Dean Wade, PF, Cleveland Cavaliers
Switching gears to basketball season, Wade fixes to be the star of the Wildcats in the NBA.
Cleveland is 9-0 to begin the NBA regular season and is 18-2 in the last 20 games Wade has started.
The power forward had eight points, two assists and four rebounds in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. The Cavs extended their perfect start to the regular season with a 131-122 win over New Orleans
Josh Hayes, CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In his debut as an NFL starter, cornerback Hayes reeled in five solo tackles, a fumble recovery and a deflected pass. It was a strong starting debut for the 2023 sixth-round pick.
Hayes, a one-year player in Manhattan, collected 13 starts during his senior season at K-State. He started his career at North Dakota State under head coach Chris Klieman, before transferring to Virginia and lastly K-State.
The Buccaneers came up short against the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime, but Hayes certainly made his name known to Tampa Bay fans.
Ty Zentner, P, Los Angeles Rams
Zentner, in his second NFL season, signed on with the Rams’ practice squad last Friday before being elevated to the active roster for Sunday’s contest against Seattle.
Zentner punted seven times for a 40.1-yard average, including three of his punts landing inside the Seahawks’ 20-yard line. The former kicker and punter for K-State also served as the Rams’ holder for 12 special teams snaps.
Ben Sinnott, TE, Washington Commanders
Sinnott recorded his first NFL reception on Oct. 20 for his first career touchdown. It stood as his only catch until this last week when the tight end caught a pass for 12 yards.
The second-round rookie found a good landing spot as the Commanders won their divisional game against the New York Giants, 27-22.
D.J. Reed, CB, New York Jets
Reed is considered one of Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded cornerbacks in the league this year. In the 21-13 win over the Houston Texans, Reed recorded five solo tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass deflection.
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
The all-time Seahawks great scored a touchdown in the team’s 26-20 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams. In addition to the score, Lockett had three receptions for 63 yards as the veteran wideout continues being a reliable asset for Seattle.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas City Chiefs
Anudike-Uzomah finished the overtime nailbiter against Tampa Bay with two solo tackles and two tackle assists. The young defensive end had a quarterback hit on the stat line as well.