WATCH: Linkon Cure explains unique recruitment journey, key moment from official visit on K-Nation
GOODLAND (KSNT) - Linkon Cure, widely regarded as the nation's No. 2-rated tight end for the class of 2025, recently became the first ever five-star prospect to commit to K-State.
Cure, native of Goodland, Kansas, announced his decision on Monday, July 1. He took time, after taking some photos and even signing autographs, to sit down with 27 Sports Director Glenn Kinley for a one-on-one interview. The interview aired in Sunday's edition of K-Nation.
What stood out about K-State?
"Really everything about it," Cure said. "I don't see any cons at K-State. I love the school, I love the culture, the program, coaches, players. There's really everything about it. I just love everything about it, there's nothing not to love."
Cure recalls watching guys like Collin Klein, Tyler Lockett and others shine with the Wildcats when he was growing up. He and his family made plenty of trips across the state to watch games in Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
"Sitting in the crowd, I always promised myself I'd be in that position one day," Cure said.
His recruitment wasn't a road without bumps, however. Cure says his commitment to K-State might have come earlier if it wasn't for a major staff change. Collin Klein was one of the primary coaches recruiting him to Manhattan. Klein took a job with Texas A&M in December and everything halted.
"I was really close to pulling the trigger and then, obviously, he left," Cure said, before explaining why Klein's departure didn't sway him to College Station. "Still had that really good relationship [with Klein] so him recruiting me at Texas A&M was definitely special but K-State, they were my first offer. They've been developing a relationship for the longest time. It's always been a love right there."
Cure says he built, and is continuing to build, relationships with several members of the coaching staff who worked to gain his trust after Klein's departure. He says his official visit to Manhattan was special and sold him on the 'Cats, including seeing his name on a sign in Aggieville.
The five-star prospect is being intentional about not getting ahead of himself despite the high expectations and abundant hype around his recruitment.
"I stay humble," he said. "When I get there I'm just any other player. I still have to prove myself. I still got a lot to prove and haven't reached my ceiling yet, so just still working on that."
The highly sought after prospect admits he had to grow up really fast as recruit picked up not long after he got a drivers license. He says he learned how to manage time much better through the process.
Cure says the Wildcat quarterback, Avery Johnson, was certainly a factor in his decision.
"He's an awesome guy," Cure said "The [recruiting] pitch from him was, 'We get the ball in playmakers hands.' I know his ability. I know what he can do, his scrambling ability... I trust him to get me the ball."
Cure also shared a story of the moment he opened up to recruting coordinator Taylor Braet and head coach Chris Klieman, during his official visit, and expressed his gut feeling that K-State might be the place for him. He also explained how his willed his dream to reality.
"From the moment I was born, growing up playing football, I just kept promising myself and promising myself, 'I'm going to be this great. I'm going to do these things,'" Cure said. "I always had that goal in my head and I never gave up on that. I worked myself to exhaustion every chance I got, I worked myself to tears... It's the mindset, like, 'I want to be this player.'"