WATCH: Kansas State commit Coleman Hawkins excitedly waits "till kickoff" for Week 1 game against Tennessee-Martin

Kansas State forward Coleman Hawkins attended the Wildcats' football team's clash against Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. The Cats opened their new college football season with a huge 41-6 win over UT at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Hawkins, a 6-foot-10 senior who joined Kansas State this summer, was ecstatic in the stands to see the Wildcats take the field and kick off the 2024 season. He shared a video on his Instagram story showing glimpses from before the matchup as the players were warming up.

"30 minutes till kickoff, go cats," Hawkins wrote the caption on the video.

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Chris Klieman's team won the game thanks to their strong defense. The Wildcats held the Skyhawks to just two field goals and only allowed them to gain 134 yards.

Coleman Hawkins played at Illinois for four years before moving to KSU in June. He declared for the NBA draft at the end of the season but later withdrew his name. However, he entered the transfer portal and is now committed to the Kansas State program.

Jerome Tang believes Coleman Hawkins could play a crucial role in the team

Kansas State coach Jerome Tang sees a big picture with Coleman Hawkins on the team. Along with the Sacramento, California native, Tang added nine more players from the portal this offseason.

Speaking with The Athletic following Hawkins' commitment to KSU, the 2023 Naismith Coach of the Year was optimistic about the players he signed ahead of the new campaign. He specifically praised Hawkins and his versatility on the court.

"He can play the three and play quite a bit of time there," Tang said. "Somebody’s gonna have to figure out which one of those guys they’re going to guard with who, and then we’re going to be able to pick on mismatches."

"He’s not a guy who has to score a lot of points, but he impacts winning in a lot of different ways and he can score,” Tang added. "There so much to like. He’s such an intelligent player. Plays with passion and emotion."

The upcoming season will be Coleman Hawkins' fifth and final year in college. He previously declared for the NBA draft but will now definitely enter the draft next year.