A camp breakout that quickly turned into a Kansas State pledge

Wildcats land commitment from 2026 WR Maxwell Lovett
Cincinnati v Kansas State
Cincinnati v Kansas State | Peter Aiken/GettyImages

After turning heads at a Kansas State camp, wide receiver Maxwell Lovett didn’t wait long to make a decision—committing Wednesday to the Wildcats’ 2026 class.

The Cherry Creek High School (Englewood, Colorado) standout announced his decision on social media, thanking Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman and assistants Thad Middleton and Matt Wells for the opportunity.

“100% COMMITTED‼️ I want to say thank you to my family and the sacrifices they have made to help me succeed,” Lovett posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior earned an offer following a strong camp performance in Manhattan. He caught 39 passes for 627 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023.

Lovett is rated an 85 overall by 247Sports and ranks as the No. 17 player in Colorado and the No. 243 wide receiver nationally in the 2026 class.

He chose Kansas State over offers from Oregon State, Boston College, Colorado State, UConn, and others.

A polished route-runner with reliable hands, Lovett makes plays across all levels of the field. He is also teammates with current Kansas State commit Oliver Miller at Cherry Creek.

Lovett is the first wide receiver in the Wildcats’ 2026 recruiting class and the 16th overall pledge. His commitment continues Kansas State’s push to build around rising quarterback Avery Johnson.

The Wildcats have already added transfers Jerand Bradley (Texas Tech), Caleb Medford (TCU), and Jaron Tibbs (Purdue) to strengthen the 2025 receiving corps.

While K-State recently missed on four-star receiver Mason James—who committed to Washington—they remain aggressive on the recruiting trail.

Kansas State is coming off a 9–4 campaign, including a 5–4 record in Big 12 play and a 44–41 win over Rutgers in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. The Wildcats enter 2025 ranked No. 12 in USA Today’s preseason poll and No. 16 by Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt.

He’ll now look to develop within a Wildcats program known for turning under-the-radar talent into high-impact playmakers.