MANHATTAN, Kan. – Two Kansas State sixth-year seniors – offensive lineman Noah Johnson and quarterback Skylar Thompson – have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl, the college all-star game announced Thursday.
Johnson is coming off his first year as a full-time starting center in 2020 where he earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors in addition to picking up votes for the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year award. A team captain from Wichita, Kansas, Johnson helped K-State tie for first in the Big 12 and 27th nationally in sacks allowed (14), while the Wildcats led the Big 12 and ranked fourth in the nation in red zone offense (93.9%).
Thompson enters his second senior campaign ranked in the top 10 in school history in 15 career categories. A 30-game starter during his time in Manhattan, Thompson is coming off a 2020 campaign where he started the first three games – including a victory at No. 3 Oklahoma where he led the Wildcats back from a 21-point third-quarter deficit – before an injury ended his season. A native of Independence, Missouri, Thompson is one of just two quarterbacks in K-State history with 5,000 career passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards – joining Ell Roberson – and can become the first to hit the 6,000/1,000 mark with just 979 more yards through the air.
Kansas State opens the 2021 season three weeks from Saturday as the Wildcats take on Stanford in the Allstate Kickoff Classic inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on September 4. The game, which will be televised by FS1, will kick off at 11 a.m.
Fans can purchase tickets to the game against the Cardinal – or any of the Wildcats’ seven home games this year – by visiting www.kstatesports.com/tickets or calling 1-800-221-CATS.