Des Purnell Earns Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week Honors for Kansas State

How did Kansas State’s Des Purnell earn Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors?

Kansas State linebacker Des Purnell answers questions from the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Kansas State linebacker Des Purnell turned in one of the most dominant defensive performances of the Big 12 season. And now he has the hardware to prove it. On Monday, the conference announced that Purnell was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. It was followed by a game-changing outing in the Wildcats’ 41–28 victory over TCU at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. His all-around effort helped K-State snap a losing streak and reassert its defensive identity in style.

Purnell Earns First Career Conference Honor

For Purnell, a senior from Topeka, Kansas, this recognition marks the first Big 12 weekly honor of his career. It came at a crucial moment for the Wildcats. Especially because they were missing key defensive leaders. However, he never missed a beat with Purnell at the center of it all.

Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week @Des_Purnell #Big12FB // #EMAW👌 pic.twitter.com/g97QPYCTru

— K-State Football (@KStateFB) October 13, 2025

The athlete led with poise, energy, and intelligence, setting the tone for a defense that kept TCU’s high-powered offense in check for most of the night. His timing, tackling, and ability to read plays showed exactly why head coach Chris Klieman and his staff trust him to anchor the defense.

A Two-Play Sequence That Changed Everything

The defining moment of Purnell’s night and perhaps K-State’s season so far came in the third quarter. On back-to-back plays, he completely flipped the game. First, he blitzed through the TCU offensive line and dropped quarterback Josh Hoover for a sack.

Then, on the very next play, Purnell dropped back into coverage, read Hoover’s throw perfectly, and jumped the route for a 25-yard pick-six. That interception return put the Wildcats ahead 21–7 and sent the Bill Snyder Family Stadium crowd into a frenzy.

As if that wasn’t enough, Purnell added a second interception in the fourth quarter to snuff out a late TCU rally. Each play showcased not just his athleticism but also his football IQ.

What Purnell accomplished against TCU was more than just impressive because it was rare. He became the first Kansas State linebacker since Elijah Lee in 2015 to record multiple interceptions in a single game. Even more impressively, he joined just two other linebackers in the entire nation this season to achieve that feat.

Now, Purnell and the Wildcats will take a well-earned break during their bye week before turning their attention to the Sunflower Showdown against Kansas on October 25 in Lawrence. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. With Purnell leading the defense, K-State will look to carry its momentum into one of the most anticipated rivalry games of the Big 12 season.

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