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Dalton Risner provided a welcome bonus to an already excellent night of Kansas State football, even though he couldn’t contribute to the 35-17 Cactus Bowl win over UCLA due to a shoulder injury suffered in the regular season finale against Iowa State. Just like Nick Leckey confidently told us every time we brought it up on the podcast, Dalton said he’ll be forgoing the NFL draft and returning for his senior season in 2018.
That one was tough to not be a apart of. Proud to say I will be returning for my senior season at Kansas State! Getting healthy so that we can achieve great things next year! Such a great WIN by my team and K State Nation! Proud of each and every one of my teammates! 1 More
— Dalton Risner (@DaltonBigD71) December 27, 2017
Risner battled through injuries this season to lead the Kansas State offensive line and earn a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team, as well as the prestigious Pro Football Focus All-American First Team, posting the highest grade (90.3) of any offensive tackle in college football. The former First Team Freshman All-American center switched positions last year to help Kansas State set a school record with 5.27 yards per carry and figures to be a team captain for the third straight season in 2018.
Wildcat coaches and fans will definitely welcome back Risner with open arms for an offense expected to return every starter from the win over UCLA, as well as MVP Alex Delton.