Kansas State football adds to Fourth of July fireworks with pair of weekend commitments

Kansas State football's successful Fourth of July weekend continued Saturday when the Wildcats received a commitment from speedy Arkansas running back Monterrio Elston.

Elston, a three-star prospect from Parkview Magnet in Little Rock, announced his decision on Instagram, picking the Wildcats over Arkansas and Missouri. He is K-State's 14th pledge of the 2025 recruiting cycle and the second of the holiday weekend, joining Kansas City, Missouri, defensive back RJ Collins, who committed Thursday.

Elston and Collins' announcements came on the heels of a major recruiting victory last Monday, when Goodland five-star tight end Linkon Cure chose the Wildcats over Kansas, Oregon and Texas A&M.

The 5-foot-8, 170-pound Elston gives the Wildcats a versatile weapon, who helped Parkview Magnet to a second straight Arkansas Class 5A championship last year as a junior by amassing 1,854 all-purpose yards. He had 847 rushing yards, 887 receiving and 120 return yards.

Elston also showcased his speed with the Parkview track team, finishing fifth in the 5A 100-meter dash and running on the winning 4x200 relay team.

Collins got the ball rolling for the Wildcats on Thursday, completing what was a quick recruiting process. He attended a June 23 camp in Manhattan, received his offer two days later and didn't take long to reach his decision.

K-State was the only Power Four team to offer Collins, a 5-11, 175-pound cornerback who also could fit in as a safety for the Wildcats. He did receive interest from Nebraska and Wyoming and had offers from FCS powers North Dakota State, South Dakota State, South Dakota and North Dakota, among others.

Like Elston, he was a star on the track as well, winning the Missouri Class 5 state championship in the 200 and placing third in the 100.

Kansas State football commitment list

2025 RECRUITING COMMITMENTS

High school players

RJ Collins— 5-11, 175, cornerback, Kansas City, Mo.

Linkon Cure— 6-6, 220, tight end, Goodland

Dillon Duff— 6-2, 185, quarterback, St. Louis

Monterrio Elston— 5-8, 170, running back, Little Rock, Ark.

Brock Heath— 6-5, 260, offensive lineman, Blue Valley NW (Kan.)

Martel Jackson— 6-2, 175, cornerback, Derby (Kan.)

Will Kemna— 6-5, 260, offensive lineman, Jefferson City, Mo.

Dalton Knapp— 6-4, 225, defensive end, Fort Worth, Texas

Dominic Mitchell— 6-2, 200, safety, Phoenix

Adonis Moise— 6-0, 180, wide receiver, Bradenton, Fla.

Weston Polk— 6-1, 215, linebacker, Coppell, Texas

Maguire Richman— 6-2, 208, linebacker, Blue Valley (Kan.)

Sawyer Schilke— 6-3, 225, linebacker, Kearney, Neb.

JoJo Scott— 6-1, 175, cornerback, Lakeland, Fla.

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.