The NCAA transfer portal officially opened for undergraduates Monday morning, but it didn’t take that long for Kansas State’s football roster to absorb its first postseason hits.
The Wildcats (8-4), who will face Rutgers (7-5) in the Rate Bowl in Phoenix on Dec. 26, will do so without at least two significant 2024 contributors who entered the portal over the weekend.
Senior Carver Willis, who started 11 games at right tackle this season and seven last year, leaves a void on the offensive line, while up-and-coming receiver Tre Spivey announced on social media Friday that he is leaving.
In all, 10 players were in the portal as of Monday afternoon, though the 6-foot-5, 291-pound Willis was the only one to start a game. Spivey, a talented 6-4, 217-pound redshirt freshman, enjoyed his two best games late in the season with four catches for 56 yards against Arizona State and five for 63 yards and a touchdown in the Wildcats’ victory over Cincinnati on senior night.
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K-State coach Chris Klieman expressed confidence Sunday during a news conference that the bulk of K-State’s roster would remain intact for the bowl game, unlike last year when the Wildcats had at least 16 players to the portal. Key among the 2023 pre-bowl defections were starting quarterback Will Howard, safety Kobe Savage and cornerback Will Lee, along with tight end Ben Sinnott and wide receiver Phillip Brooks who opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft.
The Wildcats did lose junior starting cornerback Jacob Parrish on Monday when he declared for the 2025 draft.
In addition to Willis and Spivey, the Wildcats lost backup quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson from this year’s team. Roberson’s biggest contribution came in a victory at Colorado, where he kept a key drive alive when Johnson temporarily left with an injury.
Other portal departures include cornerbacks Jordan Dunbar and Darell Jones, linebackers Kam Sallis, Terry Kirksey and Alec Mareno, defensive end Donovan Rieman and tight end Justin Wolf.
K-State coach Chris Klieman said after the Wildcats signed 26 players — 24 from high school sand two junior college transfers — to letters of intent last Wednesday that his staff now will turn its attention to filling immediate needs via the transfer portals. The Wildcats were ready to have portal prospects on campus as early as Monday.
Here is an early list of K-State’s portal activity. Stay tuned for more in the coming days.
Kansas State portal departures
Jordan Dunbar — cornerback
Darell Jones — cornerback
Terry Kirksey — linebacker
Alec Marenco — linebacker
Donovan Rieman — defensive end
Ta’Quan Roberson — quarterback
Kam Sallis — linebacker
Tre Spivey — wide receiver
Carver Willis — offensive tackle
Justin Wolf — tight end
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football loses 10 transfers in early portal activity
