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.

#34 Ben Sinnott

Redshirt Junior | 6-4 | 245 lbs. | Waterloo, Iowa

Courtesy Kansas State Athletics

• Position: Tight End/Fullback
• Previous College: None
• Projection: Starter
• Status: Preferred Walk-On

Benjamin Thomas Sinnott (b. June 14, 2002) is a preferred walk-on breakout tight end from Columbus Catholic High School in Waterloo, Iowa, who is majoring in marketing.

He redshirted and did not see any game action in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Sinnott played in each of the final 12 games of 2021 — including starts against Oklahoma and LSU — after missing the season opener due to an injury sustained in fall camp.

He totaled three rushes for 12 yards and two catches for 15 yards on the year; his longest catch went for 11 yards against Nevada, while he had a 9-yard rush against Oklahoma.

Sinnott scored his first career touchdown as a fullback on a 1-yard run at Kansas and also assisted in run blocking, helping K-State to tie for second in the Big 12 with 29 rushing touchdowns, while the Wildcats’ 4.83 yards per rush ranked sixth in school history.

He earned first-team Academic All-Big 12 accolades following both 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Speaking of the 2022 Big 12 Championship season, it was an absolute breakout for Sinnott.

He started all 14 games last year, hauling in 31 passes for 447 yards and four touchdowns as he earned All-Big 12 first-team accolades from the league’s coaches.

Sinnott led all Big 12 tight ends/fullbacks and ranked fourth nationally with a 14.4-yard receiving average, while he ranked sixth in school history in receiving yards by a tight end and tied for eighth in receptions.

This was the most catches and receiving yards by any K-State tight end since Jeron Mastrud in 2008 (who has 38 catches for 435 yards).

Sinnott peaked when he set career highs in catches (seven), yards (89) and touchdowns (two) at Baylor. It was the first time a K-State tight end had multiple touchdown catches in a single game since Jarrett Grosdidier vs. Indiana State in 1996.

Sinnott’s seven receptions also were the most by a Wildcat tight end since Rashaad Norwood, who also had seven at Baylor in 2006. He also topped the 80-yard mark and had another touchdown the next week at West Virginia.

Sinnott’s fourth and arguably most impactful touchdown of the season was the Wildcats’ first score in the Big 12 Championship against TCU, a 6-yard reception on a 4th-down play.

He had at least one catch in 13 of K-State’s 14 games; previously broke out with a four-catch, 80-yard performance in the Big 12 opener at Oklahoma; and tallied two other 40-yard games, going for 44 yards against Texas and 48 yards in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama.

Sinnott, who finished last season as an Academic All-District recipient from College Sports Communicators, lettered three years for Columbus Catholic High under coach Brad Schmit.

He was named to the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association all-state team as a tight end, wide receiver and defensive end; earned the Black Hawk County All-Metro Football Award on offense in 2019 and defense in 2019; and also picked up all-district honors.

Sinnott hauled in 61 career receptions for 958 yards and 22 touchdowns for the Sailors, while he also had 24 carries for 194 yards and five scores.

Defensively, he totaled 109 career tackles, nine sacks, 27.5 tackles for loss and four picks, and also lettered in baseball, golf, tennis, track and hockey. You can learn more about his hockey background and his overall competitiveness in this hilarious video.

Sinnott’s cousin, Ashlee Sinnott (the one he tackled?), played volleyball at Northern Iowa, while another cousin of his, Zach Hammes, was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Sinnott decommitted from South Dakota in late 2019 to accept a PWO offer from K-State. If he hasn’t already been upgraded to a full scholarship, however, he certainly should be now.

Here’s what head coach Chris Klieman had to say about Sinnott, who enters 2023 as a first-team selection on the Preseason All-Big 12 team, at Big 12 Media Days in July:

Those Waterloo, Iowa guys, I’m telling you. Ben, I’m really excited for him. He’s made himself into a tremendous football player. He’s a great tight end and a great fullback, and he’s one of our top wide receivers, too, so we have to keep him on the field in third-down situations. So, Ben has to get into phenomenal shape because he’s going to play a lot of plays for us.