After a busy Monday with multiple defections for the Wildcats, Tuesday has now brought another player reportedly exiting the program as Will Lee has shared plans on his social media account to test the transfer portal waters.
A 6-foot-3 sophomore who arrived in Manhattan this past offseason after a stint at Iowa Western C.C., the native of Kirkwood, Mo. started nine of 11 games this season as K-State's field cornerback. In his lone season on campus, Lee amassed 42 tackles, 1.5 TFL, with two interceptions and six pass breakups. PFF graded his regular season the highest of any defender on K-State's roster, registering a 76.3 rating on 453 total snaps.
Rated by 247Sports composite scale as a three-star recruit in K-State's most recent 2023 class, Lee was re-targeted by Joe Klanderman after being previously pledged to Oregon State. Rated a Top 40 JUCO prospect, the defensive back carried additional offers from the likes of Arkansas, Florida State and Iowa.
With a wealth of promise and multiple years of eligibility left in the tank, losing Lee would certainly tests Van Malone's position room for 2024 and beyond. That said, the 185-pounder didn't finish on a high note during the regular season after a particularly poor showing against Iowa State and other rough spells against top competition like Oklahoma State and Texas.
The upcoming offseason features two transfer windows for players and programs to conduct transfer recruitments:
- Winter Window: 45 days beginning on December 4, 2023
- Spring Window: 45 days beginning on April 16, 2024
Last year alone, over 2,700 players entered their name into the transfer portal including 15 one-time Wildcats. Since 2019, K-State has seen a total of 62 transfers exit Manhattan and brought in 28 to join the roster, most notably all-conference standouts like Briley Moore, Russ Yeast and Julius Brents.
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The NCAA introduced the transfer portal on Oct. 15, 2018, providing athletes a path to explore their options. Players do not need to ask permission from their coaching staff in order to transfer but merely request that compliance enter their name. A process that typically takes 24-48 hours before a player officially appears in the national database, schools are then free to contact a player without restriction.
While a player entering the transfer portal indicates an intent to explore other options, it does not necessarily mean they will. Each entry is free to withdraw his name at any time. However, schools are under no obligation to keep said player on scholarship once they enter the portal.
All players who enter the transfer portal for the first time will be immediately eligible at their new school so long as they meet a NCAA-mandated entry deadline
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