In which BracketCat counts down the 32nd day until the 2024 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State running back Evan Cantu.

#32 Evan Cantu

Redshirt Sophomore | 5-9 | 207 lbs. | Wichita, Kansas

Position: Running Back
Previous College: None
Projection: Scout Team
Status: Preferred Walk-On

Evan Cantu (b. Nov. 14, 2003) is a walk-on running back from Wichita who is majoring in business administration. He redshirted and did not see game action in 2022 or 2023.

Cantu prepped under head coach Brent Pfiefer at Maize High School South, where he earned first-team all-state honors as a senior after rushing for a school-record 2,107 yards with 27 touchdowns — also a school record — to go along with 119 receiving yards.

He was named a finalist for the Sports in Kansas Player of the Year award, while he was a first-team all-league selection after posting five rushing touchdowns in four different games for the Mavericks. (His is a truly uplifting story, as told by The Wichita Eagle.)

Cantu broke the school’s single-game rushing record with 402 yards in the first round of the state playoffs against Wichita Heights. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a junior and earned honorable mention all-state recognition.

Cantu also was a two-time state powerlifting champion and participant in the state track meet in the 4×100.