D.J. Reed came to Kansas State after a bit of a tumultuous start to his career that saw him originally on the roster at Fresno State, where he contemplated getting out of football entirely, before he left and spent a season at season at Cerritos College. He got himself back in the game, and turned into a solid, if still somewhat overlooked, defensive back. He caught the attention of the K-State coaching staff, and signed with K-State a week after national Signing Day in 2016.
He made an immediate impact at K-State, starting all but one game his first season in Manhattan.