Kansas State University Athletics

Homegrown Heroes

Football Traditions Homegrown Talent

Sunflower State talent has been a big part of Kansas State’s emergence on the college football scene. Since 1990, 66 Kansans have received all-conference honors from either the league's coaches or the Associated Press - including seven alone in 2019 - while a total of 25 Kansans have earned All-America recognition.

Included in that group are three Big 12 Defensive Players of the Year in linebackers Mark Simoneau and Arthur Brown as well as defensive back Terence Newman; Conensus All-American and two-time Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year Cooper Beebe; four Academic All-Americans in defensive backs Jon McGraw and Tysyn Hartman, wide receiver Curry Sexton and offensive lineman Ryan Lilja; a Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year award winner (Morgan Burns); a Thorpe Award winner (Newman); a Rimington Trophy Finalist (B.J. Finney), a Butkus Award semifinalist (Simoneau); a Bednarik Award semifinalist (Brown); a Biletnikoff Award finalist (Jordy Nelson) a Groza Award runner-up (Jamie Rheem) and semifinalist (Anthony Cantele); a Lott IMPACT Trophy finalist (Brown); and two Burlsworth Trophy semifinalists (Finney and Jonathan Truman).

  • Devin Anctil, P (Lenexa)
    2018 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
    2019 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Kyle Ball, DE (Prairie Village)
    2018 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Alex Barnes, RB (Pittsburg)
    2018 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Brooks Barta, LB (Smith Center)
    1991 First Team All-Big 8
  • Cooper Beebe, OL (Kansas City)
    2023 Consensus All-American
    2022-23 Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year
    2023 NFF National Scholar Athlete
    2022 Second Team All-American
    2021-23 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Monty Beisel, DL (Douglass)
    2000 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Jack Blumer, P (Marysville)
    2023 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Ekow Boye-Doe, DB (Lawerence)
    2022 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Arthur Brown, LB (Wichita) 
    2011 and 2012 All-Big 12 First Team
    2011 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year
    2012 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
  • Travis Brown, P (Overland Park)
    2002 All-Big 12 Third Team
  • Morgan Burns, DB/KR (Wichita) 
    2015 All-Big 12 First Team
    2015 Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year
  • Ian Campbell, DE (Cimarron)
    2006-07 All-Big 12 First Team
    2008 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Anthony Cantele, PK (Wichita)
    2012 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Jack Cantele, PK (Wichita)
    2015 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Lamar Chapman, DB (Liberal)
    1997 All-Big 12 Second Team
    1998 All-Big 12 First Team
    1999 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Winston Dimel, FB (Manhattan)
    2015-16 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Jax Dineen, FB (Lawrence)
    2001 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Trey Dishon, DT (Horton)
    2017 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Dylan Edwards, RB (Derby)
    2024 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (kr/pr)
    2024 Honorable Mention Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year
  • B.J. Finney, OL (Andale)
    2011 All-Big 12 Second Team
    2011 Freshman All-American
    2012-14 First Team All-Big 12
    2014 Second Team All-American
    2014 Big 12 Co-Off. Lineman of the Year
  • Scott Frantz, OL (Lawrence)
    2019 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Will Geary, DT (Topeka)
    2015-17 All-Big 12 First Team
    2017 First Team All-American
  • D.J. Giddens, RB (Junction City)
    2022 Honorable Mention Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year
    2023 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
    2024 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Hayden Gillum, OL (Plainville)
    2022-23 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Denzel Goolsby, DB (Wichita)
    2019 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Chris Harper, WR (Wichita)
    2012 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Tysyn Hartman, DB (Wichita)
    2011 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Sam Hecht, OL (Shawnee)
    2024 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Wyatt Hubert, DE (Topeka)
    2019-20 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Avery Johnson, QB (Wichita)
    2023 Honorable Mention Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year
  • Noah Johnson, OL (Wichita)
    2020-21 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Terrale Johnson, OL (Manhattan)
    2016 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Ryan Lilja, OL (Lake Quivira)
    2003 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Blake Lynch, PK (Goddard)
    2019 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Jon McGraw, DB (Manhattan)
    2001 All-Big 12 Third Team
  • Jahron McPherson, DB (Basehor)
    2020-21 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Justin Montgomery, DL (Smith Center)
    2003 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Austin Moore, LB (Louisburg)
    2022 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Ryan Mueller, DE (Leawood)
    2013 Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year
    2013-14 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Jordy Nelson, WR (Riley)
    2007 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Terence Newman, DB (Salina)
    2001 All-Big 12 Second Team
    2002 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Travis Ochs, LB (Overland Park)
    1996 All-Big 12 Third Team
    1997-98 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Hadley Panzer, OL (Lakin)
    2024 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Jacob Parrish, CB (Olathe)
    2023-24 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Tim Reyer, P (Wamego)
    2007 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Jamie Rheem, PK (Wichita)
    1999-2000 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Joe Rheem, PK (Wichita)
    2003 All-Big 12 Third Team
  • Josh Rivas, OL (Hutchinson)
    2019 All-Big 12 Second Team
    2021 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Dalton Schoen, WR (Overland Park) 
    2019 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Curry Sexton, WR (Abilene) 
    2014 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Mark Simoneau, LB (Smith Center)
    1997 All-Big 12 First Team
    1998 All-Big 12 Second Team
    1999 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Darren Sproles, RB (Olathe)
    2002 All-Big 12 Second Team
    2003-04 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Nick Stringer, OL (Topeka)
    2009 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Trent Tanking, LB (Holton)
    2017 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Travis Tannahill, TE (Overland Park)
    2012 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Chris Tennant, K (Shawnee)
    2023 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
  • Jonathan Truman, LB (Kechi) 
    2014 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Rashad Washington, DB (Wichita)
    2003 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Marcus Watts, DB (Hays)
    2006 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Wade Weibert, OL (Hillsboro)
    2010 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Cody Whitehair, OL (Abilene)
    2013-14 All-Big 12 Second Team
    2015 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Nyle Wiren, DE (Wichita)
    1994 First Team All-Big 8
    1996 All-Big 12 First Team
  • Ty Zentner, P (Topeka)
    2021 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
    2022 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • Ty Zimmerman, DB (Junction City)
    2010 All-Big 12 Second Team
    2012-13 All-Big 12 First Team

38

Since 1991, 38 cities in Kansas
have produced an
All-Conference Wildcat

25


25 Wildcats from the state of
Kansas have been named All-Americans


Over 100 Wildcats from the state of Kansas have gone on to play professionally, including Darren Sproles, who ranked fifth in NFL history in all-purpose yards when he retired following the 2019 season.