Being selective in the transfer portal has been a winning formula for Kansas State football

MANHATTAN — While Chris Klieman rubbed elbows with fans and supporters last Monday during a Catbacker Tour event at Kansas State's new Shamrock Practice Facility, he and his football coaching staff were otherwise immersed in recruiting.

Thanks to the transfer portal, the relatively new December signing day and for a couple of more years the extra year of eligibility granted to players in 2020 as a result of COVID-19, the search for players is neverending these days.

"Whether it's completing our 2023 roster or continuing to find the '24s and the '25s that we need to get on, that's what our focus has been as a staff," said Klieman, who also had the eastern swing of the Catbacker Tour on his itinerary. "Our guys went on the road after spring ball ended on that Saturday (in mid-April), and our guys were on the road I think on that Monday or Tuesday, just going out and evaluating people.

"Myself, I've been traveling quite a bit at different events, and we start camp season up here in another week in June, so it's going to be a busy summer again."

More: Three Kansas State football players enter transfer portal ahead of spring deadline

Wildcats look to transfer portal for final 2023 touches

With the 2023 roster pretty well set, most of the staff's attention has by now shifted to the next two recruiting cycles. The portal window is now closed for undergraduates looking to leave, but K-State did lose three more players at the end of spring drills, so Klieman and his assistants continue to keep an eye out for one or two more bodies to fill the roster.

"The portal is not going anywhere, I understand that," Klieman said. "We need to embrace it because we've had a lot of success out of the portal. We've had some tremendous players that, shoot, they've been going onto NFL rosters and been drafted that came (to K-State) from the portal.

"So we have to continue to develop guys and have guys here for four, five and six years still. We have a couple of more years of the six-year (COVID) guys. But we didn't take as big a hit as a lot of schools, and for the most part our starters have maintained intact."

More: Tracking Kansas State football's undrafted free agents after 2023 NFL Draft

Kansas State carefully picks and chooses its transfer targets

That is the good news, and one reason K-State has avoided the flurry of activity that has some competitors looking for double-digit roster replacements through the portal. Instead of bringing transfers by the truckload, the Wildcats have been much more selective and strategic, which in turn has led to a pretty solid success rate.

"You think of Julius Brents getting drafted and Josh Hayes gets drafted," Klieman said. "Kade Warner's on a roster and Adrian (Martinez) is on a roster with Detroit. And I think of those that jump out at me right now that are guys that came (from the portal).

"It's fun to see that, and it shows other people that we'll take a couple of those transfers, and they can be successful here. But still the core is the Deuce (Vaughn) and Felix (Anudike-Uzomah) that spent their whole time here."

Brents, who started the past two seasons at cornerback after transferring in from Iowa, was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Hayes, a starting safety from North Dakota State, went to Tampa Bay in the seventh round. Quarterback Martinez and wide receiver Warner, a pair of Nebraska transplants, signed free agent contracts.

More: For four Kansas State football players, the NFL Draft served as a homecoming

Transfers played key roles in 2022 success story

Brents, Warner and former Kennesaw State safety Cincere Mason all spent two years at K-State and were key contributors to a 2022 Big 12 championship team that won 10 games and played in the Sugar Bowl. Martinez and safety Drake Cheatum (Prairie View A&M) also were starters, though injuries shut Martinez down for much of the second half of the season.

The 2021 portal group had an even bigger impact, with safety/linebacker Reggie Stubblefield, safety Russ Yeast, defensive tackle Timmy Horne and tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe all playing significant roles alongside Brents, Mason and Warner.

The fact that K-State has been able to pick and choose which players it signs through the portal has reduced some of the risks inherent in bringing people in almost sight unseen. The Wildcats haven't had a lot of busts, but Klieman is wary of adding too many at once.

More: How Collin Klein has managed to keep crowded Kansas State football quarterback room intact

"It's hard because you can't visit them," Klieman said. "You could bring them in on an official visit, but it's just conversations over the phone, and it's calling other people that maybe you know that they know.

"The process probably needs to change a little bit. I don't know how that is, I just don't, but it's a fast turnaround to think that the last portal window ended on April 30, and from May 1 to really now, whether it's us looking for players or all those kids that entered the portal and are trying to find a place to go, that's not enough time."

K-State had four new portal players — wide receiver Keagan Johnson from Iowa, Florida running back Treshaun Ward, North Dakota State defensive back Marques Sigle and Mississippi State defensive tackle Jevon Banks — go through spring practice. They have since added defensive back Tyler Nelome from Southeast Missouri State and quarterback Jacob Knuth as a walk-on from Minnesota.

But Klieman would much rather go the traditional route of courting high school and junior college players where there is much more time to evaluate and get to know them. He cited the current crop of quarterbacks as an example.

"We recruited (likely 2023 starter) Will Howard for almost a year and a half and we recruited Avery (Johnson) for two years and (Jake) Rubley for two years and stuff," Klieman said. "Those are what the expectations are so you can build those relationships.

"Right now you're building a (portal) relationship in sometimes a week or less."

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football has found success in transfer portal