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.

#40 Gavin Meyers

True Freshman | 6-2 | 231 lbs. | Hays, Kansas

Courtesy Kansas State Athletics

• Position: Linebacker
• Previous College: None
• Projection: Redshirt
• Status: Preferred Walk-On

Gavin Meyers (b. Nov. 23, 2003) is a walk-on linebacker from Hays High School who plans on majoring in business and is likely to redshirt during the 2022 season.

Meyers prepped under head coach Tony Crough at Hays, where he was rated the 23rd-best inside linebacker nationally and fifth-best overall prospect in the state of Kansas for the Class of 2022 by Rivals.

Getting him to walk on was a bit of a coup, as both Rivals and 247 had him rated as a 3-star.

A first-team all-state selection who was named to the Kansas Football Coaches Association Top 11 and as the 5A Defensive Player of the Year by Sports in Kansas, Meyers earned all-conference honors in each of his final three prep seasons playing for the Indians.

He totaled 124 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery during his final campaign, and tallied 384 total tackles in his career, breaking the Hays school record.

Meyers also was an accomplished wrestler, going 37-0 and winning the state championship as a senior, while he earned all-conference honors on the mat each of his four years, and he also competed in track and field for good measure.

He chose to walk on at K-State over scholarship offers (some of which were later rescinded) from Air Force, Akron, Buffalo, Colorado, Louisville, Nebraska, North Alabama and Washington State, plus interest from Kansas, Memphis, Minnesota and Mississippi State.

Like I said, it was a bit of a coup. All of the recruiting services were sure he was going to end up in Lincoln, but clearly Meyers prefers wearing purple and playing in bowl games. (More on that difficult decision here, here and here. Hope this kid earns an NIL scholarship soon!)