2018 Kansas Jayhawks Football Recruiting



  • Well was checking the various sites before I retire and found out 247 sports has now moved us up to the # FOUR ranked recruiting class in the Nation – Sounds good, time will tell how it all turns out. - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • While KU recruiting successes are being discussed nationally, I hope our staff is actively pursuing other highly ranked recruits who formerly were considered outside our scope of commitment. Right now is the time to land more top recruits for key positions. As our recruiting wave continues to rise, other recruits are aware of the groundswell of success and will be ready to join. I look for the KU staff to continue to land big names, perhaps even to add to the 2017 class.



  • Crook Jones is in some ways just as big a recruiting coup as the Louisiana kids. KU has to recruit the Kansas City area to be successful. They obviously have to also do well in other areas, but they must do well in KC to succeed because that is their “home” recruiting base, along with Wichita.

    The 2017 class had a couple kids from Wichita, but KU was basically shut out in the KC area. They don’t have any Wichita kids yet in this class, but they have landed a KC kid now. It’s important to keep KC and Wichita locked down because that is how KU will continue to grow as a program, locking down the home base, and doing well in Texas/Louisiana.

    Crook Jones is also pretty athletic. He’s a pretty solid basketball player as well as (obviously) excelling on the football field. I always like seeing really athletic guys because that suggests an ability to adapt because they have more physical skills to draw on (good hands, coordination, quickness, explosive leaping, etc).



  • Just have to kind of smile, while I’m kicked back reading over the thread today. - Kind of thinking to myself and saying - - When was the LAST time a KU thread concerning our FOOTBALL program, gotten this much hype - -attention? - - Kind of makes me tingly inside all warm and fuzzy, almost like the last time I got a extra large hot fudge sundae lol, - -you gotta love it - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • KU pipeline to Louisiana. Note in the story that 5 star DB Kelvin Joseph, previous LSU commit has announced plans to visit KU.

    http://www.fanragsports.com/cfb/keep-an-eye-on-kansas-football-pipeline-to-louisiana/



  • @brooksmd We think basketball recruiting is rough. I couldn’t imagine all the flip flopping and crap you have to deal with recruiting when you are trying to land 25+ guys every year…



  • @Kcmatt7 Agreed. I think we’ll be able to hold on to most if not all. These kids could get something at KU they probably wouldn’t get elsewhere for 2-3 years and that’s pt if they work for it. And the more that commit the more they will look around at the talent and see that they can make something happen at KU. Besides, you know how hot and miserable it is down here for spring and summer practice? Hopefully those holding the purse strings aren’t expecting immediate results and will see the value in keeping the coaching staff happy.



  • @brooksmd WOW are you serious? - -man I gotta contain my giddieness, ya I know just visit -see I can’t even spell the word lol,- - -Man I mean 5 star? - -when have we had a 5 star I’m sure we have but still pretty rare, would be really sweet, stop, stop I’m getting all my horses in front of the cart, I feel like a little kid in a candy store lol - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 This is a complete hint at what Beaty wants to do, compared to what Snyder has proven over time to be unable to do. (3 and 4star SEC-territory kids?)

    Jimmies and the Joes, who can actually execute the X’s and O’s.



  • We have some TonyHull “currency” right now, as well as some “just beat TX” currency to spend right now, and Beaty is…



  • Did a little further background on this Kelvin Joseph, they show him like it said as a LSU commit. - - 247 sports has him as the # 35 ranked player in the Nation - -DB - -and I think 7th best DB , Rivals has him listed as the # 28th best player and the 5th best DB - -five star, Also on Rivals, their pod cast talks about KU’s fast start.

    Talks about even if they don’t keep these kids - it’s still a positive sign for KU and this is a very noteable improvement for KU. - -They also talk about KU going with young coaches and they think how that is a positive sign that more schools need to go this route, you get some time check it out, their podcast is by Rob Cassidy & Nick Krueger - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @ralster hearing rumors that Snyder has some health problems?🤔



  • KU’s recruiting classes are currently rated 4th on 247 and 5th on Rivals. http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/2/5/14514510/kansas-4-stars-alabama-recruiting-rankings-2018



  • Realistically, what’s going on right now with the early rankings is awesome and bringing positive publicity to KU football right now which will only help, but I hope everyone realizes that KU football is not going to finish with a top 5 or top 10 recruiting class this year in football. Best case scenario is that KU ends up top 25, but that’s probably only if KU can flip Kelvin Joseph. Realistically, KU probably ends up with a class in the 30’s which is still a huge step in the right direction for KU.



  • I agree, we will not keep all these guys. Like they say though, the more Louisiana commits we get, the stronger the bond becomes and this group become more determined to make a statement, showing THEY are a big reason that helped turn this program around, plus a lot of these guys realize that they have a very legit chance of steeping on the fiend and contributing immediately, where as the go to the other Big time schools a lot of times they are going to have to wait their turn, and a lot of these guys would love immediate PT. We can thank Lee for this, he shows you have a chance for that here.

    Even with us losing some on the other hand we still be gonna getting some others, I really feel unless we lose a big chunk of these more legit chance to finish in the top 20-25 worst case scenario, don’t feel as of this point that we wil fall into the 30’'s again unless we lose a large portion -and I just don’t think that’s gonna happen - - -ROCKCHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @jayballer54 Unless KU adds a few more 4 star players, they’re not finishing with a top 25 class. We have three 4 star kids signed right now, last year the highest rated class with only three 4 star kids was Colorado with the 32nd ranked class and they had two 4 star kids. KU needs to get to five or six 4 star kids to have a realistic shot at a top 25 class. KU’s current class is shaping up to be similar in rankings to the 2009 class that was 33rd and had four 4 star kids in it.

    This is a good class, and even if KU keeps everyone already committed, it’s not likely going to finish as a top 25 class without a few more 4 star kids in it.



  • There’s 3 guys KU can land that would give KU a realistic shot at a top 25 class, but if KU doesn’t land at least 2 of them, the odds of a top 25 class are very slim. KU needs to flip CB Kelvin Joseph, needs to add WR Lawrence Keys out of New Orleans, and needs to land KC area kid Mario Goodrich. Those are the 3 most likely 4 star kids out there KU can land, but without at least 2 of them, KU will not have a top 25 class this year.

    We also know KU will probably be adding some local 2 star kids in this class which will drag the rankings down because KS kids are rarely regarded very highly in recruiting so balancing out the 4 and 2 star kids will be key to keeping the ranking as high as possible.



  • I’m overly happy with what we got - -well be just fine - -we’ll have a much higher ranked class then we have had since the stone age, top twenty - -top thirthy I’m not gonna complain , the league has been put on notice - as the said on the Rivals Pod Cast whether KU keeps these guys or not – very notable improvement said they don’t see how there could be ANYTHING but positive come out of this class - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • What? It’s Sunday morning and I haven’t seen a report of a new 4 star recruit announcing for KU. Did our coaches take the weekend off? If they did, it’s well deserved. Keep up the good work fellas.



  • Just lost a 3 star commit from the other day.



  • @Kcmatt7 who was it? - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • JaMarr chase



  • @Crimsonorblue22 and so it begins, he was a huge get for us - -dam. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @Crimsonorblue22 Chase was a 4 star. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • Come back home to KU JarMarr. No finer love than the appreciation you will get on Mt. Oread.



  • KU landed a recruit from the spring game this weekend. WR, Tevailance Hunt from Texarkana, TX. Hunt is a 3 star WR who had offers from ISU and a bunch of C-USA and Sun Belt schools with some other random programs thrown in from non P5 leagues.



  • HEY, we got our 1st in state recruit last night. Mac Copeland a 6ft 5 OL out of Wichita. - -Played for Wichita Collegiate. - -Both his older brothers played for that OTHER SCHOOL down inner state the one still in school is a linebacker I think they said. - -Rivals as of today still has us as the 14th best recruiting class in the Nation & 247 sports has us as 15th.

    On another note has anyone heard anymore? – They are talking about players being able to sign in December now trying to be a new rule implemented. That would be good instead of having to wait till what Feb. ? - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • I read that a redshirt safety has left KU program. He wants to become a RB and will be looking at a program where he can get this opportunity. I am not sure if this departure will have any impact on the program.



  • @AsadZ Thanks for the update. I always look for KU football news, but it’s hard to find this time of year.



  • @AsadZ He is from Lawrence - I think Free State, not a major loss, they had been trying him out a safety - -But in his heart he just wanted to play a different role he was looking more for a RB position. - -Said he appreciated Coach Beaty -But just didn’t work out. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @AsadZ @jayballer54 Yes he was from free state in Lawrence. He red shirted as a freshman last year, playing safety. I think he realized he wasn’t going to play at a D1 school. No hating here friends lets wish one of our home grown the best.



  • @kjayhawks Na as far as me - - I know I’m not hating, kind of like what you said, realized he just wasn’t going to play D-1 hope nothing but the best where ever he lands. Best of luck to him. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • Bowen landed a stud DE apparently…



  • Miles Emery - #2 player in the state out of Overland Park.



  • @Kcmatt7 Ya Scout has him as the top Defensive in the State of Kansas, offers from KU, I owa St Oklahoma, Louisville, Texas Nebraska, Texas had showed interest but hadn’t offered , - -UCF nice catch this is what we need - -start landing even more of OUR OWN top prospects, -have to lie the way things are going with the program - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • Emery out of Blue Valley North- -# 40 position rank & # 1 Defensive end in the State of Kansas. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • Well with the verbal from Emery I just saw we jumped back up in the National Rankings off 247 sports - -we went from # 32 in the Nation, jumped back up to # 26 in the National, - -Rivals has us as the # 19 class in the Nation. Ya I know still verbals but STILL got to like how the staff is working their tails off to get this thing turned around. - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 Awesome rundown on the Louisiana guys, thank you! There isnt this type of excitement or recruiting going on at Purple, is there? Snyder doesnt have an audience with LSU/Bama/SEC type recruits, does he?

    If Beaty’s shrewdness with his asst coaching hires carries over into his playcalling, this whole enchilada just started to grow some wheels…the jimmys and joes to run those x’s and o’s, so they say.



  • @JhwkrRedLegs Well at the present we ( KU ) according to Rivals we have the 20th ranked class in the Nation. - -247 sports has us 26th. Main while back at the Purple ranch of doo doo -247 has K- Straight ranked at # 82 in the Nation. - - Can we get a EMAW right about now? - - lmao - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • Will we keep Clayton Tune? Is he likely to be the answer to our QB woes? I watched highlights of his junior year play and thought he looked good. He passes and rushes as part of the team’s offense. His willingness to run reminds me of Carter Stanley. As always, I still worry that we don’t have a high enough level of athlete at QB to advance the program. Coach Beatty is certainly getting the other pieces, but QB?



  • Well read today that Coach has gotten 3 more verbals. All defensive line players. - 2 Juco’s and one high School

    Josh Smith 6’4 - -247 lbs DL out of the same High School as Devonta - -and Coraine - - comes from Landry Walker. - -Three star offers from Houston, Iowa State and others

    Then 2 juco players - -same juco: Jonathan Lolohea , and Charles Cameron. - - - Lolohea is 6’3 - -305 DL - -offers from Arizona , Colorado , KSU , Louisville , TCU and others

    Cameron is 6’3- - -290 DL had offers from Colorado , Louisville and others

    Rivals as of yesterday now has us as the # 12 team ranking and - -247 has us as the # 20 - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY



  • jayballer54 said:

    Well read today that Coach has gotten 3 more verbals. All defensive line players. - 2 Juco’s and one high School

    Josh Smith 6’4 - -247 lbs DL out of the same High School as Devonta - -and Coraine - - comes from Landry Walker. - -Three star offers from Houston, Iowa State and others

    Then 2 juco players - -same juco: Jonathan Lolohea , and Charles Cameron. - - - Lolohea is 6’3 - -305 DL - -offers from Arizona , Colorado , KSU , Louisville , TCU and others

    Cameron is 6’3- - -290 DL had offers from Colorado , Louisville and others

    Rivals as of yesterday now has us as the # 12 team ranking and - -247 has us as the # 20 - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

    Imagine if we won a few games this season…



  • @stoptheflop Well at least Tom Keegan responds to my questions over on KUSports.



  • @stoptheflop What did he say?

    I personally don’t think QB is that important in CFB. Not like the NFL at least. Schemes can make poor QBs look good. See every Big XII QB for the past at least 10 seasons. Get a guy with a big arm on campus and then let him throw to some big athletes on the outside.

    You win CFB by putting athletes on the field at every other position and simply finding a QB capable of getting them the ball. Looks to me like KU is on the right path to have a good scheme and good athletes all over the field. I don’t think we are a 5 win team until next season, but it could arrive early. Depends on if the defense is as good as last year or not. Our offense will take another step forward this year. Would be hard for it not to. But it still won’t be able to outscore another team unless our defense is nasty. Bender is only a factor because he might be able to throw the ball further down the field. He could let our play makers actually make plays.



  • @Kcmatt7 Keegan just mentioned that Tune is a dual threat and is also part of the 2018 recruiting class. Our QB play must limit the turnovers and keep the ball in the hands of the offense. We just have too many short offensive possessions and I don’t think the offensive line has been the main problem. It says a lot that both our starters from the beginning of last season have now transferred.



  • @Kcmatt7 QB’s are huge in the success if CFB programs that aren’t loaded with NFL talent at every position like Alabama. Baylor is the perfect example of this when they had RG3. The year he won the Heisman, I believe Baylor finished the year 8-5. Without RG3, that Baylor team finishes at or near the bottom of the Big 12.

    Another reason a QB makes a difference is that one that can run forces defenses to spy him which takes away someone covering the receivers and creates more man coverage opportunities for the WR’s. If the QB doesn’t have great scrambling abilities, then a huge arm can force the safeties to play off the line much more frequently and open up the running game and short passing game more.

    KU’s QB issues of not having a good runner or someone who can throw a good deep ball has meant that opposing defenses could line up all 11 guys within 8 or so yards of the line and defend the running game and short passing game without worrying much about getting burned deep.

    What KU has on offense this year is a QB who appears capable of throwing a good deep ball and forcing defenses to respect KU’s deep game. This will open up the bubble and tunnel screens that we saw so much last year run with minimal success be more successful because now there’s the threat that one of the Big 3 receivers can run a deep route with this combo and kill the defense.

    KU has been a very good running team the past several years until last year, but couldn’t score worth a damn because we had no QB to get the ball to receivers with any consistency. Part of that was the OLine with Crist and Heaps, but Cozart and Willis just had no accuracy and Stanley lacks the arm strength to hit deep throws.



  • QB is by far the most important position at any level. They can help make up for other deficiencies. Great oline and QB and well, your RB and WRs almost don’t even matter.



  • Texas Hawk 10 said:

    @Kcmatt7 QB’s are huge in the success if CFB programs that aren’t loaded with NFL talent at every position like Alabama. Baylor is the perfect example of this when they had RG3. The year he won the Heisman, I believe Baylor finished the year 8-5. Without RG3, that Baylor team finishes at or near the bottom of the Big 12.

    Another reason a QB makes a difference is that one that can run forces defenses to spy him which takes away someone covering the receivers and creates more man coverage opportunities for the WR’s. If the QB doesn’t have great scrambling abilities, then a huge arm can force the safeties to play off the line much more frequently and open up the running game and short passing game more.

    KU’s QB issues of not having a good runner or someone who can throw a good deep ball has meant that opposing defenses could line up all 11 guys within 8 or so yards of the line and defend the running game and short passing game without worrying much about getting burned deep.

    What KU has on offense this year is a QB who appears capable of throwing a good deep ball and forcing defenses to respect KU’s deep game. This will open up the bubble and tunnel screens that we saw so much last year run with minimal success be more successful because now there’s the threat that one of the Big 3 receivers can run a deep route with this combo and kill the defense.

    KU has been a very good running team the past several years until last year, but couldn’t score worth a damn because we had no QB to get the ball to receivers with any consistency. Part of that was the OLine with Crist and Heaps, but Cozart and Willis just had no accuracy and Stanley lacks the arm strength to hit deep throws.

    They went 10-3 in RG3’s Senior Heisman campaign. And followed that up with an 8-5 record with Nick Florence. And followed that up with an 11-2 record with Petty.

    3 QB’s no losing seasons.

    I have coached football at the High School level. And I would rather have a very average QB and 10 other studs than I would 1 freak QB and 10 other average guys. A QB with an arm stretches the field. But nothing stretches the field like a WR you have to double-team. Nothing opens up the deep ball like an O-Line and RB that are gashing a team for 10 yards at a time. Your QB needs to have general football IQ and a D1 arm. You surround that with talent and you win games. Consistently. Look at KSU, who I would rather look at as the model of consistency and how to win games in the Big XII while not being in Texas. We can be KSU with more talented players. A better KSU. But it starts with getting talent at other spots.

    Just ask Dane Christ and Jake Heaps about what they were surrounded by. No stretching the field without a receiver who can outrun a defense. No matter how big of an arm your QB has.



  • @Kcmatt7 KU’s not getting 10 studs on offense other than the QB, that’s a reality. When KSU is contending in the Big 12, it’s the years they have a great QB like Colin Klein, Ell Roberson, or Michael Bishop. The years MAY doesn’t have great QB play, they struggle quite a bit.

    It’s much easier to find one great athlete, stick him under center, and teach him how to read defenses at the college level than to have 10 great players and an average QB.

    What turned Baylor and OSU into top tier Big 12 programs? It wasn’t 10 great players and average QB play, it a was a great QB surrounded by average to slightly above average players and the supporting cast improved from there.

    You coach HS football, great. Go look at a lot of non football factories at that level and notice who the QB is. It’s almost always the best athlete on the team because that gives that team the best chance to win the most games possible.



  • @Texas-Hawk-10 Until I see an Air Raid QB have a successful NFL career, there is no way I can agree with your premise. All you need is a guy who can sling it 50 yards down the field. Baylor, OSU, TCU and TTU are proof. Let’s not pretend Briles landed 3 amazing QBs in a row. That TTU is some place of QB prodigy. Or that OSU has done anything special with a QB. Where are any of those QBs now? Not one of those guys has had a successful pro career. Why? Because they can’t even read a defense. It is all scheming to get guys open and the QB just has to key off of one guy. It is why they run the no huddle. It allows the coaches to read the defense so the QB doesn’t have to. Now, how many of those receivers have had successful NFL careers for those same teams in that same time span ? Tons. Tons of Big XII receivers have had solid pro careers. Ifso facto, not the QB that is winning these games. It is all scheme and talent on the outside.

    And yes, non football factories put their best player at QB. And very rarely are those the best teams that year. It is a last resort strategy. To take a player out of what would be his best position and put him at QB because you don’t have anyone who could get that guy the ball is a last resort strategy. I have had to coach teams like that too. And I can tell you that it isn’t an option at the College Level if you are trying to build a competitive program. If you end up with a guy who is an athlete and plays QB, fine. That is a bonus. But you don’t make that priority #1. Priority #1 is finding a guy who can simply get your best athletes the ball anywhere on the field.

    Rarely is the QB the actual problem, unless it is the fact that the QB can’t throw a football. If an offense is struggling, it is typically because the coaches’ play calling or the defense is more athletic than your offensive players. If you continue the full-court press on recruiting like we have been, and build up depth, we will be able to have 7 or 8 studs on the field at a time. Enough to overcome and QB deficiency. It is easy to say Reesing was a great QB when he was throwing to 4 guys who ended up making NFL rosters.

    Problem for KU is that they just don’t have a D1 caliber QB at the moment or the athletes to even make a D1 QB look good when we do get one. You can say, put an athlete at QB in the short-term. Just like we are some shitty high school football team. But at some point, if you are looking to build a program capable of going on BCS Bowl Runs, you have to stack your team with talent. That 07 team had 9 pros on it. And Todd Reesing wasn’t one of them. We can get that level of talent to KU in those numbers. Maybe not every season like Bama. But we can align the stars once every 3 or 4 years like KState does.


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