Kansas football: Recruiting class among Big 12’s best
By Stan Unruh
Kansas football wrapped up National Day with some good news. Coach David Beaty and the Jayhawks received some respect from national observers.
There was little on the field for the Kansas football team to celebrate in 2017. Immediately following the loss at Oklahoma State to end the season, Coach David Beaty and his coaching staff went to work recruiting to fill a number of needs on both sides of the football. They inked just over two-dozen players during the new December early signing three-day party.
On paper, the Jayhawks moved to the No. 48 ranked recruiting class in the nation, according to Rivals.com. As a matter of fact, that’s two steps up from where Kansas football started at the beginning of the week. Fans can also take pride in the fact that Rivals ranks the Jayhawk class sixth best in the Big 12.
The big names Texas and Oklahoma are among the Top-10. No other Big 12 school made Top 25. The recruiting class of the Frogs, Bears, Mountaineers and Cowboys are rated higher than David Beaty’s group. The remaining Big 12 schools are listed at No. 57 and far beyond.
How will this success translate to success on the field? That is difficult to determine. The Jayhawks did sign fourteen 3-star recruits and four 2-star players. In addition, Beaty signed a pair of 4-star recruits thanks to the Kansas football Louisiana connection Assistant coach Tony Hull. Running back Anthony Williams and Defensive Back Corione Harris will play for the Jayhawks. They signed early. Getting those two players interested in coming north to a team with a 1-11 record is difficult. Getting them to sign a letter of intent is a tremendous accomplishment for the fourth-year head coach.
"To see Williams and Corione hang and stay with us, guys that are those level of recruits to hang and stay with us, I’ve got to feel like it’s a positive force."
Next: National Signing Day 2018 Tracker
One issue hangs over the 2018 recruiting class
Other than the discussion of whether the Jayhawks filled needs in specific areas, the biggest issues is the number of junior college players Beaty signed. This group of recruits includes 11 junior college players and 14 from high schools. Seven of the high school players are walk-on players. There is one graduate-transfer player.
Beaty is coaching for his job. He needs bodies that can play now. Recruiting is a very difficult, inexact science. If the junior college recruits make a difference in 2018, we can worry about the lack of upperclassmen on the team when and if that issue develops.