McPHERSON, Kan. – Former McPherson High School standout football player Cody Stufflebean will be one of five K-State Football players participating in the 2025 Big 12 Football Media Day festivities in Frisco, Tex. Tuesday, July 8.
Stufflebean graduated from McPherson High School in 2020 with a 4.0 GPA. He played football for the Bullpups as a tight end and a defensive end. He was also a letter winner in basketball and track & field, finishing 2nd in state javelin his junior year.
“We are so proud of Cody’s accomplishments on and off of the field,” McPherson Head Football Coach Jace Pavlovich said. “You could tell he was raised the right way because he had the characteristics of a leader and great human being from day one he came to our program. It just so happens that he was great at football too.”
The Wildcate edge rusher was ranked the 88th-best athlete in his position by 247Sports as well as the 13th best football recruit in Kansas in the class of 2020. The three-star athlete chose K-State the summer prior to his senior year at MHS over offers from schools including Wisconsin, Colorado, and Virginia Tech. He closed off his senior season with 44 tackles and eight sacks defensively while also catching 12 passes for 193 yards and six touchdowns on offense.
Stufflebean joined the KSU roster as a tight end, but transitioned to a defensive end at the end of 2021. He saw more regular playing time starting in 2022 as a reserve before being a part of the normal rotation in 2023.
His playing time skyrocketed in 2024 as he was a starting defensive end for the Wildcats. The team captain had 19 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, and 2.0 sacks in the season, including a sack in the Rate Bowl against Rutgers.
Stufflebean’s efforts don’t just carry on the field as he’s been an academic All-Big 12 honoree for three years in a row. He’s also brought his talents back to McPherson, hosting a youth football camp in early June. The camp was held at the MHS football field alongside other K-State Football student-athletes and the McPherson High School football coaching staff. All proceeds were donated to the MHS Football program.
Pavlovich continues to show his pride for Stufflebean. “He carried himself with humility all the way through the process of his four years at McPherson,” Pavlovich said. “He has carried that through at K-State and has had a successful career at one of the best programs in the nation.”
Stufflebean will join teammates Avery Johnson, Taylor Poitier, VJ Payne, and Austin Romaine along with head coach Chris Klieman. Coverage of the Big 12 Media Days will be nationally televised from The Star in Frisco, Tex.
