Kansas football in the mix for 2021 DE Demarcus Smith

Kansas football is in the mix to land defensive end Demarcus Smith, a highly recruited three-star defensive end from Alabama.

Kansas football seems to have a real chance to land defensive end Demarcus Smith, a three-star recruit who’s received a lot of attention from schools in the SEC. As a matter of fact, the Jayhawks were the only school not in the SEC to make Smith’s top five, which also included Tennessee, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and South Carolina.

Standing at six-foot-four and 250 pounds, Smith would be a fantastic pickup for defensive line coach Kwahn Drake and head coach Les Miles. It’s easy to see why the coaches are interested in Smith because his highlights are impressive. Smith can be seen beating offensive lineman with both his speed and strength, as well as running sideline to sideline making tackles.

Here is Smith’s tweet announcing his top five choices:

Considering who the Jayhawks are competing against to land Smith, it’s not going to be easy for Kansas. The good news though, is that it looks like there aren’t any favorites according to Rivals or 247Sports. While this doesn’t guarantee that Smith isn’t leaning toward a particular school, it at least seems like Kansas has a legitimate shot.

Smith would be a nice boost for Kansas football’s recruiting rankings if he decides to become a Jayhawk. As of now, the 2021 Kansas recruiting class ranks No. 48 in the nation and No. 6 in the Big 12 according to Rivals. Kansas has fallen in the recruitment rankings since landing four-star Keon Coleman earlier this month, but that could change if Smith decides to join Kansas.

While Demarcus Smith isn’t the highest-rated recruit ever, he’s the kind of prospect that Kansas needs to be able to land. He’s a high-end three-star recruit with the potential to become a key factor on the field, so the Jayhawks need to do what they can to fend off the SEC programs after Smith.