Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 71-3vs Nicholls | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 34-7vs Washington State | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#39
Travis Bates
Senior defensive end for Kansas State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 278 lb · Tomball, TX · Tomball
CFB Index 43 · #254 of 420 edge rushersMedium confidenceReturning to Kansas State for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
1
sack · 2026
2 TFL · 2 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 sacks, 1 TFL, 1 tackles, vs Washington State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive end for Kansas State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
His career, year by yearTravis Bates
Holds up snap after snap without a weakness to attack. Travis Bates has played for two head coaches in three seasons at Kansas State. One game to point at: 1 tackles, 1 sacks against Washington State — Week 2, 2026.
2 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Kansas State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024–2025
Kansas State
2026era →
Collin Klein
Kansas State
Coaching transition mid-career: Chris Klieman → Collin Klein. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Kansas State9-4HC: Chris Klieman · Run-leaning
2025Kansas State6-6HC: Chris Klieman · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2026Kansas State2-0HC: Collin Klein · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Elite: sacks (87th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (85th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 1.0 TKL/g, 1.0 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Collin Klein
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
43 · #254 of 420 edge rushers
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #11 of 22 Big 12 DEs
How the All-Big 12 estimate is computed
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kansas State | 2 | 2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Kansas State | 20 | 13 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Kansas State | 13 | 6 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 35 | 21 | 8.0 | 5.5 | 2 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 71–3
vs Nicholls
1 TOT · 1 SOLO · 1 TFL
Dominant 68-point win at home against Nicholls.
With A. Johnson — 199 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · 23 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD · B. White — 7 rush yds (1 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
No single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Kansas State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive end · Kansas State
Returning around him
- 2 Kansas State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -6 net (27 in / 33 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Kansas State · Last season: 6-6 (AP #17) · Talent rank #47 · 2026 recruiting class #50
DNA match
Player DNA
Versatile End
No single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board.
EDGE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Malik Vann’s 2023 season.
88%match
Matches Malik on
TFL rate
Weight
Sack rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jack Harris's junior season at Mississippi State (2022).
Matches Jack on
Class year
Height
Sack rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Travis Bates
Background
CAREER HONORS • 2025 Academic All-Big 12 • 2023 Freshman All-American (Phil Steele) 2025: A regular member of the playing rotation, seeing time on 390 defensive snaps over the 12-game season… Recorded 20 tackles, 2.0 sacks and a pass breakup on the season… Tied his career high with six tackles –...
The defensive line · Kansas State
- #1Wendell Gregory12 tackles for loss · 2025
- #56Elijah Hill11.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #91Jordan Allen5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #40Jayden Bryant4.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #39Travis Bates2 tackles for loss · 2025
14 more on the roster · Kansas State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology