Kansas JC OL headed to Big 12
Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College offensive lineman Ryan Lilja has signed his letter of intent and is staying near home in the Big 12.
"He signed with K-State a little over a week ago," Leiker said. "He is on his way to play for Coach (Bill) Snyder. K-State is getting a good kid. He's 4.0 GPA student. He started for us for two years. One at guard and one at tackle."
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"I signed with K-State because it offers me everything," Lilja said. "It is a good football school, it is close to home and the academics are good and that is important to me."
Lilja was also recruited by Kansas, New Mexico, Houston and Louisiana Tech. "I visited New Mexico and Houston too, but they couldn't offer me what K-State has to offer. I was supposed to visit Louisiana Tech on Dec. 14, but I cancelled that visit because I knew where I was going."
"Kansas was in the mix until the coaching change. They had offered me a scholarship and I was thinking about that a lot. Then the new coaches came in and said they weren't going to take any junior college linemen. So they withdrew the offer."
Lilja did not take an official visit to K-State. "I've been there lots of times unofficially recently and when I was in high school. I know a lot about Manhattan and K-State. I didn't need an official trip to tell me that."