Goal No. 14: CONSISTENCY. Your very, very best every time.

#14 Nick Walsh

Redshirt Senior | 5-11 | 207 lbs. | Lyndon, Kansas

Courtesy Kansas State Athletics

• Position: Punter
• Previous College: None
• Projection: Starter
• Status: On Scholarship

Nickolas Kaden Walsh (b. April 29, 1994) is a former walk-on who has been Kansas State’s primary punter during the last three seasons.

He will look to end his career on a high note in 2017 and finish highly on several of K-State’s career punting charts after graduating in May with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Walsh enters the 2017 season with a career punting average of 41.88 yards, which ranks sixth in school history, while he is seventh in both yards (6,700) and attempts (160).

In addition to earning a scholarship in 2015, he has been a preseason candidate for the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter in both 2015 and 2016.

After redshirting in 2013, Walsh saw time in 12 games in 2014, becoming the primary punter during the second game of the year and somewhat salvaging the season’s special teams after Mitch Lochbihler’s lackluster start. He averaged 41.3 yards on 44 punts, with nine traveling 50 yards or more and 15 landing inside the 20-yard line.

Walsh recorded a career-best 49.2-yard average on four punts against UCLA in the Alamo Bowl, including two that traveled at least 50 yards. He also had two 50-yard punts at Iowa State, had five punts land inside the 20-yard line at TCU and earned second-team Academic All-Big 12 accolades for his work in the classroom that season.

In 2015, Walsh served as the primary punter throughout the entire season, averaging 41.6 yards per punt, with 10 traveling 50 or more yards and 15 landing inside the 20-yard line, on his way to honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.

He finished third in the Big 12 in punting average, which was given a boost over the final three games when he averaged 42.6 yards on 17 punts. He recorded a career-long 63-yard punt against TCU, the longest by a Wildcat in two years.

Walsh punted 11 times against West Virginia, one shy of the single-game school record.

He had a season-high four punts land inside the 20-yard line at Texas Tech, while he had three apiece against TCU and Oklahoma.

Walsh had a season-best 47.5-yard average on six attempts against Oklahoma State, and made touchdown-saving tackles against Louisiana Tech and Iowa State. He also earned 2015 preseason All-Big 12 honors from Athlon.

Walsh punted 49 times in 2016 for a career-best 42.8-yard average, with 16 punts landing inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, and ranked sixth in school history, second in the Big 12 and 32nd nationally in average. He had a career-high four games with a 45-yard or better average, including a career-best 50.3-yard average against Texas Tech.

Walsh boomed a pair of 50-plus yard punts against the Red Raiders — including a season-long 58-yarder — and Florida Atlantic.

He had multiple punts land inside the opponent’s 20-yard line on six occasions, including a season-best three against Kansas, and earned All-Big 12 honors from Phil Steele, while he also was a candidate for the Ray Guy Award and Burlsworth Trophy.

Walsh lettered under head coach Rod Stallbaumer at Lyndon High School, where he led the team to a league championship and a state playoff appearance. He picked up all-state honors from The Wichita Eagle and the Kansas Football Coaches Association as a punter after averaging 42.6 yards in 2010 and 38.1 yards in 2011.

He was named an all-state running back by The Topeka Capital-Journal and the Kansas Football Coaches Association after rushing for 1,330 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also participated in the 2012 Kansas Shrine Bowl.

Walsh also lettered in basketball, baseball and golf, earning first-team all-state honors in basketball and baseball while placing in the top 20 at the state golf tournament as both a freshman and sophomore.