The Kansas football team continues to add pieces to its recruiting class for the 2026 season. According to Michael Swain of 247Sports, the program has secured another local commitment from Rockhurst tight end Kevin Sullivan.
Sullivan is the second local tight end grabbed by Kansas in this recruiting class. Jack Utz is also planning to attend KU. The Jayhawks are still in the running for tight end Ian Premer, the top recruit in Kansas, who visited KU last week. If Leipold and his staff can add Premer, the tight end position will be a deep one for the next several years.
Sullivan is listed as a three-star prospect, but has landed 18 Power 4 offers, according to Swain, including from SEC schools Texas and Arkansas, and Wisconsin, from the Big 10.
At 6-foot-6, Sullivan offers great size at tight end. He will provide a big target down the field when the time comes for him to earn game snaps.
This Kansas football recruiting class is stacking up as one of the best in school history
Adding Sullivan gives the Jayhawks the 16th-best class in the nation, and the best in the Big 12 so far, according to Swain. If KU can add Premer, it should move up even higher on the national rankings. After more than a decade of fielding non-competitive rosters, KU fans must be thrilled that Leipold and his staff continue to improve the recruiting results.
KU had a disappointing season in 2025, but that hasn’t seemed to have hurt the program's recruiting efforts. Prospects are responding to the atmosphere at Kansas. Some fans may have worried that the loss of last year’s class to graduation might cause Leipold’s message to fade away.
Devin Neal, Lucas Grimm, Jared Casey, Lawrence Arnold, and many others have left a lasting legacy, and this program continues to rise. Those players started by showing loyalty to the program and improving during their time on campus.
Now, recruits can see the results that Leipold has been able to produce, which continues to help the program attract recruits like Sullivan and, hopefully, Premer.