Less than a week before practice begins, off-field issues continue to hound Kansas State’s football program.

Four Wildcat football players have been arrested this month, and others are part of an investigation stemming from an alleged altercation.

The two latest to be arrested were senior wide receiver Derrick Evans and senior nose tackle Andrew Bulman.

Evans was arrested early Thursday morning on charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, Riley County Police Lt. Kurt Moldrup said.

A warrant was issued for Bulman after he didn’t appear in court for an insurance matter. He was arrested Wednesday.

The players were released on bonds of $1,000 and $500, respectively.

KSU’s football office knew about the arrests, K-State sports information director Garry Bowman said, but coach Bill Snyder declined to comment.

“We’ll let the judicial process take its course, and anything beyond that will be handled as an internal team matter,” Bowman said.

The arrests come just before the Wildcats start practice Wednesday. K-State, projected to be a possible top-10 team, opens the season Aug. 23 against California in the Black Coaches Assn. Classic at Arrowhead Stadium.

Other players who were arrested in July were junior defensive end Alax Carrier, charged with DUI, and senior tight end Travon Magee, charged with violating a protective order.

Evans, who made the game-winning catch against Arizona State in last year’s Holiday Bowl, was listed as a starter opposite James Terry for 2003 in the spring depth chart. Bulman, who played nine games last year, was penciled in to be the starting nose tackle.

Magee played in all 13 games last season and was expected to back up Thomas Hill this season. Carrier, who played in 11 games last season, was No. 2 on the depth chart in the spring at right defensive end.

Meanwhile, other players could face charges in a case now in the hands of Riley County District Attorney Bill Kennedy. He is deciding whether to file charges in a case from June 28, in which two alleged assailants were K-State football players. One of the two victims, K-State student Spencer Coatney of Ottawa, said he suffered a fractured bone in his orbital socket that required surgery in the area near his right eye.

Riley County Assistant District Attorney Brenda Jordan said her office still was reviewing the case, and no arrests have been made.