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With the start of the college football season closing in, the next athlete on the countdown is no stranger to the area surrounding AT&T Stadium, where Kansas State will play Stanford on Sept. 4. Coming out of Arlington, Texas, the Collegian focuses on No. 40 Spencer Trussell, a 6 foot 3 inch, 238-pound junior defensive end.
Before college, Trussell was a three-year letter-winner at Martin High School under head coach Bob Wager.
During his high school career, Trussell was named a finalist for the Dallas-Fort Worth Defensive Player of the Year Award. He totaled 59 tackles, 12 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, two blocked field goals and a blocked punt during his senior year in 2017.
While at Martin, Trussell helped the Warriors advance to the regional round of the Texas 6A D1 state playoffs. He also earned First-Team All-District 4-6A honors as a senior and was picked as a second-teamer his junior year.
Trussell had a three-star rating from 247 Sports, was ranked the 163rd best player in Texas and the 63rd best defensive end in Texas out of high school. He was also viewed as the 79th best defensive end in the nation by ESPN for the class of 2018.
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Trussell saw little playing time as a freshman in 2018 but did see the field as part of the special teams unit, playing kickoff coverage against TCU while maintaining his redshirt.
In 2019, Trussell saw time in three games as a reserve defensive end, recording one tackle against Nicholls.
Trussell started seeing more of the field in 2020, playing in seven games as a reserve defensive end. He tallied four tackles on the year, including a career-high two tackles at Iowa State. He also recorded his first career sack against the Cyclones.
Going into the 2021 season, it appears Trussell has already received positive buzz from the coaching staff throughout spring ball.
K-State DE coach Buddy Wyatt says Spencer Trussell has had the best spring of anybody at the position.
— John Kurtz (@jlkurtz) March 25, 2021
As the season approaches, the sky is the limit, given Trussell’s previous experience. He joins defensive ends Khalid Duke, Bronson Massie and Felix Anudike as a force for opposing offensive lines this season.
