Two from Class of 2014 pick KU football after weekend visits

By Matt Tait     Jan 19, 2014

Kansas University football recruiting.

The presence of Aaron Rodgers and a big-time college basketball victory proved to be beneficial for the Kansas University football program, which landed a pair of commitments on Sunday.

Dallas wide receiver Derrick Neal, of Lincoln High, and Hartnell Community College defensive end Kapil Fletcher both orally committed to join the Jayhawks on Sunday after enjoying official visits to campus over the weekend.

Neal, 5-foot-10, 155 pounds, is a three-star prospect who originally committed to Texas Tech but then changed his mind and committed to play basketball at UT-Arlington before deciding to go the football route again.

He chose KU over New Mexico and late interest from TCU and Baylor, and told Jon Kirby of JayhawkSlant.com that Saturday’s KU basketball game played a big role.

“It was a good experience,” he said. “I loved it and how all of the fans were pumped up. I have never seen a crowd like that before.”

Neal is known as a playmaker on both sides of the ball and could get a look at cornerback as well as receiver.

Fletcher, a 6-4, 255-pound two-star edge rusher with just two years of football experience chose KU over interest from Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi State, New Mexico and others.

KU defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt played a big role in landing Fletcher, and the wild Allen Fieldhouse environment did not hurt either.

“One thing that impressed me was the atmosphere by the Kansas fans at the basketball game,” Fletcher told Kirby. “I have never witnessed anything like that. It was crazy and words can’t describe it. They have good fan support at Kansas.”

Fletcher played the 2013 season with running back De’Andre Mann, a juco All-American who also visited Lawrence this weekend.

The additions of Neal and Fletcher bring the total number of commitments in KU’s 2014 recruiting class to 16. Three of those prospects — defensive backs Ronnie Davis and Anthony Smithson and offensive lineman Keyon Haughton — signed in December and will report to campus for the spring semester. The rest of the class, which has as many as 10 spots still remaining, can sign starting Feb. 5.

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.