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Jersey Number 32
Desmond Purnell
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 232
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Topeka, Kan.
- High School:
- Hayden
CAREER HONORS
• 2025 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)
• 2025 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (TCU)
• 2025 Shrine Bowl watch list
• 2024 Academic All-Big 12
• 2023 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)
• 2022 Academic All-District (College Sports Communicators)
• 2022-23 First Team Academic All-Big 12
CAREER: Played in 52 career games, which is tied for 11th in school history... Made 38 starts during his career to rank as the second most on the team at the time of his depature... A two-time All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick.
2025: Started all 12 games, leading the team in both tackles with 72 and tackles for loss with 8.5 to go along with 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, four pass breakuips and a forced fumble en route to All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades... Finished his career on fire as he totaled 40 tackles, 7.0 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a forced fumble over his final six games... Had a banner day against TCU, tallying five tackles, 2.0 TFLs, a sack, two interceptions – including one he returned 25 yards for a touchdown – and two pass breakups en route to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors... He became the first Wildcat with two picks in a game since Jacob Parrish at Texas in 2023 and the first K-State linebacker with two in a game since Elijah Lee against TCU in 2015... His four total passes defended against the Horned Frogs were the most by a Wildcat since safety Russ Yeast had four at West Virginia in 2021, whilt it was the most by a K-State linebacker since at least 2003... His four passes defended tied for 8th nationally in single-game overall and tied for first among linebackers... Was the only player in the Big 12 in 2025 with a pick-6 and a full sack in the same game as his came on consecutive plays in the third quarter against TCU.... One of only nine players nationally during the 2025 campaign with a pick-6 and a full sack in the same game, but he was the only one to do it on consecutive plays... Became the first K-State player since at least 1989 with a sack and in pick-6 on consecutive plays, while he was the sixth Wildcat and first since 2009 (Jeffrey Fitzgerald at Texas Tech) with a sack and a pick-6 in the same game... One of only two players in school history with a fumble-return touchdown, a pick-6 and a punt-return touchdown in a career (Courtney Herndon)... Purnell’s fumble return touchdown was in 2023 against Baylor, while his punt return score came on a blocked punt against South Dakota in 2022... Also one of only six players in K-State history to have a fumble return touchdown and a pick-6 in a career... Backed his performance against TCU up with a team-leading nine tackles, a sack, 1.5 TFLs, a forced fumble and a pass breakup at Kansas... Set a career high with 10 tackles against Army – all solo stops – before topping that mark six days later at Arizona with 11 stops... Also had eight tackles at Oklahoma State, while he posted nine tackles – including 2.0 TFLs and a sack – in his final career game against Colorado... Finished his career ranking 10th nationally among active players with two career defensive touchdowns, while he was the only active Big 12 player with a fumble return score and a pick-6 in Big 12 games in a career... Also finished his career ranking seventh nationally among active players – and tied for first in the Big 12 – with three non-offensive touchdowns in his career.
2024: Played in every game with 12 starts, totaling 46 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery… Saw time on 670 defensive snaps during the season, which ranked fifth on the team… His 9.5 TFLs ranked second on the squad… Tied his career high with seven tackles in the season opener against UT Martin and matched that figure against Arizona State, the latter of which included a career-high 2.0 TFLs… Also had six tackles against West Virginia and five against Kansas… Recorded full sacks against Colorado, Kansas and Arizona State… Recovered a fumble at Houston and broke up a pass at Iowa State... An Academic All-Big 12 performer.
2023: Started all 13 games as he earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades... Finished fifth on the team with 52 tackles to go along with 4.5 tackles for loss, a half sack, an interception, three total passes defended, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries over his 700 defensive snaps, which ranked fourth on the team... Finished the season by tallying at least five tackles in five of the final seven games... Tied for 19th in the nation in fumble recoveries, while he tied for second in the Big 12... Also tied for second in the conference in forced fumbles... All three of his forced fumbles came during Big 12 play to garner league-high honors... One of his fumble recoveries was returned 15 yards for a touchdown against Baylor... Registered a career-high seven tackles against UCF, a game in which he recorded his first-career full TFL... Also had a TFL at Texas and in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against NC State... His half sack came against TCU, a game in which he tallied his first-career interception... A First Team Academic All-Big 12 performer.
2022: Played in every game – including a start against Oklahoma State – as he totaled 21 tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery over 301 defensive snaps and 194 special teams plays... Also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against South Dakota... Had a season-high five tackles at West Virginia, while he carded three apiece against South Dakota, Iowa State and in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama... Had two pass breakups at Iowa State when he was forced to play on a season-high 58 snaps due to other injured defenders... Recovered a fumble against Kansas... Earned Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators and was a First Team Academic All-Big 12 performer.
2021: Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played safety at Hayden under head coach Bill Arnold... Viewed as the sixth-best prospect in the state of Kansas for the Class of 2021 by 247Sports... A finalist for the 2020 Kansas 3A Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year by Sports in Kansas, while the organization voted him a first team all-state honoree... Also a first team all-state selection as a senior by the Wichita Eagle as both a junior and a senior... Earned first team all-state honors as a senior and honorable mention accolades as a junior from the Topeka Capital-Journal... Totaled 811 rushing yards, 469 receiving yards and 22 total touchdowns as a senior to go along with 80 tackles... Named the 2020 city offensive player of the year.
PERSONAL: Des Purnell was born January 29, 2003, in Fort Riley, Kansas... Son of Etoi Lones-Talbert and Hal Purnell... Has two siblings, Lorenzo and Dejawn... Older brother, Lorenzo, played football at Pittsburg State... Majoring in athletic training and rehab sciences.
• 2025 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)
• 2025 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (TCU)
• 2025 Shrine Bowl watch list
• 2024 Academic All-Big 12
• 2023 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)
• 2022 Academic All-District (College Sports Communicators)
• 2022-23 First Team Academic All-Big 12
CAREER: Played in 52 career games, which is tied for 11th in school history... Made 38 starts during his career to rank as the second most on the team at the time of his depature... A two-time All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick.
2025: Started all 12 games, leading the team in both tackles with 72 and tackles for loss with 8.5 to go along with 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, four pass breakuips and a forced fumble en route to All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades... Finished his career on fire as he totaled 40 tackles, 7.0 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a forced fumble over his final six games... Had a banner day against TCU, tallying five tackles, 2.0 TFLs, a sack, two interceptions – including one he returned 25 yards for a touchdown – and two pass breakups en route to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors... He became the first Wildcat with two picks in a game since Jacob Parrish at Texas in 2023 and the first K-State linebacker with two in a game since Elijah Lee against TCU in 2015... His four total passes defended against the Horned Frogs were the most by a Wildcat since safety Russ Yeast had four at West Virginia in 2021, whilt it was the most by a K-State linebacker since at least 2003... His four passes defended tied for 8th nationally in single-game overall and tied for first among linebackers... Was the only player in the Big 12 in 2025 with a pick-6 and a full sack in the same game as his came on consecutive plays in the third quarter against TCU.... One of only nine players nationally during the 2025 campaign with a pick-6 and a full sack in the same game, but he was the only one to do it on consecutive plays... Became the first K-State player since at least 1989 with a sack and in pick-6 on consecutive plays, while he was the sixth Wildcat and first since 2009 (Jeffrey Fitzgerald at Texas Tech) with a sack and a pick-6 in the same game... One of only two players in school history with a fumble-return touchdown, a pick-6 and a punt-return touchdown in a career (Courtney Herndon)... Purnell’s fumble return touchdown was in 2023 against Baylor, while his punt return score came on a blocked punt against South Dakota in 2022... Also one of only six players in K-State history to have a fumble return touchdown and a pick-6 in a career... Backed his performance against TCU up with a team-leading nine tackles, a sack, 1.5 TFLs, a forced fumble and a pass breakup at Kansas... Set a career high with 10 tackles against Army – all solo stops – before topping that mark six days later at Arizona with 11 stops... Also had eight tackles at Oklahoma State, while he posted nine tackles – including 2.0 TFLs and a sack – in his final career game against Colorado... Finished his career ranking 10th nationally among active players with two career defensive touchdowns, while he was the only active Big 12 player with a fumble return score and a pick-6 in Big 12 games in a career... Also finished his career ranking seventh nationally among active players – and tied for first in the Big 12 – with three non-offensive touchdowns in his career.
2024: Played in every game with 12 starts, totaling 46 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery… Saw time on 670 defensive snaps during the season, which ranked fifth on the team… His 9.5 TFLs ranked second on the squad… Tied his career high with seven tackles in the season opener against UT Martin and matched that figure against Arizona State, the latter of which included a career-high 2.0 TFLs… Also had six tackles against West Virginia and five against Kansas… Recorded full sacks against Colorado, Kansas and Arizona State… Recovered a fumble at Houston and broke up a pass at Iowa State... An Academic All-Big 12 performer.
2023: Started all 13 games as he earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades... Finished fifth on the team with 52 tackles to go along with 4.5 tackles for loss, a half sack, an interception, three total passes defended, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries over his 700 defensive snaps, which ranked fourth on the team... Finished the season by tallying at least five tackles in five of the final seven games... Tied for 19th in the nation in fumble recoveries, while he tied for second in the Big 12... Also tied for second in the conference in forced fumbles... All three of his forced fumbles came during Big 12 play to garner league-high honors... One of his fumble recoveries was returned 15 yards for a touchdown against Baylor... Registered a career-high seven tackles against UCF, a game in which he recorded his first-career full TFL... Also had a TFL at Texas and in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against NC State... His half sack came against TCU, a game in which he tallied his first-career interception... A First Team Academic All-Big 12 performer.
2022: Played in every game – including a start against Oklahoma State – as he totaled 21 tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery over 301 defensive snaps and 194 special teams plays... Also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against South Dakota... Had a season-high five tackles at West Virginia, while he carded three apiece against South Dakota, Iowa State and in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama... Had two pass breakups at Iowa State when he was forced to play on a season-high 58 snaps due to other injured defenders... Recovered a fumble against Kansas... Earned Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators and was a First Team Academic All-Big 12 performer.
2021: Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played safety at Hayden under head coach Bill Arnold... Viewed as the sixth-best prospect in the state of Kansas for the Class of 2021 by 247Sports... A finalist for the 2020 Kansas 3A Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year by Sports in Kansas, while the organization voted him a first team all-state honoree... Also a first team all-state selection as a senior by the Wichita Eagle as both a junior and a senior... Earned first team all-state honors as a senior and honorable mention accolades as a junior from the Topeka Capital-Journal... Totaled 811 rushing yards, 469 receiving yards and 22 total touchdowns as a senior to go along with 80 tackles... Named the 2020 city offensive player of the year.
PERSONAL: Des Purnell was born January 29, 2003, in Fort Riley, Kansas... Son of Etoi Lones-Talbert and Hal Purnell... Has two siblings, Lorenzo and Dejawn... Older brother, Lorenzo, played football at Pittsburg State... Majoring in athletic training and rehab sciences.
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