#75 Jordan Willis — Jordan Willis (75) was the last defensive lineman I can remember wearing No. 75. It will be interesting to see it make a comeback with redshirt freshman defensive tackle Holden Bass. | Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

In which BracketCat counts down the 65th day until the 2025 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State defensive tackle Holden Bass.

#75 Holden Bass

Redshirt Freshman | 6-3 | 295 lbs. | Seneca, Kansas

Position: Defensive Tackle
Previous College: None
Projection: Scout Team
Status: Preferred Walk-On

Holden Bass (July 26, 2005) is a young defensive tackle who is majoring in physical therapy.

He walked on last summer and redshirted for the 2024 season without seeing playing time.

A four-year letter-winner under head coach Michael Glatzic, Bass helped to finish his career at Nemaha Central High School with a 26-game winning streak and two state titles.

He was named the 2023 Kansas Class 2A Defensive Player of the Year by Sports in Kansas and to the Top 11 team by the Kansas Football Coaches Association.

Bass also was a first-team all-state performer by Sports in Kansas, The Wichita Eagle and the Kansas Football Coaches Association as a senior in 2023 after carding 110 tackles for the Thunder and anchoring a defense that allowed only five points per game.

He also earned first-team all-state honors as a junior from Sports in Kansas and the Eagle, while he was a runner-up for the defensive player of the year award as both a sophomore and junior, as well as the first wrestler in school history to place at the state meet.

Bass walked on at K-State over an offer from Northwest Missouri State (where he was previously committed), as well as recruiting interest from Kansas, North Dakota and North Dakota State. Here is what his high school coach had to say about his defensive potential:

Holden’s biggest strength as a football player is his explosiveness. (He) is a two-way player that excels at both offensive line and defensive line. His explosiveness on the defensive side I think separates him from others. He can take on and defeat double teams, control his gap at will, and can run down a sweep to the sideline from the defensive line position.