Kansas State University Athletics
K-State Garners 13 All-Big 12 Selections
Dec 04, 2025 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Led by first-team selection offensive lineman Sam Hecht, Kansas State collected 13 All-Big 12 citations as the league announced the 2025 Coaches' All-Big 12 selections on Thursday.
Hecht, a senior who also earned votes from the coaches for the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year award, has started each of the last 25 games at center and played in 42 career contests. An All-Big 12 Second Team selection last year, he anchored an offensive line that helped the Wildcats finish the regular season in a tie for 13th place nationally in fewest sacks per game (1.08), while they rushed for 678 yards the last two weeks against Utah and Colorado to rank fourth in the nation and tops among Power 4 schools.
A product of Shawnee, Kansas, Hecht anchored an offensive line that paved the way for a school-record 472 rushing yards at Utah, breaking a mark that stood for 71 years.
K-State's All-Big 12 Second Team honors included junior linebacker Austin Romaine and junior offensive linemen John Pastore. It is the second-straight season that Romaine earned second-team honors from the league's coaches. He finished second on the team with 66 tackles while only playing in nine games, missing the final three games due to injury. Romaine, a Hillsboro, Missouri, product, also ranked second on the squad with 7.0 tackles for loss, while he had two pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble.
Pastore, a native of Erie, Colorado, started all 12 games at left tackle, which were the first starts of his career.
Junior wide receiver Jayce Brown and sophomore running back Joe Jackson each earned All-Big 12 Third Team accolades. Brown, a native of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, started nine of his 10 games played this season before missing the final two games due to injury. He hauled in 41 receptions for 712 yards and five touchdowns, which was highlighted by a 160-yard effort at Kansas. He finished the regular season ranked sixth in the Big 12 with 71.2 receiving yards per game and fourth with 17.37 receiving yards per catch.
Jackson, who started nine games this season, finished the regular season with a team-leading 911 rushing yards with eight touchdowns. He recorded 435 of his rushing yards in the last two regular-season games to rank second nationally and tops among Power 4 players. A native of Haines City, Florida, Jackson set the school's single-game rushing record with 293 yards at Utah, setting a new school single-game record that was previously held by Darren Sproles.
Kansas State's All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selections this year include wide receiver Jaron Tibbs, tight end Garrett Oakley, defensive linemen Damian Ilalio, Chiddi Obiazor and Cody Stufflebean, linebacker Des Purnell and defensive backs VJ Payne and Zashon Rich.
Coaches' All-Big 12 Teams (Kansas State)
First Team: Sam Hecht (OL).
Second Team: John Pastore (OL), Austin Romaine (LB).
Third Team: Joe Jackson (RB), Jayce Brown (WR).
Honorable Mention: Jaron Tibbs (WR), Garrett Oakley (TE), Damian Ilalio (DL), Chiddi Obiazor (DL), Cody Stufflebean (DL), Des Purnell (LB), VJ Payne (DB), Zashon Rich (DB), Sam Hecht (Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year).
Hecht, a senior who also earned votes from the coaches for the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year award, has started each of the last 25 games at center and played in 42 career contests. An All-Big 12 Second Team selection last year, he anchored an offensive line that helped the Wildcats finish the regular season in a tie for 13th place nationally in fewest sacks per game (1.08), while they rushed for 678 yards the last two weeks against Utah and Colorado to rank fourth in the nation and tops among Power 4 schools.
A product of Shawnee, Kansas, Hecht anchored an offensive line that paved the way for a school-record 472 rushing yards at Utah, breaking a mark that stood for 71 years.
K-State's All-Big 12 Second Team honors included junior linebacker Austin Romaine and junior offensive linemen John Pastore. It is the second-straight season that Romaine earned second-team honors from the league's coaches. He finished second on the team with 66 tackles while only playing in nine games, missing the final three games due to injury. Romaine, a Hillsboro, Missouri, product, also ranked second on the squad with 7.0 tackles for loss, while he had two pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble.
Pastore, a native of Erie, Colorado, started all 12 games at left tackle, which were the first starts of his career.
Junior wide receiver Jayce Brown and sophomore running back Joe Jackson each earned All-Big 12 Third Team accolades. Brown, a native of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, started nine of his 10 games played this season before missing the final two games due to injury. He hauled in 41 receptions for 712 yards and five touchdowns, which was highlighted by a 160-yard effort at Kansas. He finished the regular season ranked sixth in the Big 12 with 71.2 receiving yards per game and fourth with 17.37 receiving yards per catch.
Jackson, who started nine games this season, finished the regular season with a team-leading 911 rushing yards with eight touchdowns. He recorded 435 of his rushing yards in the last two regular-season games to rank second nationally and tops among Power 4 players. A native of Haines City, Florida, Jackson set the school's single-game rushing record with 293 yards at Utah, setting a new school single-game record that was previously held by Darren Sproles.
Kansas State's All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selections this year include wide receiver Jaron Tibbs, tight end Garrett Oakley, defensive linemen Damian Ilalio, Chiddi Obiazor and Cody Stufflebean, linebacker Des Purnell and defensive backs VJ Payne and Zashon Rich.
Coaches' All-Big 12 Teams (Kansas State)
First Team: Sam Hecht (OL).
Second Team: John Pastore (OL), Austin Romaine (LB).
Third Team: Joe Jackson (RB), Jayce Brown (WR).
Honorable Mention: Jaron Tibbs (WR), Garrett Oakley (TE), Damian Ilalio (DL), Chiddi Obiazor (DL), Cody Stufflebean (DL), Des Purnell (LB), VJ Payne (DB), Zashon Rich (DB), Sam Hecht (Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year).
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Football, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Football, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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