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MANHATTAN — Kansas State football continued to replenish its secondary through the transfer portal on Monday with the addition of Arizona safety Gunner Maldonado.
Maldonado is the Wildcats’ seventh portal pickup and third defensive back, filling a need with the loss of three starters to graduation, the portal or the NFL Draft. He played four years at Arizona, but was limited to four games in 2024 after suffering a season-ending injury against Texas Tech.
The 6-foot, 194-pound Maldonado did play against K-State this season in Manhattan, starting and recording four tackles, including one for loss. His best season came as a junior in 2023, when he played in all 13 games with 12 starts, totaling 81 tackles with an interception. He was named defensive most valuable player in the Alamo Bowl.
Maldonado, who redshirted at Northwestern as a true freshman in 2020, has 175 career tackles, four interceptions and six forced fumbles.
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Arizona Safety Gunner Maldonado (9) tackles Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson short of the goal line during their game Sept. 13 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Maldonado has committed to play for K-State next season.
On Saturday, K-State added an offensive lineman in Southern California redshirt freshman Amos Talalele, a 6-foot-4, 340-pounder, who appeared in six games this past season for the Trojans.
The Wildcats (8-4) are currently in Phoenix preparing to face Rutgers (7-5) on Thursday in the Rate Bowl.
K-State has lost 15 players to the portal since the end of the regular season, including starting right tackle Carver Willis and receiver Keagan…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kansas-state-football-grabs-veteran-001405300.html
Author : The Topeka Capital-Journal
Publish date : 2024-12-24 00:14:00
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