#21 Marques Sigle — Marques Sigle (21) was a breakout star in the secondary last season, and he could have been an even bigger name heading into this season if he had held onto a few more interceptions like this one. His return alleviates the sting of losing Kobe Savage and coaches look to him to be a leader. | Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In which BracketCat counts down the 21st day until the 2024 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State safety Marques Sigle.

NOTE: Kansas State has elected to advance players’ classification even though the 2020 season did not affect eligibility. Those who wish to take advantage of this extra year will be listed as a (“super”) senior again after their original eligibility would have been exhausted.

#21 Marques Sigle

Redshirt Senior | 6-0 | 197 lbs. | Omaha, Nebraska

Position: Safety
Previous College: North Dakota State University
Projection: Starter
Status: On Scholarship

Marques Sigle (b. Aug. 18, 2002) is a transfer safety from North Dakota State who is majoring in business administration and immediately became an impact starter in 2023.

He started 12 games last season and tied for team-high honors with 63 tackles as he earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades from the league’s coaches, as well as votes for the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year award. (View a 2023 player profile of him here.)

Sigle tallied three tackles for loss and 10 total passes defended, the latter ranking second on the team, and he set a career high with eight tackles at both Missouri and Texas, while he had seven tackles against Oklahoma State and Houston, plus six tackles against UCF.

He collected tackles for loss against Missouri, Texas Tech and Houston, and he carded his first interception as a Wildcat at Kansas, a fourth-quarter pick in the end zone that helped to seal a four-point win. (He had 3-4 more defended passes that were dropped interceptions…)

Sigle broke up a career-best two passes against Baylor and in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against NC State, and he blocked a field goal at Oklahoma State, the first by a Wildcat since Wyatt Hubert blocked one at TCU in 2020.

A three-year starter and two-year captain at Omaha North High School under head coach Larry Martin, Sigle earned all-conference honors twice in his career, including being named a first-team performer as a senior.

He totaled 217 tackles and two interceptions during his prep career, while he also carded 500 receiving yards and six touchdowns, helping the Vikings to earn a state championship during his sophomore season, and also competing in track and field.

As a true freshman at North Dakota State during the 2020 season (he actually played in the spring of 2021), Sigle saw time in one game, carding a tackle against Missouri State.

He saw time in 13 games in 2021, totaling 23 tackles, an interception and five total passes defended en route to Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team honors.

Five of Sigle’s tackles came on kickoff coverage and he had a season-high four tackles against Indiana State, against which he carded his first career pick and returned it 36 yards.

He broke up passes against Towson, Youngstown State, Southern Illinois and East Tennessee State, the latter two games coming in the FCS Playoffs.

Sigle registered three tackles apiece against Towson, Youngstown State, James Madison and Montana State, the final game being NDSU’s fall 2021 national championship victory.

He then played in all 11 regular-season games in 2022, totaling 27 tackles, a sack, two picks and five passes defended.

Sigle led the Bison in special teams tackles with 11, all coming on kickoff coverage, and tallied a career-high five tackles against both North Carolina A&T and Southern Illinois.

He intercepted passes against Drake and Western Illinois, had a sack that resulted in a forced fumble against South Dakota State, and broke up passes versus Indiana State, Illinois State and Southern Illinois.

Sigle also tallied three tackles apiece against Drake, Indiana State and South Dakota State.

Prior to his transfer to K-State, he committed to North Dakota State over offers from local FCS competitors and Missouri Valley Football Conference rivals North Dakota, Northern Iowa and South Dakota State, as well as strong recruiting interest from Nebraska.

Chris Klieman correctly predicted Sigle’s future as preseason camp opened in 2023:

Sigle is a really good football player. He played corner at his previous school, and we moved him to safety. It was maybe a little foreign to him in the spring. Sigle could lead that group just as easily. Some of that leadership is coming out as he’s feeling more comfortable and not having to think about what he’s doing. I’m confident. We’ll challenge Sigle a little bit more to be one of those leaders back there.

Starting linebacker Austin Moore was similarly effusive with his praise:

Marques Sigle, I’ve seen him make a lot of plays in practice. One thing that’s really impressed me about him is the leadership role that he’s taken already. He’s a new guy but people already are looking up to him as a leader. I’m really excited for his year.

Because he played during a pandemic-delayed FCS season, Sigle should still have a COVID year left to use next season if he wants it. But I think his post-2024 destination is the NFL…