Kansas State Lands Austin Peay Transfer DL Travis Bates
Chris Klieman and the Kansas State Wildcats found some much-needed help at a depleted position through the transfer portal on Monday with the addition of former Austin Peay DL Travis Bates.
The FCS freshman All-American’s recruitment started to heat up quickly ahead of his commitment as Bates chose the Wildcats over offers from Wisconsin, Houston, Boston College, and more.
Bates was named Fourth Team Freshman-All-American by Phil Steele after recording 32 tackles, three sacks, and two pass breakups in 2023. He was listed as the 12th-ranked defensive lineman available in the transfer portal according to On3Sports.
Coming out of high school, Bates was listed as a three-star prospect by the On3 Industry Rankings and checked in as the nation’s 2074th-ranked prospect. He is also listed as the 198th-ranked defensive lineman in his class as well as the 298th-ranked player in the state of Texas.
He becomes K-State’s second addition through the transfer portal this offseason, and with the portal already housing a record number of players, Bates will likely not be the last name off the board for Kansas State.
