Quick Take: KU was ready for Herring to hit the portal. They had a lot of connections to him, so they head a good head start. There were a couple built-in advantages with Chris Simpson and Isaiah Marshall.
Simpson recruited Herring in high school and had a relationship with him. The Jayhawks like Michigan players who played at West Bloomfield High. That's how they got Cornell Wheeler who started his career at the same high school and went to Michigan. That school is a consistent stop for Simpson.
Then there was the connection to Marshall, who is his cousin. He helped during the process to sell Herring on Kansas and tell him about the experience he had. Herring told me they are close and talk all the time.
All of those things helped get Herring interested in Kansas and at the top of the list with schools like Wisconsin and Washington making a push. But, maybe one of the biggest keys was getting on the visit and meeting Daryl Agpalsa. Herring already had trust in Simpson and Marshall. But meeting with Agpalsa was a big help in the process. They clicked and I think that was deal-sealer because that's his position coach. He was sold on Simpson and Marshall's pitch, but he needed to click with the guy who will be his everyday coach.
This keeps that Detroit-Michigan connection alive and well. It gives more momentum for Simpson when he goes into the area to recruit. Herring was a well-known recruit in the Detroit area.
Breakdown: Landing Herring was important on several fronts from keeping the connection alive in Detroit to adding a quality player to the roster. Maybe most importantly is the fact he will have four years to develop in the KU program. Herring in my book is more of a high school recruit than a portal prospect.
His strength is playing inside and projects to be a guard. People I have talked with people who say Herring was a strong candidate to be in the two-deep on the offensive line. Even though Michigan loses most of the top OL from 2023, they have a loaded room and it is deep.
What this means: KU was only taking one OL in the portal and with the two spots they were only taking an OL and a DE. One thing I don't know is how this could effect high school recruiting. Could they look at Herring as a four-year player and change their recruiting board on the offensive line? I will ask around.
This is a huge pickup because I think Herring will eventually be a starter. Maybe not right away, but he has time.
Simpson recruited Herring in high school and had a relationship with him. The Jayhawks like Michigan players who played at West Bloomfield High. That's how they got Cornell Wheeler who started his career at the same high school and went to Michigan. That school is a consistent stop for Simpson.
Then there was the connection to Marshall, who is his cousin. He helped during the process to sell Herring on Kansas and tell him about the experience he had. Herring told me they are close and talk all the time.
All of those things helped get Herring interested in Kansas and at the top of the list with schools like Wisconsin and Washington making a push. But, maybe one of the biggest keys was getting on the visit and meeting Daryl Agpalsa. Herring already had trust in Simpson and Marshall. But meeting with Agpalsa was a big help in the process. They clicked and I think that was deal-sealer because that's his position coach. He was sold on Simpson and Marshall's pitch, but he needed to click with the guy who will be his everyday coach.
This keeps that Detroit-Michigan connection alive and well. It gives more momentum for Simpson when he goes into the area to recruit. Herring was a well-known recruit in the Detroit area.
Breakdown: Landing Herring was important on several fronts from keeping the connection alive in Detroit to adding a quality player to the roster. Maybe most importantly is the fact he will have four years to develop in the KU program. Herring in my book is more of a high school recruit than a portal prospect.
His strength is playing inside and projects to be a guard. People I have talked with people who say Herring was a strong candidate to be in the two-deep on the offensive line. Even though Michigan loses most of the top OL from 2023, they have a loaded room and it is deep.
What this means: KU was only taking one OL in the portal and with the two spots they were only taking an OL and a DE. One thing I don't know is how this could effect high school recruiting. Could they look at Herring as a four-year player and change their recruiting board on the offensive line? I will ask around.
This is a huge pickup because I think Herring will eventually be a starter. Maybe not right away, but he has time.
