#39 Jordan Schippers — With his career highlight coming against Alabama in the 2022 Sugar Bowl, Jordan Schippers (39) used up his eligibility in the 2023 season and did not elect to make use of his COVID year, which opens up his jersey number to go back to the defense in the form of transfer DE Travis Bates. | Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In which BracketCat counts down the 39th day until the 2024 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State defensive end Travis Bates.

#39 Travis Bates

Redshirt Sophomore | 6-3 | 264 lbs. | Tomball, Texas

Position: Defensive End
Previous College: Austin Peay University
Projection: Co-Starter
Status: On Scholarship

Travis Bates (b. Nov. 3, 2003) is a promising young, strong defensive end who transferred to K-State from Austin Peay in time to participate in 2023 spring practices with the Wildcats.

Bates, who is majoring in kinesiology, prepped under head coach Kevin Flanigan at Tomball High School in Texas, where he also competed in basketball and baseball.

He redshirted and did not play at Austin Peay in 2022, but last season, he played in 10 games with nine starts, logging 32 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two pass breakups and a blocked kick en route to Freshman All-American honors from Phil Steele.

Bates had a career-best six tackles at Eastern Kentucky — all solo stops — to go with a career-best two tackles for loss, a sack and a blocked extra point.

He also recorded a sack against Central Arkansas, carded five tackles against Chattanooga, and netted four tackles against Tennessee, East Tennessee State and Stephen F. Austin.

Bates picked the Wildcats over offers from Boston College, Houston, North Texas, Old Dominion, Texas State and Wisconsin. He originally committed to Austin Peay over offers from Colorado State (from which he previously had de-committed) and Pennsylvania.

Two of his brothers, Jake and Jordan, each played soccer at Central Arkansas, while Jordan finished his career as a kicker at Arkansas.

Here’s what defensive ends coach Buddy Wyatt had to say about his newest transfer talent:

He’s a very mature young man. He comes in and he’s picked up the system really well. He’s a really, really hard worker. He probably has a little bit more pass-rush ability than I thought he would, which is really good.

I project Bates to alternate playing time primarily with Chiddi Obiazor opposite the tandem of Brendan Mott and Jordan Allen. Collectively, they should bring a formidable pass rush.