Kansas football head coach Lance Leipold received a commitment Thursday afternoon from one of the top offensive line transfer prospects available this offseason as former Michigan offensive lineman Amir Herring committed to the Jayhawks after entering the transfer portal just one week ago.
Although he played in just one game for the Wolverines this past season as a freshman, Herring was one of the top offensive line prospects coming out of high school in the 2023 class and has four years of eligibility remaining.
Herring was a consensus four-star recruit and top-10 player in the state of Michigan according to Rivals, 247Sports, ESPN, and On3.com. He originally committed to Michigan in July 2022 over offers from KU, Arkansas, Penn State, and others.
As it turns out, Herring already had a connection at KU that made the decision to come to Lawrence that much easier. Freshman quarterback Isaiah Marshall is Herring’s cousin and really helped sell the program to him.
“He just told me that that Kansas is special with a lot of special people,” Herring told JayhawkSlant.com. “You know, we're obviously cousins, but, knowing that he's having a great experience there and that the coaches treat you like family as soon as you get there. That was the big thing in my decision.”
The addition of Herring should be welcome news to new KU offensive line coach Daryl Agpalsa and new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes.
Keeping quarterback Jalon Daniels healthy has to be priority No. 1 this season for KU to reach its goals of competing for a Big 12 title and reaching the College Football Playoffs. The Jayhawks will also need strong offensive line play to keep up its potent rushing attack from running backs Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr.
The addition of Herring will be a big help on the interior offensive line as KU will have to replace the losses of former starting center Mike Novitsky (graduation) and starting left guard Ar’maj Reed-Adams (transfer).
With a chance to earn a starting spot or be a close second on the depth chart, Herring should help solidify the Jayhawks’ offensive line and keep this offense firing heading into this upcoming season.