Kansas State lands top DE Tucker Ashford
Kansas State is back on the board on the recruiting trail. Fort Worth, Texas defensive end Tucker Ashford has committed to K-State.
Ashford was more of a slow-burn type of recruitment. Kansas State offered him last June at a camp in Manhattan and he was a top priority from the jump. Both K-State defensive ends coach Buddy Wyatt and head coach Chris Klieman have gone to Fort Worth a few times during the contact periods to meet with Ashford. His meeting with Klieman in January really made a strong impression on him. The Wildcats were his third official visit after previously making trips to Stanford and Vanderbilt. He also took official visits to Houston and Illinois after his trip to Manhattan.
During his official visit to K-State, the Wildcats pulled out all the stops. Kansas State even went as far as to post a sign at the Chipotle to welcome him to The Little Apple.
Ashford is a nice recruiting win for Kansas State. He held offers from Baylor, Boise State, California, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Utah, Wisconsin, Memphis, North Texas, Tulsa, UNLV, UTEP, Houston, Illinois, Stanford, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma State before picking the Wildcats. If you are picking out a head-to-head win for Kansas State, it is a Big 12 recruiting victory over Houston. Interestingly many thought the Cougars were in the background of his recruitment, but ended up finishing behind the Wildcats.
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Wyatts’ relationship with Ashford, as well as Kansas State’s lineage of defensive ends under Wyatt helped the Wildcats win his verbal pledge. The Fort Worth native also adds to a long lineage of defensive ends who have camped in Manhattan and then joined the Wildcats. Ashford is an impressive multi-sport athlete and was actually the lead leg for Fort Worth Christian’s 4×100 relay this spring on the track.
In total, Ashford is commitment No 17. in the 2026 class for Kansas State. Interestingly, the defensive end is also commitment No. 7 from The Lone Star State this cycle.
