In which BracketCat counts down the 75th day until the 2024 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State offensive lineman Sam Hecht.

#75 Sam Hecht

Redshirt Junior | 6-4 | 285 lbs. | Shawnee, Kansas

Position: Offensive Line
Previous College: None
Projection: Co-Starter
Status: On Scholarship

Sam Hecht (b. April 3, 2003) is a former walk-on offensive lineman from Shawnee who is majoring in construction science and management. He redshirted during the 2021 season.

Hecht played as a reserve offensive lineman in four games in 2022, seeing time against South Dakota, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Baylor.

He also was a first-team Academic All-Big 12 performer in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the latter of which he was nominated for with a 4.0 grade-point average.

Hecht saw playing time on field goal protection in all 13 games in 2023, while he also earned playing time as a reserve offensive lineman against SEMO, Troy, Houston and Baylor.

I have him projected to start at center in 2024 when Hadley Panzer lines up as a guard, but if the coaches want the five best linemen on the field together for some reason, Panzer probably will slide over to handle duties at center and be replaced by Andrew Leingang.

Head coach Chris Klieman indicated that Sam Hecht, who was put on scholarship at semester, is the front-runner to take over the center position and “we hope that he takes the reins of it,” while suggesting there is adequate depth at the spot as well.

Hecht prepped under head coach Joel Applebee at Mill Valley High School, where he earned a pair of all-state honors as a junior and senior from both The Topeka Capital-Journal and The Wichita Eagle, including first-team accolades during his final year as a prep.

Along with current K-State safety Mikey Bergeron, defensive end Truman Griffith, offensive lineman Gus Hawkins and kicker Chris Tennant, he helped the Jaguars to earn consecutive state championships during his final two years and was a four-year academic letter-winner.

Hecht chose to walk on at K-State over a preferred walk-on offer from Missouri, as well as offers from Abilene Christian, Brown, Eastern Illinois, Kent State, Penn, Princeton, South Dakota State and Yale. Here’s what Chris Klieman had to say in 2022 about his potential:

Sam Hecht is doing a really good job that nobody talks about who’s a young player from Kansas who’s learning from these older guys, but Sam’s held his own in there against Eli Huggins and Robert Hentz II and some of the better players, so I’m excited about his progress, too.