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.

#17 Chris Tennant

True Sophomore | 6-5 | 220 lbs. | Shawnee, Kansas

Courtesy Kansas State Athletics

• Position: Place Kicker
• Previous College: None
• Projection: Starter
• Status: Preferred Walk-On

Chris Tennant (b. May 7, 2003) is a preferred walk-on place kicker from Mill Valley High School in Shawnee who is majoring in business administration.

A true freshman who took over kicking duties over the final five regular-season games in 2021, Tennant made 5 of 8 field goal attempts and all 16 extra point attempts.

He was the first true freshman at K-State to make a field goal since Joe Rheem in 2001.

Tennant connected on a 51-yard field goal at Texas, which tied for the longest by a true freshman in school history (Jamie Rheem, 1996 vs. Nebraska). It also was tied for the seventh-longest field goal by a true freshman during the 2021 season.

He prepped under head coach Joel Applebee at Mill Valley, where he was viewed as the 12th-best punter and the 50th-best kicker in the nation — and the tops in the state of Kansas in both categories — for the Class of 2021 by Kohl’s Kicking.

Tennant earned first-team all-state honors as both a junior and senior from The Topeka Capital-Journal, and he also was a first-team all-state member as a senior from The Wichita Eagle and an honorable mention pick by the organization as a junior.

He was true on 26 of 36 field-goal attempts during his three-year career for the Jaguars, including a 14-of-17 mark (82.4%) as a junior, and his career long was a 48-yarder as a senior.

Tennant connected on 109 of 112 extra-point attempts during his career and he also averaged 34.8 yards per punt on 58 attempts during his three-year prep career, including a long of 54 yards during his junior season and a long of 53 yards during his senior campaign.

He also kicked off 167 times for a 58.9-yard average with 112 touchbacks.

Tennant helped Mill Valley to earn consecutive state titles during his final two years and he prepped with K-State offensive lineman Sam Hecht and wide receiver Kendrick Jones.

K-State got a really good one to walk on, tweeted the Boscoe’s Boys account:

Big time pick up for the future of special teams at K-State. Tennant who is kicking and punting for Mill Valley has the best leg in the KC Metro, state of Kansas, and one of the best legs nationally in the 2021 class. Wildcat fans will want to store this name away for the future.