Dorance Armstrong
Go back and look at the number of kids KU has signed out of high school that projected as true pass rushing DEs. It's a small number. I guess that might be part of the reason why I'm so pumped simply b/c KU hasn't signed kids like him very often. He's very lean right now so he needs to get bigger but he's playing basketball immediately after football season so he isn't just focused on football winter conditioning meaning the weight will come in time. I haven't been this excited about a DE since Javante Daniel. I feel this staff won't screw things up with this type of player. If Michigan State wants you on defense, I want you on defense.
Shola Ayinde
Here is a kid that went to Tulsa's camp and dropped 4.4 40s and immediately got offered and then shut things down. KU needs corners and Thibs got the ball rolling. This kid is not just a straight line speed guy either. This kid has big time athletic ability but is in need of weight so he doesn't jump off the screen from a star rankings perspective. 2 years with Jackson will likely end up with a 6-0, 180# guy that will play even taller than that b/c of his wingspan and you hopefully have people saying 'wow, KU saw something in that kid and it's paying off.'
LB Bates
He might be a corner but I think he's best as a free safety or nickel. One thing is for sure, he isn't going to back down from contact. I might be more optimistic about his ability to play corner if there was more film of him there but Trinity Valley had 1 very good corner (Stewart) and another kid that was fairly small and only able to be a corner vs safety (signed with ISU fyi) so Bates' flexibility pushed him to safety since that was the void on their roster. With Isaiah Johnson leaving, getting Bates is even more impactful since the only safeties with much of any experience are Fish and Allen (played more of a safety than corner spot imo).
Jacky Dezir
No idea what to expect from this kid. He hasn't played football in over a year and had an injury. On paper and limited film, kid looks like a great prospect. However, kids like this can show up looking like Mr Olympia or the Goodyear blimp also so I think if he showed up in good shape there is a chance he will be a contributor b/c it says he was focused. KU fans know better than anyone in the country that juco DL should never been counted on. I suspect even if he shows well in the spring most KU diehards will digest positive feedback with a great deal of cynicism based on past juco DL flameouts.
Denzel Feaster
When I think about this kid, I'm not sure who I'm most excited about...Feaster or Kubiak. This kid will be a big time player eventually at KU as long as he is injury and dumb decision free. I honestly think he's the most sure thing in terms of being a solid player in this defensive class. However, I'm just as pumped to know Kubiak went and found this kid in a short period of time. Guys like Kubiak can either be lazy and ride dad's name to get good chances or they can want to work hard and prove that their dad might have got doors opened but they deserve their spot. This kid is a nice example of Kubiak going to a school no one else was at for the most part and finding a big time prospect. I ultimately think Feaster could be a 6-3, 215-220# LB.
Tyrone Miller
This kid epitomizes what KU football must do on a yearly basis to get deep recruiting classes. Had Miller been on solid footing academically, Michigan and/or Michigan State would have offered possibly as early as last fall but that wasn't the case so he ends up committing to CMU when MSU focused on a set 4 star DB twins from Ohio and Michigan had no coach for a long time. Mitchell is working his contacts and finds this kid, suddenly you have a kid that not only jumps off the screen as a football player but you now have a kid that is going to qualify sitting around in January with not a single P5 offer so KU moves in and boom you get a kid that at the end of the day 'just makes plays.' I'm adamant that KU needs to always have a handful of scholarship sitting around in January for kids just like Miller b/c they are always out there and KU's staff knows enough people they will find these kids each year. I'm not sure what position he will eventually play but he might be a nickel which is a starter in what Bowen likely envisions as his base defense.
Osaze Ogbebor
Right behind Feaster is Ogbebor in terms of guys I think that will definitely be contributors at KU. This kid was a big time producer but people stayed away because they thought he was too small. I know on his trip at KU he was definitely bigger than expected so he was a huge catch late in the process that people wanted to get in for visits even after committing to KU but he passed. He really does cover a ton of ground b/c he's fast but I'd love to know his wing span b/c it seems that's got to be far more than his 6-1 height. I could see him getting on the field immediately next season in special teams spots and then being a guy playing starter # of reps as a true sophomore.
Marnez Ogletree
There seemed to be quite a bit of time spent by the staff going out to California to recruit this kid so they must like him. It seems that the situation was take Ogletree as a scholarship kid and then Durley will grey shirt. Just like KU fans have been scorned with juco DL, they know juco kids showing up when they are supposed to isn't exactly a sure thing either...which opens up the topic of discussion re: KU must really like this kid to take him even though he wasn't a Dec juco grad. Seems like he was 'too good to not take a chance on' for KU's board. I won't be shocked to see him not get out in May/June and then Durley gets put on full scholarship immediately. I hope I'm wrong but that seems like a realistic situation.
Shaquille Richmond
For a high school corner, this kid is put together very well already. He can really scoot too. I'm not sure how good his hips are so that's something we may not even get a chance to see out of him until the 2016 spring game but he and Ayinde are kids that you hope you need little from for 2 years and then you've coached them up so they can jump in and be starters. It seems the physical skills are probably all here for success. I'm shocked he didn't have more interest and until KU got on him there wasn't even a rivals profile for a 6-0 sprinter all district corner from Arlington.
Jace Sternberger
Dear Coach Beaty, don't waste this kid at TE. There may not be a ton of depth at TE but in this offense and with Kent Taylor and Ben Johnson in front of Sternberger, put Jace at DE and let him be our next Russell Brorsen or possibly even more. I love this kid's ability to use his hands (TE or DE film he shows it) to get by people and then make a play. The Big 12 defenses have no success unless they have pass rushers. This kid has that chance to be a pass rusher while no one talks about how a TE wins a lot of games for teams. Put this kid at DE, let him have a good year in the system and then evaluate what you think his trajectory is for DE. If you don't like it then you can put him at TE but don't waste a year of his career as a backup TE please.
Brandon Stewart
Cedar Hill has always been good to KU and I expect it to once again to supply KU with a future all league player. Stewart has a chance to be one of the better corners in the league. I suspect we will see his strength highlight our issues at the other corner spot as teams will go after the other corner most of the time. If you were paying attention, Joey McGuire might have been given an honorary KU degree after the pro KU tweets he was throwing out there. Excited to see how htis kid develops as a guy already on campus.
Go back and look at the number of kids KU has signed out of high school that projected as true pass rushing DEs. It's a small number. I guess that might be part of the reason why I'm so pumped simply b/c KU hasn't signed kids like him very often. He's very lean right now so he needs to get bigger but he's playing basketball immediately after football season so he isn't just focused on football winter conditioning meaning the weight will come in time. I haven't been this excited about a DE since Javante Daniel. I feel this staff won't screw things up with this type of player. If Michigan State wants you on defense, I want you on defense.
Shola Ayinde
Here is a kid that went to Tulsa's camp and dropped 4.4 40s and immediately got offered and then shut things down. KU needs corners and Thibs got the ball rolling. This kid is not just a straight line speed guy either. This kid has big time athletic ability but is in need of weight so he doesn't jump off the screen from a star rankings perspective. 2 years with Jackson will likely end up with a 6-0, 180# guy that will play even taller than that b/c of his wingspan and you hopefully have people saying 'wow, KU saw something in that kid and it's paying off.'
LB Bates
He might be a corner but I think he's best as a free safety or nickel. One thing is for sure, he isn't going to back down from contact. I might be more optimistic about his ability to play corner if there was more film of him there but Trinity Valley had 1 very good corner (Stewart) and another kid that was fairly small and only able to be a corner vs safety (signed with ISU fyi) so Bates' flexibility pushed him to safety since that was the void on their roster. With Isaiah Johnson leaving, getting Bates is even more impactful since the only safeties with much of any experience are Fish and Allen (played more of a safety than corner spot imo).
Jacky Dezir
No idea what to expect from this kid. He hasn't played football in over a year and had an injury. On paper and limited film, kid looks like a great prospect. However, kids like this can show up looking like Mr Olympia or the Goodyear blimp also so I think if he showed up in good shape there is a chance he will be a contributor b/c it says he was focused. KU fans know better than anyone in the country that juco DL should never been counted on. I suspect even if he shows well in the spring most KU diehards will digest positive feedback with a great deal of cynicism based on past juco DL flameouts.
Denzel Feaster
When I think about this kid, I'm not sure who I'm most excited about...Feaster or Kubiak. This kid will be a big time player eventually at KU as long as he is injury and dumb decision free. I honestly think he's the most sure thing in terms of being a solid player in this defensive class. However, I'm just as pumped to know Kubiak went and found this kid in a short period of time. Guys like Kubiak can either be lazy and ride dad's name to get good chances or they can want to work hard and prove that their dad might have got doors opened but they deserve their spot. This kid is a nice example of Kubiak going to a school no one else was at for the most part and finding a big time prospect. I ultimately think Feaster could be a 6-3, 215-220# LB.
Tyrone Miller
This kid epitomizes what KU football must do on a yearly basis to get deep recruiting classes. Had Miller been on solid footing academically, Michigan and/or Michigan State would have offered possibly as early as last fall but that wasn't the case so he ends up committing to CMU when MSU focused on a set 4 star DB twins from Ohio and Michigan had no coach for a long time. Mitchell is working his contacts and finds this kid, suddenly you have a kid that not only jumps off the screen as a football player but you now have a kid that is going to qualify sitting around in January with not a single P5 offer so KU moves in and boom you get a kid that at the end of the day 'just makes plays.' I'm adamant that KU needs to always have a handful of scholarship sitting around in January for kids just like Miller b/c they are always out there and KU's staff knows enough people they will find these kids each year. I'm not sure what position he will eventually play but he might be a nickel which is a starter in what Bowen likely envisions as his base defense.
Osaze Ogbebor
Right behind Feaster is Ogbebor in terms of guys I think that will definitely be contributors at KU. This kid was a big time producer but people stayed away because they thought he was too small. I know on his trip at KU he was definitely bigger than expected so he was a huge catch late in the process that people wanted to get in for visits even after committing to KU but he passed. He really does cover a ton of ground b/c he's fast but I'd love to know his wing span b/c it seems that's got to be far more than his 6-1 height. I could see him getting on the field immediately next season in special teams spots and then being a guy playing starter # of reps as a true sophomore.
Marnez Ogletree
There seemed to be quite a bit of time spent by the staff going out to California to recruit this kid so they must like him. It seems that the situation was take Ogletree as a scholarship kid and then Durley will grey shirt. Just like KU fans have been scorned with juco DL, they know juco kids showing up when they are supposed to isn't exactly a sure thing either...which opens up the topic of discussion re: KU must really like this kid to take him even though he wasn't a Dec juco grad. Seems like he was 'too good to not take a chance on' for KU's board. I won't be shocked to see him not get out in May/June and then Durley gets put on full scholarship immediately. I hope I'm wrong but that seems like a realistic situation.
Shaquille Richmond
For a high school corner, this kid is put together very well already. He can really scoot too. I'm not sure how good his hips are so that's something we may not even get a chance to see out of him until the 2016 spring game but he and Ayinde are kids that you hope you need little from for 2 years and then you've coached them up so they can jump in and be starters. It seems the physical skills are probably all here for success. I'm shocked he didn't have more interest and until KU got on him there wasn't even a rivals profile for a 6-0 sprinter all district corner from Arlington.
Jace Sternberger
Dear Coach Beaty, don't waste this kid at TE. There may not be a ton of depth at TE but in this offense and with Kent Taylor and Ben Johnson in front of Sternberger, put Jace at DE and let him be our next Russell Brorsen or possibly even more. I love this kid's ability to use his hands (TE or DE film he shows it) to get by people and then make a play. The Big 12 defenses have no success unless they have pass rushers. This kid has that chance to be a pass rusher while no one talks about how a TE wins a lot of games for teams. Put this kid at DE, let him have a good year in the system and then evaluate what you think his trajectory is for DE. If you don't like it then you can put him at TE but don't waste a year of his career as a backup TE please.
Brandon Stewart
Cedar Hill has always been good to KU and I expect it to once again to supply KU with a future all league player. Stewart has a chance to be one of the better corners in the league. I suspect we will see his strength highlight our issues at the other corner spot as teams will go after the other corner most of the time. If you were paying attention, Joey McGuire might have been given an honorary KU degree after the pro KU tweets he was throwing out there. Excited to see how htis kid develops as a guy already on campus.
