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Today, new Kansas University football coach Turner Gill will introduce his first recruiting class as part of 2010 National Signing Day. Highlighted by four-star prospects Brandon Bourbon (running back) and Keeston Terry (wide receiver), the group is expected to include 18 players.
The following is a look at the Jayhawks’ projected newcomers:
Keba Agostinho
Position: Defensive end
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 250 pounds
Hometown: Katy, Texas
Last school: James E. Taylor High
Also considered: Baylor, Houston, Texas A&M
Notable: An all-District selection last fall, Agostinho finished his senior season with 70 tackles, nine sacks, seven tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.
Jaqwaylin Arps
Position: Defensive end
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 230 pounds
Hometown: Denison, Texas
Last school: Denison High
Also considered: New Mexico, Southern Methodist, Texas Tech, UTEP
Notable: Originally committed to Texas Tech, Arps switched his commitment in August at least in part so he could play alongside fellow KU commit Jimmay Mundine. Not the biggest guy around, but speed and athleticism are a plus.
Brandon Bourbon
Position: Running back
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 205 pounds
Hometown: Potosi, Mo.
Last school: Potosi High
Also considered: Stanford, Missouri, Notre Dame, BYU, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, Harvard
Notable: One of two four-star players in the Jayhawks’ 2010 signing class, Bourbon was a late addition after de-commiting from Stanford earlier this week. Rushed for nearly 2,400 yards with 29 touchdowns as a junior and has been compared to Stanford Heisman Trophy finalist Toby Gerhart.
Jeremiah Edwards
Position: Defensive tackle
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 270 pounds
Hometown: Garland, Texas
Last school: Garland High
Also considered: Arizona, Houston, Southern Methodist, Texas Tech, Tulsa, UTEP
Notable: Originally recruited by Mark Mangino’s staff, Edwards kept his commitment following Gill’s arrival. A bit undersized at defensive tackle, but has been described as a high-energy player with football smarts.
Jake Farley
Position: Defensive back
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 210 pounds
Hometown: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Last school: Cedar Falls High
Also considered: Iowa State, Louisville
Notable: Listed as the No. 9 prospect in the state of Iowa, Farley is the son of former KU linebackers coach Mark Farley, who served on Terry Allen’s staff from 1997-2000.
Ed Fink
Position: Linebacker
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 221 pounds
Hometown: Belleville, Ill.
Last school: Althoff Catholic High
Also considered: Army, Cincinnati, Kansas State
Notable: Went highly unnoticed after missing most of his junior season with a broken leg, but caught the attention of recruiters by tallying 71 tackles and 10 sacks as a senior in ’09.
Ricki Herod Jr.
Position: Wide receiver
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 175 pounds
Hometown: Mesquite, Texas
Last school: North Mesquite High
Also considered: Texas Tech, UCLA, Kentucky
Notable: Ranked by Rivals as the No. 70 prospect in the state of Texas and the No. 56 receiver nationally. Averaged over 15 yards per catch and played at the same high school as current KU defensive back Daymond Patterson.
Chad Kolumber
Position: Offensive lineman
Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 286 pounds
Hometown: Woodberry Forest, Va.
Last school: Woodberry Forest School
Also considered: Marshall, Buffalo, Rhode Island
Notable: Received his first offer from Buffalo while Gill was still there, but followed the coach to Lawrence.
Pat Lewandowski
Position: Defensive end
Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 248 pounds
Hometown: Overland Park
Last school: Blue Valley West High
Also considered: Kansas State, Northwestern
Notable: Worked himself back from a torn ACL that forced him to miss his entire junior year. Listed as the No. 11 recruit in the state of Kansas and the No. 43 strongside defensive end nationally.
Brian Maura
Position: Wide receiver
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds
Hometown: Miami, Fla.
Last school: Felix Varela High
Also considered: Kentucky, Mississippi State, Wake Forest
Notable: Clocked at 4.49 in the 40-yard dash, Maura finished among the top 10 in talent-rich Dade County in receiving and touchdowns caught as a senior, according to Rivals. Also returned four kickoffs for touchdowns.
Dexter McDonald
Position: Defensive back
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.
Last school: Rockhurst High
Also considered: Missouri, Illinois, Iowa State
Notable: Ranked as the No. 12 prospect in the state of Missouri and the No. 77 receiver in the nation. Committed to Illinois and Missouri before deciding on Kansas last week.
Quinn Mecham
Position: Quarterback
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 195 pounds
Hometown: Ephraim, Utah
Last school: Snow College (Utah)
Also considered: Utah State, Virginia
Notable: Completed 202 of 323 passes last season for 3,091 yards, 40 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a sophomore at Snow College last season and could battle Kale Pick for the Jayhawks’ starting quarterback spot next fall.
Ray Mitchell
Position: Safety
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
Hometown: Irving, Texas
Last school: MacArthur High
Also considered: Colorado State, Iowa State, New Mexico, Tulsa, UNLV, Wyoming
Notable: Earned first-team all-district honors as a free safety last fall after finishing with 51 tackles.
Jimmay Mundine
Position: Outside linebacker
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 225 pounds
Hometown: Denison, Texas
Last school: Denison High
Also considered: Baylor, Oklahoma State, Southern Methodist
Notable: Tabbed as the nation’s No. 79 outside linebacker, Mundine played both receiver (1,037 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior) and linebacker (27 tackles, five sacks) for Denison High.
James Sims
Position: Running back
Height/weight: 6-foot, 205 pounds
Hometown: Irving, Texas
Last school: MacArthur High
Also considered: Arkansas, Iowa State, North Texas, Purdue, Utah, UTEP
Notable: One of two running back prospects in the Class of 2010. Rushed for 1,762 yards and 20 touchdowns with a 6.8 yards-per-carry average. Also caught 12 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown en route to earning co-district MVP honors.
Trent Smiley
Position: Tight end
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 225 pounds
Hometown: Frisco, Texas
Last school: Wakeland High
Also considered: Florida State, Iowa State, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Rice, Wake Forest
Notable: Caught 36 passes for 405 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. Has size and speed (clocked at a 4.6 40-yard dash) and is ranked as the nation’s 17th-best tight end prospect.
Keeston Terry
Position: Wide receiver
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 179 pounds
Hometown: Blue Springs, Mo.
Last school: Blue Springs High
Also considered: Illinois, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Stanford, Wisconsin
Notable: Terry, a four-star recruit and the son of former KU defensive back Doug Terry, headlines what figures to be a strong group of receivers in the Class of 2010.
Andrew Turzilli
Position: Wide receiver
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 185 pounds
Hometown: Butler, N.J.
Last school: Butler High
Also considered: Tulsa, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple
Notable: A three-star recruit with great upside, Turzilli is ranked as New Jersey’s No. 29 recruit and is coming off a senior prep season in which he caught 48 passes for 888 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Spring game highlights April 28, 2012
Charlie Weis Jr. helps lead the KU running backs in drills April 19, 2012
D.J. Beshears makes tough catch on deep pass from Dayne Crist April 19, 2012
Highlights from Charlie Weis press conference April 10, 2012
KU football's first spring practice under Charlie Weis March 28, 2012
Comments
trojanhawk (anonymous) says…
Who compared Bourbon to Gerhart? The only two things they have in common are height and skin color. Bourbon is more like a big Jake Sharp. Gerhart is more of a bruiser like former Oregon State back Steven Jackson.
Both were highly undervalued as runningbacks coming out of high school, so that's one more similarity I suppose.
hometownhawk (anonymous) says…
Hmm, trojan...
Could the comparisons have anything to do with Bourbon being committed to Stanford for 6 months? You comparing him to Jake Sharp = pot calling kettle 'black'
And "highly undervalued"? Gerhart was the 7th ranked fullback in the country his senior year, and Bourbon is a 4* runningback. How do you figure that?
doolindalton (anonymous) says…
Here's a Kansas kid KU passed on who at 6'4" 240 pounds is just as good if not better than the ones from the Great Strange Southern Hinterlands they are so fond of.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubpcep...
Brak (anonymous) says…
Sounds like a solid recruiting class, just imagine what HCTG can accomplish next year when he has more time to recruit. The first thing that struck me especially about the big men is that they are undersized but quick. Quickness is something that we've needed from our defense especially front line and linebackers not to mention it looks like most of these guys had quite a few sacks in HS so they know how to pressure the QB. What about that Kolumber kid, I think he was only a 2 star but he is 6-8 and only 286, he could easily add another 50 lbs without losing alot of his speed. Can't wait for next year and eventhough it will be somewhat of a rebuilding year I could easily see us getting to a bowl game, of course not playing Texas and OU will help too.
justanotherfan (anonymous) says…
I think Bourbon's ranking has a lot to do with his school size. He played in one of the smallest classes in Missouri, so it was hard to rate him. He's a big back, but not blazingly fast. He has some speed, but I wouldn't put him in the Jake Sharp category.
As for some of the other players we got.
Agostinho - seems to have a real knack for forcing fumbles. That could be big on a defense that struggled tio make big plays.
Edwards - extremely quick off the ball. He's not the biggest kid, but his quickness off the snap will serve him well on the d-line.
Kolumber - he's a road grader. Uses his hands and gets his arms extended well.
Lewandowski - good speed rusher. He will need to develop either a power move or an inside spin to be effective against college tackles, but he already has his first move down.
Mundine - the athleticism to play WR (at a high level no less) should bode well for his transition to college LB.
Fink - he's a big hitter. There are a lot of guys going backwards when he puts the pads on them.
Herod - quick first move. It's just one play, so I don't want to put too much into it, but if he's that quick off the ball every time, he will be tough to jam at the line.
Turzilli - I like his size. He probably needs to hit the weight room a little bit to fully use his talents, though.
Maura - I can see this kid getting on the field very quickly. Fast does not describe what he is. He will probably be returning punts, or kicks or something.
truehawk93 (anonymous) says…
Bourbon looks like a young Gale Sayers!
Can we give Kolumber a b-ball scholly too? Dang...6-8 and 286 pounds!
Great athletes...great job HCTG
Rock Chalk
kueric (anonymous) says…
"He has some speed, but I wouldn't put him in the Jake Sharp category."
If by speed you mean the 40, 100, or shuttle run you'd be wrong in saying Jake was/is faster.
Event Sharp Bourbon
Shuttle 4.44 I've seen 4.08 and 4.48
40 4.44 (4.29 after/during college) 4.54 & 4.4
100 10.4 10.4
The tale of the tape on Bourbon is VERY impressive.
http://www.ndnation.com/boards/showpo...
KGphoto (anonymous) says…
Hilarious "Oh sh!t" moment at 2:35 of the Agostinho clip.
number1jayhawker (anonymous) says…
Mundine will be playing TE for us, not LB. He has stated this in the past couple of weeks.
KGphoto (anonymous) says…
Bourbon really does look like Sayers. The stop-and-go, the swivel hips, the speed. Anybody old enough to remember The Kansas Comet run at KU is gonna be time traveling when Brandon hits field. They may even get a little misty.
jhokfan (anonymous) says…
Not bad. Eleven 3 stars and all signed. Probably the best we can hope for under the circumstances.
For husker fans thinking they’re back, it has not shown up in recruiting. They are way behind Oklahoma and Texas who both had great recruiting classes.
K-State had the 95th rated class. Snyder is still a great coach but has the old man lost it?
KanFan27 (anonymous) says…
I thought the same thing about Mundine when I first looked at the clip and read some of the stats, but then I got to see the 6'1 height. He may have all the skill necessary to play the position but at 6'1 I don't think he has the height. I know that height is not everything but that is just too short for a TE. On the other hand I think that he is going to be one heck of a LB for us. He has loads of athletic ability that I cannot wait to see be unleashed onto the field.
dagger108 (anonymous) says…
Nice article, but for an even greater coverage of the class of 2010 (today), and the potential for 2011 in the near future, go to Rock Chalk Talk (www.rockchalktalk.com).
huskercarpenter (anonymous) says…
jhokfan, hate to tell you that it is showing up in recruiting, last years class was better than the year before, this years class is better than last years class, in fact this years class is ranked at #20 or there abouts. just today they signed a 4* safety and a 4* q.b. which is the 7th rated dual threat q.b. in the country, who happens to be tommie frazier's cousin, he said that he wants to win a heisman trophy and nebr. is the place that makes that a possibility. now, do they need to keep improving? yes. are they back? yes. are they here to stay? yes.
i am impressed with the whole staff that turner put together. they did alot of stuff in a very short time (3 weeks). i think they only lost 2 of the exhisting recruits, normally you could see up to half the class walk. great job turner and staff.
dagger108 (anonymous) says…
Well said H.Carpenter.
jhokfan (anonymous) says…
huskercarpenter, hate to tell you but just because they are better doesn't mean they are back. No question they are better than when Callahan was head coach but their recruiting class is no where near as good as Oklahoma and Texas. Unless you think winning a weak Big 12 North is "back", I think your enthusiasm is based on wishful thinking.
I agree with your second paragraph.
trojanhawk (anonymous) says…
"Hmm, trojan...
Could the comparisons have anything to do with Bourbon being committed to Stanford for 6 months? You comparing him to Jake Sharp = pot calling kettle 'black'
And "highly undervalued"? Gerhart was the 7th ranked fullback in the country his senior year, and Bourbon is a 4* runningback. How do you figure that? "
Bourbon isn't being compared to Gerhart because he was headed to Stanford. It's because of his size and skin color. Me saying he is more similar to Sharp has to do with his speed, not the color of his skin. Both were/are track stars. Both dominated less than stellar competition. Gerhart was always a tank throughout his career, while Bourbon is the elusive type (see Sharp).
They were "highly undervalued" because with the numbers they both accumulated in high school they should be 5* (or close to it). Gerhart rushed the ball for almost 10K yds, and he's a fullback prospect? That's really a joke. There are 28 better RB prospects out there than Bourbon with his measurables? Coaches recruiting them were asking them to be linebackers in college. Carroll did it to Toby and Pinkel did it to Brandon. It's ridiculous.
huskercarpenter (anonymous) says…
jhokfan, you have your opinion and i have mine. i have watched nebr. football for thirty years and to be honest with you they are not far from taking it to the next level. if you want to go off of the * system only and not factor in the ability of the coaching staff and the actual determination of all those kids, then that would be your fault. bo has put together and kept one of the best staffs in the country. so good in fact that they can take a walkon like matt o'hanlin and turn them into an nfl caliber player.
you should stop taking hits off of that glass pipe it has clouded your judgement.
jhokfan (anonymous) says…
huskercarpenter - Up until your last comment, our conversation has been polite and civilized but since you've chosen to take the low road I'll concede whatever argument you're trying to make. In the future, don't bother to comment on any of my posts and I will do the same. Try to remember you're a guest here.