Olathe South product Bryce Noernberg giving Kansas State a boost on kick returns
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- Bryce Noernberg earned a key special teams role as a kick returner at K-State.
- Noernberg returned a 99-yard kickoff for a touchdown against Army last week.
- Coach Chris Klieman praised Noernberg's speed, attention to detail and continued growth.
Bryce Noernberg had no idea what position he would play in college when he agreed to join the Kansas State football team as a walk-on ahead of last season.
Quarterback seemed like a possibility. In high school, he lined up under center for Olathe South and threw for 1,173 yards as a senior. Running back and wide receiver were also options, considering he was a dual-threat passer who ran for 1,520 yards and 31 touchdowns during his final year with the Falcons.
Turns out, he was best suited for special teams. Noernberg has carved out an important role with the Wildcats as a kick returner.
“I played kick return my whole life all the way until my sophomore season (of high school),” Noernberg said. “Then I was quarterback, so they didn’t really want me to do it. But I’ve always had that natural ability to just read a field pretty well. I think that helps quite a bit.”
The 5-foot-10 redshirt freshman put both his athleticism and experience to good use last week when he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown against Army. He also returned another kick 44 yards in that game. On the season, he has 339 yards and one score as a return man.
Noernberg lost a costly fumble in Game 2 against North Dakota, but K-State football coach Chris Klieman stood up for his kick returner afterward. In time, he said, Noernberg was going to make big plays for the Wildcats.
He was quickly proven right.
“It was awesome,” Noernberg said. “I’ve been dreaming about that my whole life, and so just for it to finally happen, it feels good. Just keep pushing. I have that mentality, and I knew I’d make a play eventually. I’m just glad I helped.”
Noernberg, who is now on a partial scholarship, said his touchdown against Army validated all the work he has put in at K-State.
“I had no offers out of high school besides just a walk-on here,” Noernberg said. “But I’ve always wanted to come here. I didn’t really know what my path was going to be. Obviously at quarterback I was a little small to play. But I knew slot receiver was something I could do. I’m just glad I got the opportunity.”
Klieman is happy things have worked out for him.
He thinks more big plays are in his future.
“He has earned an opportunity with us,” Klieman said. “He’s earned it because of great speed and attention to detail. He’s a guy that does all the little things and continues to get stronger, and he’s already extremely fast.”
This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Olathe South product Bryce Noernberg giving Kansas State a boost on kick returns."