Hecht, Payne Selected in NFL Draft
Apr 25, 2026 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State offensive lineman Sam Hecht and safety VJ Payne fulfilled their dreams of becoming NFL players on Saturday as they were taken in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Hecht was selected with the fourth pick of the fifth round – No. 144 overall – by the Carolina Panthers, while Payne was taken with the 12th pick of the seventh round – No. 228 overall – by the New York Jets.
A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Hecht is just the second Wildcat all-time to be selected by Carolina, joining defensive back Jarrod Cooper in 2001. He is just the fourth Wildcat center to be selected in the Modern Era NFL Draft (since 1970), joining Bill Brittain (1974 by Philadelphia), Fred Rothwell (1974 by Detroit) and Nick Leckey (2004 by Arizona).
Payne, who hails from Gainesville, Georgia, was the sixth K-State player all-time to be taken by the Jets and the first since defensive back Rashad Washington was selected by the organization in 2004.
Hecht was a four-year letterwinner who played in 42 games with starts in each of the final 25 contests of his career. He was a two-time All-Big 12 honoree, including a first-team member as a senior as he earned votes for the 2025 Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year award. He played on 1,599 snaps over the final two years of his career and only committed two penalties – both in 2024 – while he did not allow a sack over his 824 pass blocking snaps.
This past season, Hecht anchored an offensive line that saw the Wildcats rank 10th nationally in sacks allowed and fifth in school history in rushing yards per carry (5.09). Additionally, K-State had three rushes of at least 70 yards during the 2025 season, the most in school history and tied for the second most in the nation during the 2025 season. He was also a part of a front line that helped the Wildcats rush for a school-record 472 yards at Utah – breaking a mark that stood for 71 years – which included an individual school record of 293 yards by Joe Jackson.
Hecht also found success in the classroom as the construction science and management major was a four-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, a two-time Academic All-District performer and a semifinalist for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy, which is often referred to as the "Academic Heisman."
A two-time All-Big 12 performer, Payne saw time in 52 career games, which tied for 11th in school history. He started 42 career games, which included 41-consecutive games to end his career to stand as the longest streak on the team at the time of his departure. He recorded 207 tackles over his four seasons with 10.5 tackles for loss, a sack, four interceptions and 14 total passes defended.
Payne tallied at least 50 tackles each of the last three seasons, including a highwater mark of 64 as a junior in 2024. That saw also saw him pick off two passes, one of which sealed the victory at Tulane with an interception in the end zone with five seconds remaining, and another at Colorado to halt a potential Buffalo scoring drive.
More Wildcats could join NFL teams as organizations begin to sign rookie free agents in the coming days. Those will be announced as they are made public by their respective organizations.
Hecht was selected with the fourth pick of the fifth round – No. 144 overall – by the Carolina Panthers, while Payne was taken with the 12th pick of the seventh round – No. 228 overall – by the New York Jets.
A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Hecht is just the second Wildcat all-time to be selected by Carolina, joining defensive back Jarrod Cooper in 2001. He is just the fourth Wildcat center to be selected in the Modern Era NFL Draft (since 1970), joining Bill Brittain (1974 by Philadelphia), Fred Rothwell (1974 by Detroit) and Nick Leckey (2004 by Arizona).
Payne, who hails from Gainesville, Georgia, was the sixth K-State player all-time to be taken by the Jets and the first since defensive back Rashad Washington was selected by the organization in 2004.
Hecht was a four-year letterwinner who played in 42 games with starts in each of the final 25 contests of his career. He was a two-time All-Big 12 honoree, including a first-team member as a senior as he earned votes for the 2025 Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year award. He played on 1,599 snaps over the final two years of his career and only committed two penalties – both in 2024 – while he did not allow a sack over his 824 pass blocking snaps.
This past season, Hecht anchored an offensive line that saw the Wildcats rank 10th nationally in sacks allowed and fifth in school history in rushing yards per carry (5.09). Additionally, K-State had three rushes of at least 70 yards during the 2025 season, the most in school history and tied for the second most in the nation during the 2025 season. He was also a part of a front line that helped the Wildcats rush for a school-record 472 yards at Utah – breaking a mark that stood for 71 years – which included an individual school record of 293 yards by Joe Jackson.
Hecht also found success in the classroom as the construction science and management major was a four-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, a two-time Academic All-District performer and a semifinalist for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy, which is often referred to as the "Academic Heisman."
A two-time All-Big 12 performer, Payne saw time in 52 career games, which tied for 11th in school history. He started 42 career games, which included 41-consecutive games to end his career to stand as the longest streak on the team at the time of his departure. He recorded 207 tackles over his four seasons with 10.5 tackles for loss, a sack, four interceptions and 14 total passes defended.
Payne tallied at least 50 tackles each of the last three seasons, including a highwater mark of 64 as a junior in 2024. That saw also saw him pick off two passes, one of which sealed the victory at Tulane with an interception in the end zone with five seconds remaining, and another at Colorado to halt a potential Buffalo scoring drive.
More Wildcats could join NFL teams as organizations begin to sign rookie free agents in the coming days. Those will be announced as they are made public by their respective organizations.
– 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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