#89 Aubrey Quarles — It’s been a spell since we have had a prominent wide receiver wearing the No. 89 jersey; the last I can remember is Aubrey Quarles (89) back in the Ron Prince Error/Snyder 2.0 era. Freshman walk-on Zayden Martinez will don this number in 2024. | Photo by Bo Rader/Wichita Eagle/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

In which BracketCat counts down the 61st day until the 2024 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State wide receiver Zayden Martinez.

#89 Zayden Martinez

True Freshman | 6-4 | 201 lbs. | Liberal, Kansas

Position: Wide Receiver
Previous College: None
Projection: Redshirt
Status: Walk-On

Zayden Martinez (Jan. 23, 2006) is a walk-on wide receiver from Liberal who plans on majoring in kinesiology and likely will redshirt in 2024 to add some weight to his tall frame.

Martinez prepped under head coach Bryan Leutters at Liberal High School, where he was a first-team all-state honoree as a senior from Sports in Kansas and The Wichita Eagle, while he was an honorable mention pick by both organizations as a junior.

He hauled in 53 receptions for 1,149 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior, producing the second-most receiving yards and touchdowns in school history.

That came on the heels of a 10-touchdown, 611-yard effort as a junior.

In total, Martinez finished second in school history with 2,009 career receiving yards.

He also played basketball for the Redskins, earned all-conference honors in baseball and track, and was a state qualifier in the high jump, 200-meter relay and 4×400-meter relay.

Martinez chose to walk on at K-State over scholarship offers from Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Midland University, Peru State College, Pittsburg State University, the University of Central Oklahoma, Washburn University, and Butler, Dodge City, Garden City, and Hutchinson community colleges, as well as a competing walk-on offer from KU.

You can watch his senior season highlights here.