Tracking Kansas State football's undrafted free agents after 2023 NFL Draft

With the 2023 NFL Draft completing its three-day run Saturday, it was a banner year for former Kansas State players with four of them selected, including defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah who went to his hometown Kansas City Chiefs in the first round.

Anudike-Uzomah was joined by cornerback Julius Brents to the Indianapolis Colts in the second round, while Josh Hayes (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Deuce Vaughn (Dallas Cowboys) both going off the board in the sixth round. The four selections were the most since four Wildcats also were picked in 2003.

While they didn't hear their names called, several other Wildcats either signed or received mini-camp invitations as undrafted free agents right after the draft with more likely to come. A list of those who have hooked up with different NFL teams follows and will be updated as more sign.

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Wide receiver Malik Knowles: Minnesota Vikings

Of the four K-State players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, Knowles was the only one not drafted.

But Knowles, a 6-foot-2, 196-pound senior from Mansfield, Texas, was quickly snapped up by the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday.

Knowles, a smooth, 6-foot-2, 196-pound wideout and kick return specialist, had a career year in 2022 with team highs of 48 receptions for 725 yards with two touchdowns. He left K-State tied for seventh in school history with 14 career touchdown catches and tied for eighth in receiving yards with 1,867, while his 127 total catches were good for ninth on the list.

Knowles also had three kickoff return touchdowns.

Kicker/punter Ty Zentner: Philadelphia Eagles

Zentner, who did it all and did it all well in the kicking game for K-State during a super-senior fifth season, signed as a free agent with the Eagles, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Josh Tolentino.

Zentner seemed to confirm the signing with by posting a Philadelphia Eagles gif on social media, accompanied by the words "Go Birds."

Zentner, a Topeka native from Shawnee Heights High School, transferred to K-State from Butler Community College and handled kickoff duties for the Wildcats all three years and was the punter for two seasons after sharing the job his first year.

He was a second-team All-Big 12 punter in 2022, averaging 44.5 yards with 27 of 59 attempts pinning opponents inside their 20-yard line. But it was as a place-kicker that Zentner was truly remarkable after taking over that job at midseason.

He made all 11 field goal attempts, including a 53-yarder at West Virginia and the 31-yard game winner in overtime against TCU in the Big 12 championship game. He also was perfect on 31 extra points.

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Quarterback Adrian Martinez: Detroit Lions

Things didn't exactly go as planned in 2022 for Martinez, who transferred to K-State as a super-senior after a decorated four-year career at Nebraska.

But while an injury-plagued season in which he eventually lost the starting job to backup Will Howard might have kept him from being drafted, the Detroit Lions saw enough to offer sign him as a free agent as reported by NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero.

Martinez, who completed 64.1% of his passes for 1,261 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 627 yards and 10 more scores, expressed no regrets about making the move from Nebraska. Instead, following K-State's pre-draft pro day, he pointed to the Big 12 championship banner hanging inside the Wildcats' indoor practice facility.

In his four years as a starter at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers never qualified for a bowl game, much less contended for a conference title.

Wide receiver Kade Warner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Warner spent two years at K-State after transferring from Nebraska, and enjoyed by far his best season in 2022 with 46 catches for 456 yards and a team-best five touchdowns. That was enough for Tampa Bay to sign him as a free agent.

Warner, son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, no doubt won the Bucs over with his route-running, sure hands and football IQ, not to mention his leadership presence as a team captain.

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Cornerback Ekow Boye-Doe: Kansas City Chiefs

Boye-Doe, a two-year starter at cornerback for K-State, won't have to travel far to get his shot with the Chiefs. He is a graduate of Lawrence High School, a short drive from Arrowhead Stadium.

Boye-Doe was considered a draft longshot after a blazing 40-yard dash performance at K-State's pro day and had a solid senior season for the Wildcats with 26 tackles, four passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

The Chiefs invited him to their free agent mini-camp, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Tight end Sammy Wheeler: Chicago Bears

Wheeler, a converted quarterback from St. James Academy in Lenexa, was invited to the Bears' mini-camp after a solid career at K-State. At a lean 6-5, 241 pounds, was used primarily as a pass-catching tight end by the Wildcats.

Wheeler, who had 34 career catches and four touchdowns, was overshadowed in 2022 by Ben Sinnott, who had a breakout season. But he established himself early on as a sure-handed receiver and showed enough for the Bears to give him a look.

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: Tracking Kansas State football's undrafted free agents after NFL Draft