D.J. Reed announces plans to enter NFL draft

In a tweet posted Sunday night, K-State junior defensive back D.J. Reed announced he planned to forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Reed, a native of Bakersfield, California, came to K-State in 2016 after a year at Cerritos College.

On the defensive side of the ball, in his two years at K-State, he tallied 125 tackles including five for loss, broke up 25 passes, intercepted seven more — returning one for a touchdown — and forced three fumbles and recovered two.

But Reed really shined in special teams as a return man. As a sophomore he averaged 28.3 yards per kick return. This year, he increased that to 34.2 yards per kick return, including one touchdown. He also returned 17 punts for an average of 14.9 yards and one touchdown, all as a junior.

I am not qualified to comment on Reed’s draft prospects, but if he is leaving for the draft, presumably there will be teams interested (or else he has received some terrible advice). Needless to say, we at Bring on the Cats wish him success in the pros.

Reed’s decision to enter the draft gives K-State two likely draftees this year, along with Will Geary, pushing K-State’s streak of having at least one player drafted into the NFL to 25 years -- a quarter century! (Never mind that Bryce Brown hardly played while he was here.)

In 2016, Big 12 coaches selected Reed to the conference first-team defense and awarded him the defensive newcomer of the year award. As a junior, he was a repeat member of the first-team defense and added first-team returner honors.

What this means for K-State in 2018

Obviously, Reed’s departure means the Wildcats have a whole to fill for 2018. Fortunately the coaches appear to have anticipated this, as our JT VanGilder reminds me, recruiting a pair of junior college cornerbacks. Kevion McGee signed the first day of the early signing period, and Darreyl Patterson has verbally committed.