The countdown continues with the last member of the three-headed monster in the running back room, Jacardia Wright.
Coming to Kansas State from Decatur, Illinois, Wright is a 6 foot, 220-pound sophomore who played high school ball at St. Teresa High School under head coach Mark Ramsey.
Wright rushed for 8,821 yards and 133 touchdowns during his time at St. Teresa, with both stats ranking him second best in Illinois state history for a running back.
He gathered three straight Macon County Player of the Year awards from the Herald & Review — only the second player to receive that honor. Wright was also named to the USA Today Sports/American Family Insurance All-Illinois First Team as a defensive back in 2018, while also earning second-team awards as a running back in 2017.
Out of high school, Wright was rated a three-star prospect, was ranked the 119th best athlete in the nation and the 36th best player in Illinois by 247Sports.
Wright passed on offers from multiple Division I programs, including Central Michigan, Iowa, Michigan State and Minnesota, instead choosing to come to Manhattan.
Blessed to receive an offer from Kansas State University!🥶😈💪🏿 @KStateFB pic.twitter.com/gato6td1Vb
— Jacardia Wright (@JacardiaW) April 2, 2019
Wright ultimately decided to commit to K-State in April 2019.
BREAKING: 8,800-yard RB Jacardia Wright (@JacardiaW) will sign with Kansas State. @KStateFB is getting an incredible talent and a rare kind of person who Decatur kids view as a hero.
➡️ https://t.co/BwXRseavM3 pic.twitter.com/Cfi6Ina3G2— Gordon Voit (@GordonVoit) April 17, 2019
In 2019, Wright saw action in three games while still preserving his redshirt status. He finished the year with 122 rushing yards and one touchdown on 22 carries.
He finished with a career-high 60 rushing yards in a win over Iowa State to finish out his 2019 season, which included a 12-yard touchdown run against Bowling Green to start the year.
Related:
Countdown to kickoff: 10 days away with wide receiver Brenen Hawkins, defensive back Darell Jones
Wright saw playing time in four games in 2020, rushing for 17 yards and six carries, tallying a season-high 12 yards on three attempts in a game against Texas Tech.
Wright looks to join running backs Deuce Vaughn and Joe Ervin to create a deadly three-headed monster for opposing defenses in the 2021 season.
Cincere Mason is a senior transfer defense back from Atlanta, Georgia. He played at Grady High School under head coach Earthwind Moreland. He would play safety and return punts for the Knights, earning First-Team All-Region 6A honors for both positions during his senior year.
Mason helped Grady go 10-2 in 2016 with an undefeated 7-0 record in region play.
Mason committed to Kennesaw State out of high school, where he would redshirt his freshman season in 2017.
Mason made a big impact with this opportunity as a redshirt freshman in 2018, recording a team-high four interceptions to rank second in the Big South.
He tallied a career-high three passes defended at Tennessee Tech while also recovering a fumble against Charleston Southern. He had multiple tackles in nine games, including a season-best four in an FCS playoff game against Wafford.
In 2019, Mason started in all 14 games, helping lead the No. 3 total defense in all of FCS play. He recorded three breakups and tallied his fifth career interception in the final game of the regular season against Gardner-Webb. Mason also recorded a forced fumble and a fumble recovery at No. 11 Wofford in the opening round of the FCS playoffs.
Mason saw action in all five games in 2020, with starts in each of the last four games. He recorded two passes defended against Dixie State and Roberts Morris — also recovering a fumble against Roberts Morris.
Mason transferred to K-State this summer, planning to finish his career with the Wildcats for the upcoming season.
KSU💜 pic.twitter.com/6hZn3TWplA
— DEUCE (@CincereMason) June 13, 2021
Mason joins transfer defensive backs Reggie Stubblefield and Russ Yeast to help the secondary for the Wildcats this season.
