MANHATTAN, Kan. – Coming off successful performance in the Panini Senior Bowl, Kansas State offensive lineman Sam Hecht and safety VJ Payne have earned invitations to the 2026 NFL Combine, the National Football League announced Wednesday.
Hecht and Payne were two of 319 total prospects invited to this year’s event, which will take place February 23 through March 2, at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is the fourth-straight season K-State has sent multiple players to the NFL Combine and the sixth-straight year at least one Wildcat has been showcased in the annual event.
A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Hecht was a two-time All-Big 12 honoree who picked up first-team accolades as a senior. He started each of the final 25 games at center and played in 42 career contests. As a senior, Hecht anchored an offensive line that saw the Wildcats rank 10th in the nation in fewest sacks allowed per game (1.08). The offensive line also paved the way for a school-record 472 rushing yards at Utah, breaking a school record that stood for 71 years.
Payne, a product of Gainesville, Georgia, played in 52 career games to rank 11th in school history, while he started 42 total games with a streak of 41 starts to close out his career. A two-time All-Big 12 pick, he had 207 career tackles with 10.5 tackles for loss, a sack, 14 passes defended – including four interceptions – four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.