Goal No. 4: IMPROVE. Every day... as a player, person and student.

#4 Dominique Heath

Redshirt Junior | 5-9 | 175 lbs. | Huntersville, North Carolina

Courtesy Kansas State Athletics

• Position: Wide Receiver
• Previous College: None
• Projection: Starter
• Status: On Scholarship

Dominique Ali Heath (b. Feb. 22, 1996) is a versatile and athletic player who has been an integral part of the offense and special teams during the last two seasons, and should continue both roles while adding more production with his growth as a player.

He enters his junior campaign 249 receiving yards shy of becoming the school’s 30th career 1,000-yard receiver, and also has earned preseason All-Big 12 honors as a punt returner from Phil Steele prior to the last two seasons.

After redshirting in 2014, Heath originally impressed in the 2015 spring game with six punt returns for 157 yards (one a 75-yard touchdown) and nine kick returns for 217 yards. He then played in every game in 2015 with four starts at wide receiver, while also serving as the primary punt returner.

Heath finished second on the team in catches (28) and touchdowns (three), while he was third in yards (313). He also ranked third in school history in catches, receiving yards and touchdown receptions among freshmen.

Heath returned 21 punts for a 7.2-yard average, which ranked second in the Big 12. He had his best receiving game right out of the gate with three receptions for 54 yards — including a long of 43 yards — against South Dakota.

Heath recorded a season-high five catches against Iowa State, while he had one touchdown apiece against Louisiana Tech, Texas and Texas Tech. His touchdown against Louisiana Tech was a 22-yarder in the first overtime, while he also had a season-long 58-yard punt return against the Bulldogs.

Last season, Heath played in all 13 games, leading the team with 45 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns. He paced the squad with 12 catches that went for third-down conversions and tied for third in school history among sophomores in catches.

Heath returned 12 punts for 155 yards (a 12.9-yard average) — including a 75-yard touchdown return against Florida Atlantic — en route to honorable mention All-Big 12 honors as a returner from the league’s coaches. His 75-yarder against the Owls was the second-longest return in the Big 12 during the 2016 season, while he tied for seventh nationally in punt-return touchdowns.

Heath went on to earn Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors following the FAU game, a contest that also featured a 20-yard touchdown reception. He also became the first Wildcat to record a receiving touchdown and a punt-return score in the same game since Tramaine Thompson did it against Missouri State in 2012.

Heath pulled in a career-high nine catches at Iowa State, the most by a Wildcat since Tyler Lockett (13) and Curry Sexton (10) in the Alamo Bowl following the 2014 season, while it also was tied for the second most by a sophomore in school history.

He recorded a career-best 101 receiving yards at Oklahoma, which featured a 54-yard touchdown reception, and had a 52-yard touchdown rush on an end-around against Texas A&M in the Texas Bowl, the longest run in K-State bowl history.

Heath played for Hopewell (N.C.) High School under head coach Matthew Jenkins. He was named all-county and all-area by The Charlotte Observer, while he also was the conference’s special teams player of the year.

Heath collected 830 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior through the air while rushing for 525 yards and five touchdowns. He also returned punts for an average of 20.5 yards on punt returns and 18.7 yards on kickoff returns.

After setting school records for the Titans for touchdowns, receiving yards and all-purpose yards, Heath was selected to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. He was just a two-star player with offers from smaller schools, but he did draw interest from several home-state schools in the ACC. The fools were scared off by his lack of size.