A couple of weeks into the season, what are your thoughts on how KU should finish the recruiting class? It's a little difficult right now to say any specifics because not really sure what the numbers are left for this class, but in general, what are some spots you hope they focus on and who are some guys you hope they target? A couple of general thoughts/questions I have been thinking about...
Primary Targets - DL and DBs
I hope this is the biggest focus for the remaining spots. I am hoping Chester Graves and Zack McKinney are the top two targets as well. Wouldn't be against another JUCO DL as well (of note, guys like Clyde McCauley and Denzel Feaster apparently redshirting help with numbers and allow for a couple more 2 year JUCOs in this class). Another guy I would keep an eye on is K'Lavon Chaisson - would be hard to get, but his ranking has dropped some and he has apparently dropped on some recruiting boards or teams have filled up. Might be able to sneak another North Shore kid in!
At DB, I wouldn't mind if we snagged a couple of JUCO DBs. Will talk about them a little bit more in a bit, but the JUCO DB ranks are loaded this year and there are quite a few 3X3 type kids available. If we focus on the HS ranks here, part of me hopes we wait a little bit and see how some things fall when coaching moves are made and who decommits. I would keep an eye on a guy like Chris Miller. A couple of other HS guys I think are intriguing are Zyon McCollum (we haven't flipped a Utah commit yet this year!), JaCorion Andrews, North Shore's Kieston Roach, and Cedar Hill's Josh Newman.
Do These Guys Deserve A Second Chance?
Darreon Jackson - given the climate in college football with sexual assaults right now, I can see why some would shy away, but don't think Jackson's role in the weird Boise St deal was that big and remember he comes from a military family so don't think this is representative of him. Tearing it up at Coffeyville so far averaging 9 tackles per game and a long pick 6. Played some corner on practice team at Boise St, but checks in at 6' 200 lbs and being a 3X3 guy...I am very intrigued...could play multiple spots in the DB group
Jeremy Faulk - now combining sexual assaults and being at Baylor, this may raise more of an eye. Have read some think Faulk got screwed though. Was the Kansas JUCO defensive player of the year last year and recently read he is actually only a RS SO, so believe he would have two years of eligibility left if he could somehow be allowed back into D1. Had 18 tackles from the DT spot in his last game...
Alton Robinson - I believe he qualified out of HS, so think if so he would be a 4X3 JUCO kid...but has a bit of a rap sheet with two burglary charges on him in HS. Has 4 sacks so far on the year, so at 6' 3" 240 lbs he is a guy that could help early on...but would definitely need to be investigated to make sure he is cleaning up
JUCO DB Group Is Loaded
Already mentioned Jackson, but there are quite a few more I think are interesting
Kendall Sheffield - Bama transfer to Blinn would be a 3X3 CB
Darreyl Patterson - didn't qualify out of HS, but had OU offers and committed to KSU, would be a 3X3 CB
Jaylon Lane - another guy with a bit of a history, but former 4 star now at Indy CC and would be a 3X2 CB
Darrell Miller - former Tennessee CB and Joey McGuire HS kid, would be a 3X2 CB
That doesn't even count some interesting guys like the JUCO kid that camped over the summer in Michael Sam, BuCo's Octavious Morgan, Garden City's Bryan Blunt (3X3 kid, from New Orleans...), and Fort Scott's Elmore Hempstead (among many more) that are some intriguing JUCO DBs
Wildcard - Should We Take A QB?
Wondered if this has changed any since the season began. Sounded like no QBs during this summer, but have thought we should still take one. If we did, the guy I like the most that is available right now is a kid named Brandon George out of Jones, OK. His hudl film is private, but when it wasn't it was very exciting stuff. His team is loaded and they don't play great competition, but so far this season he is averaging over 280 yards passing, around 90 yards rushing, and has completed almost 75% of his passes with 13 TDs to 2 INTs as well as 7 more rushing TDs. Could also help us with highly ranked 2018 WR Sean Shaw.
Not a ton in the JUCO ranks for QBs, but a kid I have liked watching so far is a guy named Jordan Hoy out of Fullerton CC. Former TX HS QB who originally went to Montana St, would be a 3X3 kid. Not the tallest, but very fun to watch. Completing almost 72% of his passes with 10 TDs to 1 INT around 240 yards per game, kid can also run averaging over 7 yards per carry.
Best Available?
If we somehow had room, probably not a bad idea to keep a spot for best available guy. Some might argue we need OL given what we look like, but I want to emphasize we are young and will get better there. Plus, we have done fairly well finding late blue shirt OL, so think that could be an option as well. But if someone like Grant Polley decided to decommit and became available late, I would definitely take someone like him (again)...so really it would be nice if we had one spot available just in case something like this happened late regardless of position
Primary Targets - DL and DBs
I hope this is the biggest focus for the remaining spots. I am hoping Chester Graves and Zack McKinney are the top two targets as well. Wouldn't be against another JUCO DL as well (of note, guys like Clyde McCauley and Denzel Feaster apparently redshirting help with numbers and allow for a couple more 2 year JUCOs in this class). Another guy I would keep an eye on is K'Lavon Chaisson - would be hard to get, but his ranking has dropped some and he has apparently dropped on some recruiting boards or teams have filled up. Might be able to sneak another North Shore kid in!
At DB, I wouldn't mind if we snagged a couple of JUCO DBs. Will talk about them a little bit more in a bit, but the JUCO DB ranks are loaded this year and there are quite a few 3X3 type kids available. If we focus on the HS ranks here, part of me hopes we wait a little bit and see how some things fall when coaching moves are made and who decommits. I would keep an eye on a guy like Chris Miller. A couple of other HS guys I think are intriguing are Zyon McCollum (we haven't flipped a Utah commit yet this year!), JaCorion Andrews, North Shore's Kieston Roach, and Cedar Hill's Josh Newman.
Do These Guys Deserve A Second Chance?
Darreon Jackson - given the climate in college football with sexual assaults right now, I can see why some would shy away, but don't think Jackson's role in the weird Boise St deal was that big and remember he comes from a military family so don't think this is representative of him. Tearing it up at Coffeyville so far averaging 9 tackles per game and a long pick 6. Played some corner on practice team at Boise St, but checks in at 6' 200 lbs and being a 3X3 guy...I am very intrigued...could play multiple spots in the DB group
Jeremy Faulk - now combining sexual assaults and being at Baylor, this may raise more of an eye. Have read some think Faulk got screwed though. Was the Kansas JUCO defensive player of the year last year and recently read he is actually only a RS SO, so believe he would have two years of eligibility left if he could somehow be allowed back into D1. Had 18 tackles from the DT spot in his last game...
Alton Robinson - I believe he qualified out of HS, so think if so he would be a 4X3 JUCO kid...but has a bit of a rap sheet with two burglary charges on him in HS. Has 4 sacks so far on the year, so at 6' 3" 240 lbs he is a guy that could help early on...but would definitely need to be investigated to make sure he is cleaning up
JUCO DB Group Is Loaded
Already mentioned Jackson, but there are quite a few more I think are interesting
Kendall Sheffield - Bama transfer to Blinn would be a 3X3 CB
Darreyl Patterson - didn't qualify out of HS, but had OU offers and committed to KSU, would be a 3X3 CB
Jaylon Lane - another guy with a bit of a history, but former 4 star now at Indy CC and would be a 3X2 CB
Darrell Miller - former Tennessee CB and Joey McGuire HS kid, would be a 3X2 CB
That doesn't even count some interesting guys like the JUCO kid that camped over the summer in Michael Sam, BuCo's Octavious Morgan, Garden City's Bryan Blunt (3X3 kid, from New Orleans...), and Fort Scott's Elmore Hempstead (among many more) that are some intriguing JUCO DBs
Wildcard - Should We Take A QB?
Wondered if this has changed any since the season began. Sounded like no QBs during this summer, but have thought we should still take one. If we did, the guy I like the most that is available right now is a kid named Brandon George out of Jones, OK. His hudl film is private, but when it wasn't it was very exciting stuff. His team is loaded and they don't play great competition, but so far this season he is averaging over 280 yards passing, around 90 yards rushing, and has completed almost 75% of his passes with 13 TDs to 2 INTs as well as 7 more rushing TDs. Could also help us with highly ranked 2018 WR Sean Shaw.
Not a ton in the JUCO ranks for QBs, but a kid I have liked watching so far is a guy named Jordan Hoy out of Fullerton CC. Former TX HS QB who originally went to Montana St, would be a 3X3 kid. Not the tallest, but very fun to watch. Completing almost 72% of his passes with 10 TDs to 1 INT around 240 yards per game, kid can also run averaging over 7 yards per carry.
Best Available?
If we somehow had room, probably not a bad idea to keep a spot for best available guy. Some might argue we need OL given what we look like, but I want to emphasize we are young and will get better there. Plus, we have done fairly well finding late blue shirt OL, so think that could be an option as well. But if someone like Grant Polley decided to decommit and became available late, I would definitely take someone like him (again)...so really it would be nice if we had one spot available just in case something like this happened late regardless of position
