Two former Kansas State football standouts earned invites to the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 26.
One is the Wildcats’ former starting center, and the other a defensive back whose knowledge of the backfield is enough to make any scout do a double take.
Kansas State’s Sam Hecht, VJ Payne invited to 2026 NFL Scouting Combine
Both Wildcats’ prospects spend their entire careers at Kansas State under former head coach Chris Klieman. Sam Hecht, the team’s starting center for the entirety of 2025, even played 759 snaps without committing an accepted penalty.
Payne’s story, however, is a little different. Unlike Hecht, he never redshirted. When he showed up in The Little Apple, it was straight to work. In his first season, he logged 27 total tackles before more than doubling that number in each of his last three years with the Wildcats.
His junior season, Payne forced two fumbles and snagged a pair of interceptions, one against Texas Tech that went back for a touchdown.
What makes Sam Hecht’s presence on the offensive line so dominant?
Sam Hecht’s performance at the 2025 Senior Bowl drew quick attention. In a report by Sports Illustrated, his dominance was credited to his quick footwork and strong hands. Against some of the top prospects in the country, Hecht “looked like the best offensive lineman in attendance.”
Some might point to the trust instilled in him by Chris Klieman, but trust alone doesn’t earn multiple All-Big 12 honors or land a player on national watch lists. Those accolades didn’t arrive until his senior season – when performance matched opportunity.
So what makes him stand out specifically? Is it his blocking ability? His hands? His footwork? The answer is all of the above.
Hecht pairs quick, efficient footwork with strong hand placement and the ability to sustain blocks. He doesn’t just engage rushers – he controls them.
The production supports it. According to his bio, Kansas State averaged 5.09 yards per carry, recorded a school-record 472 rushing yards at Utah and finished No. 10 nationally in sacks allowed. Hecht started in all 12 games.
Durability, discipline, and production. That’s exactly what NFL teams look for at center – a player who brings consistency to every snap and doesn’t just set the standard, but also raises it.
Scouting VJ Payne – one of the Wildcats’ bright spots in the secondary
During his senior campaign, VJ Payne wasn’t a name that jumped off the screen to casual fans. For those paying attention, though, he was impossible to ignore.
Coming out of high school, Payne was a three-star prospect ranked No. 80 in the linebacker class. Unlike Hecht, he didn’t redshirt as a freshman. And that linebacker label? It didn’t last long.
Payne moved to safety ahead of the season opener – a shift that quickly proved to be a defining decision during his career at Kansas State.
52 games, 207 tackles with the majority solo, one sack, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery later, and Payne leaves as one of the most consistent safeties in the Big 12.
Here’s the message to the scouts – those aren’t numbers built on one breakout season. They’re the product of steady progression. Each year, his snap count increased. Each year, the responsibility grew. At every opportunity year, the production followed.
There’s a clear upward trajectory here – and depending on how he tests next week, there’s a realistic case to be made for Payne to hear his name called on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
The only negative is that the pair won’t be around when incoming head coach Colin Klein makes his debut after taking over from Klieman.
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