Analyst Says Linkon Cure Signing Changes Kansas State Recruiting Landscape
Kansas State received big news when top recruit Linkon Cure signed a letter of intent to play for the Wildcats next season.
He chose K-State ahead of Oregon. 247Sports recruiting analyst Tom Loy said it was a "massive win" for the program.
"It shows that they have the recruiting chops to go toe-to-toe with the best of the best in the country," Loy said on the 247Sports National Signing Day special. "It was very much laid out to him, `Hey, you can pick Oregon early on and then you can transfer a year later if you're homesick, if you're not happy, if promises are not met ... Really, what it means is Kansas State is very much in play for the best of the best of the country. They will pony up when it comes to NIL. They will pony up and really take that next level, to try to get close to winning national championships and compete at the highest level. It's a very exciting time to be a Kansas State fan."
Loy said he spoke multiple times with Cure leading up to the moment. It was a super tough decision.
"This was as close to a done deal as you could imagine," Loy said. "When he left Oregon, he made it very clear to me that the Ducks were the team to beat. They were in a great position and then things started to change as we closer to the decision and really getting closer to Signing Day. He was struggling. He and I a lot of conversations over the last couple days. He was very open and honest about his struggles in this decision. You could tell it was very emotional. There were long nights. The kid lost a lot of sleep. This is the biggest, most difficult decision of his young life."
The Wildcats now have a player they expect to compete for playing time immediately.
"He loved Oregon. I'm telling you this kid really, really wanted to be a Duck at one point," Loy said. "He was excited about how they were going to use him in the offense. He loved that coaching staff in Eugene but in the end home is where he most comfortable and confident. This is a massive win for the Wildcats."
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
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