Wildcats to their best season in years.
His legacy of winning within the school has brought him back to take the reins in Manhattan, KS. He has ambitions to re-establish those standards as the head coach, following a disappointing 2025 season that was supposed to have the program back to championship glory.
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