Kansas State linebacker Jake Clifton stepping away from football to serve LDS Mission
Some things are more important than college football for Jake Clifton.
The 6-foot-2 and 222-pound junior linebacker has announced that he will pause his career on the gridiron and step away from Kansas State for the next two seasons in order to serve an LDS Mission.
Clifton will bid farewell to the Wildcats, at least temporarily, after making 36 tackles while playing in 19 games over the past two seasons. During that time, he made three starts and proved himself as one of the most reliable defenders on the roster. Head coach Chris Klieman has raved about his ability to play all three linebacker positions since the day he stepped foot on campus.
But the Wildcats will have to get by without him during the 2024 and 2025 seasons while he is away.
“The past two seasons with Kansas State have been unforgettable,” Clifton wrote on social media. “I have been blessed more than I deserve. The entire staff has been nothing but helpful in me becoming a better man and player. I will cherish my relationships with my teammates long beyond football.
“After much prayer, I have decided to pause my career and serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. EMAW!”
It is common in some regions of the country for LDS athletes to delay or pause their college football career while they go on church missions. At BYU and Utah, for example, their rosters are loaded with older players who spent two years away from football.
But you don’t see it all that much at K-State or at its rival schools in the Big 12.
Clifton was a priority recruit for the Wildcats out of Owasso, Oklahoma, and he played in 11 games as a freshman. He followed that up with eight more appearances last season before he suffered a knee injury.
He spent spring practices on the sideline with a brace wrapped around his recovering knee, but he was expected to play meaningful snaps for the Wildcats next season had he chosen to return.
K-State was prepared for this possibility, though. His departure is one of the main reasons why the Wildcats recently added New Mexico transfer Alec Marenco at linebacker.
The Wildcats have been active on the recruiting trail lately. They also added Will Kemna, a three-star offensive lineman from Jefferson City, on Friday. Before that, they beat a number of Big 12 schools for high school linebacker Weston Polk.
