If the Kansas football team can get a commitment from the state’s top 2026 recruit, it would go a long way toward improving the program’s status among other top prep recruits in the state for the future.
This past weekend, head coach Lance Leipold and his staff hosted Ian Premer, a tight end from Great Bend. According to John Kirby at Jayhawk Slant, Premer has visited the KU campus several times, but this was his first official visit.
The Jayhawks have made Premer’s list of final four schools. The others are Notre Dame, Iowa State, and Kansas State. Obviously, it would be quite the win if Leipold could gain a commitment from Premer, considering the competition for Premer’s talent.
Ian Premer would be one of the biggest recruiting wins in program history
According to Kirby, Rivals has Premer ranked as the ninth-best tight end in his class nationally, while on3 Industry ranks him even higher, at number four. For what Leipold is trying to accomplish in bringing in top talent to Kansas, adding someone with the talent level of Premer would be a massive recruiting win.
Premer is listed by on3 as being 6’5” and 225 pounds. He would provide a huge target for whoever might be the quarterback in 2026. He also knows he can improve as a player.
Leipold hired Matt Lubick as his tight end coach late last year. Kirby quoted Premer as saying, “I became a much better route runner just by spending a couple of hours and watching film with him (Lubick).” This indicates both a willingness to be coached and a connection with Lubick.
Still, KU was just his first official visit. A chance to play for Notre Dame could be very appealing to Premer. Iowa State is a program that has been steadily improving over the last several seasons, and for any player in the state of Kansas, K-State will always have some appeal. KU is in the running, but the competition will be stiff to gain his commitment.
Leipold already has one big recruit who continues to hold firm with his commitment. Five-star recruit safety James "JJ" Dunnigan Jr. also visited this weekend and re-confirmed his intentions to attend KU. If the Jayhawks add Premer, this will give them both of the state's top two recruits.
The Kansas football program could use another big recruiting win as Leipold works toward making the Jayhawks a perennial contender. Premer could be a player who will push the program closer to that goal.