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#84 Zach Heiman |
Position: Tight End Previous College: None Projection: Redshirt Status: Walk-On |
Zach Heiman played tight end at Chapman High School.
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#63 Gabe Bergmann |
Position: Offensive Line Previous College: None Projection: Redshirt Status: Walk-On |
Gabe Bergmann played offensive line at Concordia High School.
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#59 Jason Lierz |
Position: Offensive Line Previous College: Hutchinson Community College Projection: Scout Team Status: Walk-On |
Jason Michael Lierz (b. Nov. 28, 1993) is a JUCO transfer who redshirted during the 2012 season at Hutchinson Community College under head coach Rion Rhodes.
He prepped at Manhattan High School under head coach Joe Schartz and helped to lead the team to a 10-1 record in 2011. The Indians were league, district and regional champions that year.
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#43 Drew Scott |
Position: Long Snapper Previous College: None Projection: Redshirt Status: Preferred Walk-On |
Drew Scott is a preferred walk-on long snapper from Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids. You can watch his highlights — yes, that's right, long-snapping highlights — here.
Scott successfully connected on all 67 snaps through the course of his junior and senior seasons, and received a five-star rating at Kohl’s Longsnapping Camp prior to his senior year.
He helped the Saints to a 14-1 record and a Class 4A runner-up finish in 2012. Scott also competed in basketball for two years and baseball for four years.
With Marcus Heit and Dalton Converse both back, Scott would seem like a stone-cold lock to redshirt.
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#42 Austin Butterfield |
Position: Tight End Previous College: None Projection: Redshirt Status: Preferred Walk-On |
Austin Butterfield is a preferred walk-on tight end from Grandview High School in Aurora, where he played for the Wolves under head coach John Schultz. Last year, they advanced to the semifinals of the Class 5A state title game.
Butterfield hauled in 10 receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown. He also was named a first-team all-league punter after averaging 33 yards on 35 punts. Punter and tight end? Now there's an odd combination.
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#35 Ryan Mack |
Position: Running Back Previous College: None Projection: Redshirt Status: Walk-On |
Ryan Mack played running back at Buford High School. He was a participant in the spring game, so I suppose he unofficially is a sort of grayshirt, although that term loses most of its meaning when a scholarship isn't involved.
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#34 Adam Weber |
Position: Fullback Previous College: Garden City Community College Projection: Third-String Status: Walk-On |
Adam Weber played fullback at Garden City, which currently features three K-Staters as coaches — Joe Gordon, Jeff Kelly and Matt Miller. He enrolled in time to participate as a White starter in the spring game, rushing for 4 yards.
Although Weber started for the White team at fullback, I have a hard time seeing him in the eventual two-deep. At just 5-foot-5 and only 207 pounds, he has to be one of the smallest fullbacks in college football history.
Zach Nemechek is listed as a fullback on the official roster, even though he started at his old position of tight end for the White team in the spring game. But I see him settling down at fullback behind Glenn Gronkowski this fall.
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#31 Taylor Hilgers |
Position: Wide Receiver Previous College: None Projection: Redshirt Status: Walk-On |
Taylor Hilgers played wide receiver at Manhattan High School. Since he participated in the spring game, he's another "quasi-grayshirt." Hilgers was the target of two incomplete passes by Kody Cook late in the exhibition.
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#26 Ty Wendland |
Position: Wide Receiver Previous College: None Projection: Redshirt Status: Walk-On |
Ty Wendland played wide receiver at Riley County High School. Although he did not participate in the spring game, he was present through spring practice and thus is another "quasi-grayshirt."
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#22 T.J. Roberts |
Position: Running Back Previous College: MidAmerica Nazarene University Projection: Scout Team Status: Walk-On |
T.J. Roberts is a walk-on running back transfer from MidAmerica Nazarene in Olathe.
Since he's transferring up from a NAIA school, I'm not sure whether he has to redshirt or not, but even if he doesn't, we're deep enough at running back that I expect him to contribute on the scout team and maybe special teams.
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#21 Kyle Echols |
Position: Wide Receiver Previous College: None Projection: Redshirt Status: Walk-On |
Kyle Echols played wide receiver at Fort Zumwalt West High School in O'Fallon. Since he participated in the spring game, he's another "quasi-grayshirt." Echols caught one pass from Joe Hubener for 8 yards for the White team.
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#14 Nick Walsh |
Position: Punter Previous College: None Projection: Redshirt Status: Walk-On |
Nick Walsh was a punter at Lyndon High School. Since he participated in the spring game, he's another "quasi-grayshirt." Walsh punted twice for a 38.5-yard average, both inside the 20, for the White team.