Wildcats Draft Profiles: Josh Rivas Looks Towards the NFL

Former Kansas State Wildcats offensive lineman Josh Rivas looks to take the next step in his football career. How legitimate of a prospect is he though?

Coming out of high school, guard Josh Rivas was a cannot-miss prospect for the Kansas State Wildcats. The former Hutchinson Salthawk collected accolades during his junior and senior seasons. He ultimately was rated the third-best player in the state of Kansas by ESPN and 247Sports, and in the top 50 nationally at his position for the Class of 2017. His physical play style fit right into the old-school Kansas State offense. Rivas and Kansas State were just meant to be.

Ultimately, Rivas was a staple in Manhattan. He redshirted in 2017 but saw action through the rest of his tenure. He was a four-year letter winner and played in 46 career games with 23 starts. Rivas saw nearly 2,000 offensive snaps during his Kansas State career and did not allow a sack among his 362 pass-blocking snaps his senior season.

Rivas was always a member of good blocking units but never saw many individual accolades. He earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors from the Associated Press in 2019, but that was his highest award. Rivas was always just a solid lineman for the Wildcats, and that is alright.

That is why his draft declaration came as a surprise to some outside of the team.

“To the K-State family, I want to start by thanking Coach Snyder and Coach Dickey for the role they had in shaping me into the player and the man I am today,” Rivas said in a statement on Twitter. “At this time, I will be signing with PSM and declaring for the 2022 NFL draft. Again thank you K-State for everything you gave me when I first stepped onto campus 5 years ago. EMAW.”

Now that Rivas has his representation and is moving on from Kansas State, Wildcats fans wished him the best on social media. However, will Rivas’ talent and their well-wishes be enough on draft day?