In the past, Kansas coaching regimes have been criticized for not being able (or willing) to recruit the Sunflower State to keep some of the best local talent in Kansas. The local recruiting scene has largely been owned by in-state rival Kansas State for at least a decade.
However, that appears to be a thing of the past for head coach Lance Leipold and his staff, as they continue to dominate the recruiting trail early in the state of Kansas.
The Jayhawks received a commitment from yet another top 10 Kansas high school recruit in the 2026 class, this one coming from three-star wide receiver Nate Sims out of Ottawa High School. Sims announced his commitment during a live stream on Instagram, picking KU over KSU and Oklahoma State.
The 6-foot-1 Sims is a true speedster who should be able to flourish in this KU offense as both a receiver and kick returner. Doubling as a track star, Sims reportedly ran the fastest 100-meter and 200-meter time as a sophomore in the spring of 2024.
Sims will be joined by what is becoming a stellar in-state recruiting class with four-star defensive end Hunter Higgins (No. 2 recruit), three-star safety James Dunnigan Jr. (No. 4 recruit), and three-star quarterback Jaylen Mason (unranked) also committed to KU.
The 2026 Kansas class is currently ranked No. 21 in the country and No. 1 in the Big 12, with an opportunity to grow in the months ahead.
The Jayhawks appear to have a great shot at landing several of the remaining top 10 recruits in Kansas including three-star offensive tackle Kaden Snyder (No. 10 recruit), three-star wide receiver Tyren Parker (No. 8 recruit), three-star linebacker Joshua Galbreath (No. 5 recruit) out of Lawrence, and the state’s No. 1 ranked recruit, four-star tight end Ian Premer – who at this point has taken more visits to KU (4) than any other school on his list.
According to Rivals, KU hasn’t landed more than two of the state’s top ranked players in any given class in more than a decade. KSU has owned the majority of those commitments and that’s likely played a role in the Wildcats’ current 16-year winning streak against the Jayhawks in the Sunflower Showdown.
Now, KU is starting to even the playing field.
In addition to arguably outplaying K-State each of the past two years with a chance to win both of those games, KU has increased its competitiveness off the field thanks to new, state-of-the-art locker room and training facilities, a new stadium scheduled to open this fall, and a strong NIL presence.
There is certainly still a lot of progress to be made for this KU program, but all of these factors have helped lead to the early success the Jayhawks are seeing with their in-state recruiting efforts this offseason.
And it is important to be able to keep the best local talent in state and wanting to play for Kansas. It’s a sign of growth for this program and an encouraging sign of where it could be headed.
If the KU coaching staff can keep these players committed through signing day and add a few more from this talented crop of Kansas recruits, it could end up being one of the best – and most meaningful – recruiting classes in school history.