Kolbe Katsis
| No. 81 – Denver Broncos | |
|---|---|
| Positions | Wide receiver, kickoff returner |
| Roster status | Practice squad |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 28, 2001 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lincoln Christian (Tulsa, Oklahoma) |
| College | Pittsburg State (2021–2023) Northern Arizona (2024–2025) |
| NFL draft | 2026: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| |
* Offseason or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
Kolbe Katsis (born December 28, 2001)[1] is an American professional football wide receiver and kickoff returner for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburg State Gorillas and Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. Katsis was signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2026.
Early life
Katsis was born on December 28, 2001, to Steve and Kelly Katsis.[1] He attended and played football at Lincoln Christian School in Tulsa, Oklahoma during high school, catching a total of 50 passes for 1,235 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns as a wide receiver. This aided the team in achieving a 12–1 record and a state championship title in 2019.[2][3]
College career
Pittsburg State
During his redshirt freshman year at the Division II college Pittsburg State, Katsis had a breakout season, logging 22 receptions for 505 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 13 games while also averaging 32.8 yards on kick returns, as well as a 98-yard return touchdown.[1] Due to this, Katsis was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year for 2022.[4] The next year, Katsis built on his freshman performance, accruing 48 catches for 655 yards and four touchdowns and averaging 25.9 yards per return across 12 games played.[1] He subsequently earned third-team All-MIAA honors as both a wide receiver and a return specialist.[5]
Northern Arizona
Heading into his junior year, Katsis transferred to Northern Arizona, making the transition to Division I football.[6] As a redshirt junior, he played in 11 games, producing 35 receptions for 498 receiving yards and two touchdowns, as well as two rushes for 14 rushing yards.[2] In his final year at NAU, he recorded a career-high 60 catches for 1068 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, 2 rushes for 64 rushing yards and one touchdown, and averaging a Big Sky Conference-leading 30.6 yards per kick return plus one 100-yard return touchdown.[2] He was later named to the 2025 All-Big Sky first-team as both a wide receiver and kick returner.[7]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+1⁄4 in (1.84 m) | 186 lb (84 kg) | 31+3⁄8 in (0.80 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 4.43 s | 1.52 s | 2.52 s | 4.17 s | 6.90 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) | 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) | 13 reps |
| All values from Pro Day[8] | ||||||||||||
Denver Broncos
After going unselected in the 2026 NFL draft, Katsis was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent.[9] Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi specifically targeted him for his return ability and experience, with incumbent return specialist Marvin Mims being a pending free agent in the next offseason.[7][10][11]
On August 30, 2026, Katsis was waived by the Broncos as a part of final roster cuts.[12] He was subsequently re-signed to the practice squad the following day.[13]
Notes
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Kolbe Katsis - 2023 - Football". Pittsburg State University Athletics. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Kolbe Katsis - Football". Northern Arizona University Athletics. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Jourdan, Cameron (December 8, 2019). "Lincoln Christian wins its second state title". The Oklahoman. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "MIAA Announces 2022 All-MIAA Football Teams and Postseason Awards". themiaa.com. November 15, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "2023 All-MIAA Football Awards Announced". themiaa.com. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Baldridge, Brock (December 17, 2023). "Kolbe Katsis transfers to Northern Arizona". KOAM News. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- 1 2 Tomasson, Chris (May 5, 2026). "Undrafted Kolbe Katsis seeks to make Broncos as kickoff return specialist". Denver Gazette. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 NFL Draft Scout Kolbe Katsis College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ DiLalla, Aric (May 8, 2025). "Broncos sign 13 college free agents". Denver Broncos. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Broncos' Kolbe Katsis: Lands in Mile High City". CBS Sports. May 9, 2026. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Wakeman, Travis (May 18, 2026). "Broncos Undrafted Rookie Spotlight: Kolbe Katsis could add juice to return game | Sporting News". The Sporting News. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ DiLalla, Aric (August 30, 2026). "Broncos make series of roster moves to reach 53-player roster limit". Denver Broncos. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
- ↑ DiLalla, Aric (August 31, 2026). "Broncos sign 17 players to practice squad". Denver Broncos. Retrieved August 31, 2026.