Some mystery remains with Les Miles’ first recruiting class at KU
“Unsettled” might be the best way to describe Kansas football’s recruiting class as it enters the start of the early signing period Wednesday.
Les Miles, since being hired as KU’s new coach a month ago, appears to have worked tirelessly in recruiting while trying to build up a class that had only one commit when he took over (that player, running back Cole Mueller, decommitted earlier this week).
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Jayhawks have eight expected signees, which leads to the uncertain part of the next 24 hours (and next few months) for KU.
The Jayhawks, because of previous coach David Beaty’s decision to go heavy on blue-shirts and graduate transfers in an effort to win in the short term last season, only have about 15 scholarships to give. And in building his staff, Miles has brought in some assistants known for their strong recruiting ability, including receivers coach Emmett Jones (from Texas Tech) and defensive line coach Kwahn Drake (from Colorado).
Some of those previous relationships could help KU with players who are committed elsewhere. But for that to pay off, KU’s staff likely will need some already committed players to decide to hold off on signing Wednesday so they can schedule a later visit to KU and make a decision from there.
Looking big picture: Miles, with the guys he’s added so far, is looking to plug immediate holes on the 2019 roster. The Jayhawks — set to have a talent drain at both receiver and on the defensive line — already have two players pledged at each of those spots.
Then there’s Thomas MacVittie, who perhaps will be the key to KU’s success more than any other player over the next two years. MacVittie, a quarterback who started his career at Pittsburgh then went to junior college for a year, is 247Sports’ top-ranked juco quarterback, providing a glimmer of hope for a position that has mostly been a disaster since Todd Reesing’s graduation in 2009.
This class is overall juco-heavy, which makes some sense given Miles’ limitations. Building relationships with high school players generally takes a longer period of time, and Miles didn’t have that luxury because of his circumstances; keep in mind that KU also has had to work around the fact that many assistant coaches were not hired until last week, with a few spots on staff still remaining unfilled.
At the least, it should make for an entertaining signing day. Though KU’s coaches would likely prefer to have the security of knowing what Wednesday will bring, the fact is that surprises and also some adjusting on the fly should be expected based on still-to-be-determined events over the next few hours.
This much we know: It’ll be a significant day for KU’s future, no matter how the reality plays out.
KU football commitments
Player, Position, Height, Weight, Previous school (Hometown)
Mason Fairchild, TE, 6-5, 250, Andale (Andale, Kan.)
Justin Ford, CB, 6-2, 175, Golden West (Calif.) College (Concord, N.C.)
Thomas MacVittie, QB, 6-5, 225, Mesa (Ariz.) CC (Cincinnati)
Ezra Naylor, WR, 6-4, 208, Iowa Central CC (Atlanta)
Andrew Parchment, WR, 6-3, 185, Iowa Central CC (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Jayden Russell, S, 6-2, 180, St. Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park)
Caleb Sampson, DT, 6-4, 270, Coahoma (Miss.) CC (Covington, La.)
Da’Jon Terry, DT, 6-4, 320, Meridian (Meridian, Miss.)
This story was originally published December 18, 2018 at 3:56 PM.
