KU football gets commitment from former Washington State QB Peyton Bender
It appears Kansas coach David Beaty has turned Saturday’s 24-21 upset over Texas into immediate momentum on the recruiting trail.
Peyton Bender, a 6-foot-1 quarterback from Itawamba (Miss.) CC, verbally committed to KU after a campus visit this weekend, according to JayhawkSlant.com.
“I’m just really excited for the opportunity and it is a good fit for me,” Bender told JayhawkSlant. “I think I can go in and compete and hope for some playing time.”
Bender, who was ranked by Rivals as the 25th-best pro-style quarterback in the class of 2014, originally committed to Washington State. After redshirting the first year, he played five games in 2015, completing 53 of 91 passes for 498 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions.
Following that season, Bender transferred to Itawamba to reopen his options. Rivals ranks him as a three-star junior college recruit.
Beaty’s willingness to take another quarterback probably shouldn’t be surprising considering the struggles the team has had at the position. KU has started three players at QB this season — Montell Cozart, Ryan Willis and Carter Stanley — with the team’s production lagging behind all other Big 12 offenses.
Bender will have two years of eligibility left at KU.
Jesse Newell: 816-234-4759, @jessenewell
This story was originally published November 20, 2016 at 8:31 PM with the headline "KU football gets commitment from former Washington State QB Peyton Bender."