NOTE: Kansas State has elected to advance players’ classification even though the 2020 season did not affect eligibility. Those who wish to take advantage of this extra year will be listed as a (“super”) senior again after their original eligibility would have been exhausted.

#18 Gaven Haselhorst

True Freshman | 6-0 | 221 lbs. | Hays, Kansas

Courtesy Kansas State Athletics

• Position: Linebacker
• Previous College: None
• Projection: Redshirt
• Status: On Scholarship

Gaven Haselhorst (b. May 31, 2003) is an explosive, relentless workhorse linebacker from Hays High School who plans on majoring in sports nutrition and likely will redshirt in 2021.

Haselhorst prepped under head coach Tony Crough at Hays, where he was regarded as the 22nd-best inside linebacker prospect in the nation and the second-best overall prospect in the state of Kansas for the Class of 2021 by 247Sports.

He was named to the Kansas Football Coaches Association (KFBCA) Top 11 team as one of the top players among all classes in 2020 and also was voted a 2020 first-team all-state honoree by KFBCA, The Topeka Capital-Journal, The Wichita Eagle, and Sports in Kansas.

Haselhorst was named the conference Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference performer in 2020.

He also was a finalist for 2020 Kansas Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year by Sports in Kansas, and an honorable mention all-state pick by the Capital-Journal and Eagle as a junior.

Haselhorst tallied 211 tackles for the Indians during his prep career, to go along with 54 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, six forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.

He also played basketball in high school and chose K-State over offers from South Dakota.

Haselhorst’s primary recruiter was recruiting coordinator Taylor Braet. You can read more about his positional transformation here and his Kansas Shrine Bowl performance here.

Here’s what head coach Chris Klieman had to say about Haselhorst’s potential after he signed with K-State in December 2020:

“Well, we’re excited. ... You’re not going to see a kid that loves the game and plays the game as hard as Gaven does on an every-down basis. He’s played some defensive end, he’s played some stand-up for Hays — and we see him as a kid that we know could play that — but we see him at the next level being an inside linebacker, just how physical he is. He doesn’t get blocked. He plays the game the right way. He understands the game of football well, so it gives us some really good young players in there to be able to build off of. I’m excited about those two because they love football and they’re physical guys.”