As the start of the Kansas State football season draws closer, the Collegian eyes two seniors looking to make an impact this year in wide receiver Chabastin Taylor and defensive end Kirmari Gainous.
Coming from Giddings, Texas, Chabastin Taylor stands at 6 foot 4 inches and weighs 220 pounds. He played at Giddings High School under head coach Chris Jones where he was an all-district honoree, the Offensive MVP of District 10-4A and a member of the All-Midlands Region team by PrepStar his senior year.
As a wide receiver, Taylor caught 42 passes for 815 yards and 16 touchdowns over his last two years in high school while also rushing for 945 yards on 122 carries and 14 more touchdowns. Taylor also played quarterback, passing for 449 yards and four touchdowns.
Taylor received offers from Baylor and Louisiana before committing to K-State on Feb. 1, 2017.
✍🏾(10:32 AM) SIGNED! Welcome To The #KStateFB Family, Chabastin Taylor #EMAW17 #NSD17 😼🏈 pic.twitter.com/0Z3zyLPbPh
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) February 1, 2017
After redshirting in 2017, Taylor has seen playing time in every other season. He played in five games in 2018, recording three catches for 22 yards and a touchdown.
In 2019, Taylor played in all 13 of the Wildcat’s games and had his first two starts against Texas and Iowa State. The 2019 season saw him haul in 10 catches for 161 yards and one touchdown. The season was highlighted by his performance against Texas Tech where he had three receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Taylor started in nine games and played in all 10 during the 2020 season, totaling 19 catches for 293 yards and a touchdown.
Taylor could see even more reps and receptions this coming season as a leading member of the receiving corps at K-State.
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Kirmari Gainous comes to K-State out of Tallahassee, Florida. He stands at 6 foot 3 inches, weighs 240 pounds and is a defensive end for the Wildcats.
Gainous played at Lincoln High School under head coach Quinn Gray and was an All-County honoree as a senior in 2017 after totaling 50 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. He totaled 84 tackles in his high school career.
Gainous played at Hutchinson Community College for two years, earning Second Team NJCAA All-America honors as a sophomore after recording 49 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
After his two years at Hutchinson, Gainous was rated the 33rd-best overall community-college prospect in the Class of 2020 by 247Sports. He was ranked No. 38 by Rivals and No. 39 by ESPN.
Gainous had offers from LSU, Arkansas and UCF, but chose to commit to K-State on Dec. 18, 2019.
Powerful DE from Hutch CC
Kirmari Gainous (@_MarriiG) ✍️
📄 https://t.co/dVKp94b6FD#KStateFB ⚒ #NSD20 pic.twitter.com/elmV8BPRWh
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) December 18, 2019
During the 2020 season, Gainous was a constant on defense, playing in all 10 games. He recorded 14 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks on the season and a forced fumble against West Virginia, which was recovered by the Wildcats.
Gainous will likely see plenty of playing time during the 2021 season as he looks to make his mark against opposing teams inside and out of the Big 12.
