With some of the recent portal entries I am hearing there is now one spot open for the portal.
Now, saying that, the staff could get aggressive and still go after more players with the intentions more spots will open. But for now, the official number open is one. You just have to be down to 85 by training camp so a lot can happen. But after the portal window closes in a little over a week it won't again until later in the year. They are still working on a date.
The staff is locked in the portal every minute and they go over every portal entry I am told. The DE they were in the mix the most was Jaxon Howard, who just committed to Minnesota. They had a good connection to his father through Jim Panagos. After signing with LSU this time he wanted to be closer to home.
I have learned another player the staff has targeted is Billy Walton a DE from Texas. He has kept his recruiting quiet and I don't know where KU stands with him, but they have reached out to him.
The main priority is a pass-rushing DE. That is number one. They are looking at other positions but they are second in line to a DE. The one issue is that is a premier position and a lot of schools are looking for one. There is still a long way to go. This weekend there were over 70 FBC/FCS schools who held their spring game, so more players will enter.
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The staff is continuing to set official visits.
Rylon Dillard-Allen has been a hot target for DK McDonald since he arrived at KU. Dillard-Allen set a visit with KU for the first of week June. He is taking an official visit this weekend to Arizona State and also has one set to Washington. The hope is he gets past those visits and makes it to KU. He may also set one in May to UCLA.
Brad Fitzgibbon confirmed to me he will visit the first week of June. He will visit Arizona State and Michigan State. He took an unofficial visit to KU and I talked to him about it. He enjoyed spending time around Jim Panagos and I will have more later from him.
Another visitor I am adding to the list is Ben Alefaio from Orange Lutheran in California. He told me he will visit on June 14 and he is another recruit the Jayhawks have to be patient with. He is visiting Arizona State this weekend and Cal after his KU trip. He told me just finalized the visit and is looking forward to it.
Three-star athlete Dylan Robinson has set an official visit for June 14. Zebrowski and Samuel are recruiting him. He picked up some early offers and then got more this spring. The Jayhawks are looking at him as a wide receiver.
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During spring practice one of the top 2026 local targets to visit was Ian Premer. The Great Bend native told me he liked watching practice and learned some things from Jeff Grimes.
"I really enjoyed my visit at KU," he said. "I was able to pick up some techniques I hadn’t seen before by listening to Coach Grimes and watching practice."
After the practice was over he visited with members of the coaching staff.
"I talked shortly with a lot of the coaches but talked to Coach Grimes the most and also talked to Coach Z and Leipold some too," he said. "I felt that those conversations went great. The entire staff made me feel very welcome and comfortable."
Now, saying that, the staff could get aggressive and still go after more players with the intentions more spots will open. But for now, the official number open is one. You just have to be down to 85 by training camp so a lot can happen. But after the portal window closes in a little over a week it won't again until later in the year. They are still working on a date.
The staff is locked in the portal every minute and they go over every portal entry I am told. The DE they were in the mix the most was Jaxon Howard, who just committed to Minnesota. They had a good connection to his father through Jim Panagos. After signing with LSU this time he wanted to be closer to home.
I have learned another player the staff has targeted is Billy Walton a DE from Texas. He has kept his recruiting quiet and I don't know where KU stands with him, but they have reached out to him.
The main priority is a pass-rushing DE. That is number one. They are looking at other positions but they are second in line to a DE. The one issue is that is a premier position and a lot of schools are looking for one. There is still a long way to go. This weekend there were over 70 FBC/FCS schools who held their spring game, so more players will enter.
---------
The staff is continuing to set official visits.
Rylon Dillard-Allen has been a hot target for DK McDonald since he arrived at KU. Dillard-Allen set a visit with KU for the first of week June. He is taking an official visit this weekend to Arizona State and also has one set to Washington. The hope is he gets past those visits and makes it to KU. He may also set one in May to UCLA.
Brad Fitzgibbon confirmed to me he will visit the first week of June. He will visit Arizona State and Michigan State. He took an unofficial visit to KU and I talked to him about it. He enjoyed spending time around Jim Panagos and I will have more later from him.
Another visitor I am adding to the list is Ben Alefaio from Orange Lutheran in California. He told me he will visit on June 14 and he is another recruit the Jayhawks have to be patient with. He is visiting Arizona State this weekend and Cal after his KU trip. He told me just finalized the visit and is looking forward to it.
Three-star athlete Dylan Robinson has set an official visit for June 14. Zebrowski and Samuel are recruiting him. He picked up some early offers and then got more this spring. The Jayhawks are looking at him as a wide receiver.
----------
During spring practice one of the top 2026 local targets to visit was Ian Premer. The Great Bend native told me he liked watching practice and learned some things from Jeff Grimes.
"I really enjoyed my visit at KU," he said. "I was able to pick up some techniques I hadn’t seen before by listening to Coach Grimes and watching practice."
After the practice was over he visited with members of the coaching staff.
"I talked shortly with a lot of the coaches but talked to Coach Grimes the most and also talked to Coach Z and Leipold some too," he said. "I felt that those conversations went great. The entire staff made me feel very welcome and comfortable."
