Kansas State tied for league-high honors with five of its football players earning spots on the 2023 Preseason All-Big 12 team, as announced by the conference office on Wednesday.
Offensive lineman Cooper Beebe, kickoff/punt returner Phillip Brooks, safety Kobe Savage, and tight end Ben Sinnott were selected for the team, while running back Treshaun Ward was named the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
This marks the second consecutive year that Kansas State has had at least five players named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team, tying with Texas for the most selections this season. In 2022, the Wildcats led the league with six players on the team.
Cooper Beebe, who has been recognized as a Preseason All-American by various publications, boasts an impressive record with 35 career starts and no sacks allowed in his last 803 pass-blocking plays since the 2020 Iowa State contest. Last season, he received First Team All-America honors and was named the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year by the conference’s coaches. Hailing from Kansas City, Kansas, Beebe played a key role in leading the Wildcats’ offense, which ranked 15th nationally with an average of 208.3 rushing yards per game, their best national ranking since 2003 (9th) and highest mark since 2016 (231.8).
Phillip Brooks, a native of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, enters the 2023 season with an impressive standing in the school and conference history. He ranks second in Kansas State’s history and tied for sixth in Big 12 history with four punt return touchdowns. Additionally, he holds the fifth position in the school’s history for punt return average (14.6) and punt return yards (641), as well as the eighth spot for punt return attempts (44). Brooks was the runner-up in the Big 12 with 168 punt-return yards last year and received All-Big 12 Second Team honors, marking his second time being recognized with postseason All-Big 12 accolades.
Kobe Savage, who joined Kansas State as a transfer from Tyler JC before the 2022 season, made an impact in his first 10 games before an injury ended his campaign. Despite missing the final four games, Savage tied for the fourth position on the team with 58 tackles, earning him All-Big 12 Second Team honors from the league’s coaches. He also received votes for the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year award. Hailing from Paris, Texas, Savage tied for the sixth spot in the Big 12 with three interceptions.
Ben Sinnott emerged as a standout player last season, receiving All-Big 12 First Team honors. He led all Big 12 tight ends/fullbacks and ranked fourth nationally with an average of 14.4 yards per catch. Sinnott also secured the sixth position in Kansas State’s history for a tight end with 447 receiving yards and the eighth spot with 31 catches. The Waterloo, Iowa native recorded four touchdown catches during the year, including a two-score effort against Baylor, making him the first Wildcat tight end with a multi-touchdown game since 1996.
Treshaun Ward joins Kansas State after spending the previous four seasons at Florida State, where he accumulated 1,241 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns throughout his career. Last season, the Plant City, Florida native led the Seminoles with 649 yards and seven touchdowns, earning All-ACC Honorable Mention accolades.