#22 Daniel Green — The muscular Daniel Green’s (22) great K-State career has finally come to an end, freeing up his jersey number for a very different sort of player: Freshman safety Callen Barta is lean and rangy. | Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

In which BracketCat counts down the 22nd day until the 2024 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State safety Callen Barta.

#22 Callen Barta

True Freshman | 6-1 | 186 lbs. | Topeka, Kansas

Position: Safety
Previous College: None
Projection: Redshirt
Status: On Scholarship

Callen Barta (b. March 1, 2006) is an athletic young Topeka safety who plans on majoring in human and health sciences. He’s likely to redshirt and not play in 2024 as he adds weight.

Barta prepped under head coach Jared Swafford at Seaman High School in Topeka, where he was rated the eighth-best prospect in Kansas in the Class of 2024 by 247Sports and On3.

A first-team all-state honoree as a senior by The Wichita Eagle, Sports in Kansas and KSHSAA Covered, he was named 2023 Kansas Sports Central Defensive Back of the Year.

Barta totaled 104 tackles and 13 interceptions during his prep career, to go along with 128 catches for 1,847 yards and 20 touchdowns on offense.

He prepped at the same high school as current K-State offensive lineman Logan Cox and also played basketball as a prep, helping the Vikings to win a state championship.

Barta chose K-State over offers from Benedictine, Emporia State, Midland, Missouri Southern State, Peru State, Washburn and Nebraska, from which he previously de-committed, as well as strong interest from regional recruiting rivals Colorado State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas (preferred walk-on offer), Minnesota, Missouri and North Dakota State.

His primary recruiter was his new position coach, defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman, assisted by director of football recruiting Taylor Braet.

“(Coach Klanderman) really loves my athleticism,” Barta told KSNT. “He really believes I will be the most athletic in the safety room. I’m ready to go down and play.”

Barta’s older brother, Camden, is a current linebacker at Emporia State University. Callen also has previous ties to K-State from his time working as a football stadium employee:

He is familiar with, but not related to, K-State football legend and Holton High School head football coach Brooks Barta. There is still a connection there: Callen’s dad, Jerry Barta, played high school football with Brooks Barta and Mark Simoneau at Smith Center.