Kansas football has massive recruiting day, hauls in five 2025 commitments

Sunday appeared to be a non-stop breaking news day for the Kansas football program as commitment after commitment rolled in from several 2025 high school recruits who took official visits to Lawrence this past weekend.

The first pledge came from three-star (per Rivals.com) defensive end Adrian Holley out of Michigan City, Indiana. The 6-foot-5 Holley chose KU over offers from Cincinnati, Minnesota, and others.

The second commitment of the day came from Brandon Schmelze of Axtell, Kansas. Schmelze – a four-sport athlete rated as the No. 10 player in Kansas – played quarterback and cornerback for his 1-A Axtell High School team and helped lead them to the eight-man Division II state championship this year.

The Eagles blanked South Central High School 50-0 and the game was called at halftime. Schmelze threw for 68 yards and rushed for 112 yards and 4 touchdowns on 12 carries in the snow-covered victory. On the season, Schmelze and Axtell outscored their opponents 734-88.

The third commitment of the busy Sunday came from three-star defensive end Garrett Martin out of Scottsdale, Arizona. The 6-foot-4 prospect – ranked as the No. 6 player in Arizona – chose KU over offers from new Big 12 foes Arizona, Arizona State, and Colorado, as well as K-State, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, and others.

The fourth commitment arrived Sunday afternoon from talented three-star outside linebacker Kenyon Rivera from Buford, Georgia. He held an impressive offer list before committing to the Jayhawks with offers from schools such as Michigan, Miami (FL), Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M.

The fifth high school recruit to commit to the Jayhawks on Sunday came from three-star defensive end Josiah Hammond out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 6-foot-5 Hammond picked KU over offers from Big 12 foes K-State, Houston, Iowa State, Utah, and others.

Sunday’s slew of commitments come on the heels of the Jayhawks landing two additional high school recruits this past week in the form of three-star tight end Joseph Skipworth and four-star offensive lineman Julian Marks – ranked as the No. 5 player in Kansas – who chose KU over offers from Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and many others.

The Jayhawks also landed a highly coveted transfer in Texas A&M transfer Bryce Foster this weekend. Foster was a former five-star recruit who was the top-ranked center in the transfer portal this offseason. He started all 12 games for the Aggies this past season, as well as 12 games as a freshman – earning Freshman All-American and SEC All-Freshman Team honors.

Head coach Lance Leipold and his staff are on an absolute heater on the recruiting trail as of late and now have a top-40 recruiting class in the country. With many players departing after this upcoming season, it was critical that the staff put together a strong 2025 class to help replenish the roster.

This weekend was a huge step in that direction, and the future of the Kansas football program appears brighter than ever.