It is no secret that Kansas football has not lived up to its expectations in 2024. The Jayhawks opened the preseason ranked in the AP Poll and had hoped to compete for a Big 12 championship, but instead have found themselves in the cellar of the conference standings with an ugly 2-5 record. The five-game losing streak was recently snapped against Houston during homecoming.
While Lance Leipold's 2024 recruiting class was the best in school history since the rankings era began, his coaching staff has not enjoyed the same success for the upcoming graduating year. Not only is KU's class ranked 68th in the nation, but its top-rated pledge announced he would no longer stay committed. 4-star offensive lineman prospect JuJu Marks flipped to Nebraska yesterday and closed his commitment:
Final Destination. #GBR ❤️🤍 pic.twitter.com/bNg83C2mp5
— Julian (Juju) Marks (@juju45738) October 20, 2024
Former Kansas football pledge JuJu Marks flips to Nebraska
Marks, the No. 387 player in 247 Sports' Composite rankings, committed to the Jayhawks back in June. He could have signed on Dec. 4 for Early Signing Day, but he opted to flip to the former Big 12 school. While the 6-7, 255-pound offensive tackle is listed as a defensive and offensive line, he plays to play on the offensive end in college.
Marks attends Olathe South in Kansas and was the sixth-highest-ranked player in the state. He initially chose Kansas over schools such as Alabama and Florida. Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule stole a player right out of Kansas football's backyard. Kansas does not hold a commitment from any of the top 13 players in the state as of right now.
Oklahoma-based quarterback David McComb, who is ranked 517th in the country, now becomes KU's top recruit. The only other offensive lineman in the 2025 class is 3-star prospect Anderson Kopp. Marks' departure is a significant one, considering the Jayhawks dropped 10 spots from No. 58 in the country on 247 Sports.
It certainly is an unfortunate development for Leipold, who has struggled to assemble a sufficient recruiting class in 2025. Maybe it was due to KU's recent struggles, but Kansas football cannot afford to lose someone of Marks' caliber this late in the recruiting cycle. Jayhawk fans can only hope that the staff can flip a player or two within the coming months.