Kansas football: National Signing Day 2018 Tracker

Editor’s note: Story was updated following release of full list of recruits by University of Kansas Athletics.

It’s National Signing Day 2018! David Beaty and the Jayhawks hope to wrap up their recruiting work with a strong finish.

National Signing Day is here. The work and the wait to get the final word on the Kansas Football 2018 recruiting class will end today. Through the Phog has you covered with National Signing Day 2018 updates throughout the day.

The Jayhawks enter this Signing Day with 16 total commits. The class is ranked no. 50 nationally, according to Rivals. While most of the recruits are already committed to the Jayhawks, it will be interesting to see if Tuesday’s news improves that ranking.

The Jayhawks need help on both sides of the football. Coach Beaty and his staff are expecting more good news from their work to recruit talent to Lawrence. Much of the wind was taken out of this day due to the first-ever December Early Signing Period

As a matter of fact, Beaty and company signed 14 prospects that week of Christmas. Nine are Junior College athletes and four from high schools. One is a graduate transfer.

According to the Kansas Athletics web site, Beaty had these student-athletes signed as Wednesday’s big day started.

OFFENSE

Stephon Robinson WR

Miles Kendrick  QB

Jacobi Lott OL

Mac Copeland OL

Anthony “Pooka” Williams Jr.   RB

Mavin Saunders    TE

DEFENSE

Charles “Codey” Cole DT

Foster Dixson DE

Davon Ferguson S

Corione Harris CB

Elmore Hempstead Jr. DB

Najee Stevens-McKenzie   DE

Elijah Jones   CB

Azur Kamara   DE

Jeremiah McCullough  S

National Signing Day additions to the Jayhawk football family include

Cody McNerney, a Quarterback from Wichita Collegiate High School

Jack Parks, a TE from Olathe Northwest High School

Bill Maples, a Quarterback from Park Hill High School Kansas City

Ryan Malbrough, a LB from Cecelia High School Louisiana

Kenny Bastida, a LB from Deerfield Beach, Florida

Dylan Freberg, a TE from Blue Valley North High School Kansas City

Good news for the Jayhawk offense

Jack Murphy, OL from Rockhurst

Rueben Lewis, an OL from Coffeyville Community College

Nick Channel, Athlete from Kapun Mount Carmel High School

One significant disappointment

While we did not see many surprises, the Kansas football coaching staff has to be pleased with the student athletes who signed Wednesday. The Jayhawks need the most help in the defensive backfield and the offensive line. The overall class includes 5 defensive backs. That is great for Clint Bowen.

On the other hand, Beaty’s new offensive line coach A.J. Ricker only has 4 new offensive linemen  according to Rivals, (6 are actually listed  in this class, according to a list from KU Athletics. The Jayhawks originally had a verbal commitment from 6-foot-4, 310-pound lineman Mike Brown from Eastern Arizona Community College. As a matter of fact, Brown did sign his letter with West Virginia Wednesday morning.

The addition of the offensive playmakers who signed in December and those who inked letters of intent Wednesday are outstanding.  For one thing, the Jayhawks need all the help they can find. However, without some significant additions to the offensive line, the best and brightest playmakers will never get to show what Jayhawk fans want to see.  Coach Ricker certainly has a big job ahead of him.