Taking a stab at ranking eight Kansas mid-year juco football signings

By Staff     Dec 23, 2014

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Defensive coordinator Clint Bowen, left, laughs with newly-hired Kansas head football coach David Beaty before Beaty is introduced to the Allen Fieldhouse crowd during halftime of the JayhawksÕ game against Floriday on Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. Beaty is the 38th head coach in the programÕs history.

Guessing which junior-college signees will contribute the most to the program is too inexact to call it a science, but searching for little clues along the way can help make guesses more accurate than putting the names in a hat and drawing them randomly.

A guess at ranking the value of the eight mid-season, junior-college signees who will join the Kansas University football program for the second semester and participate in new head coach Dave Beaty’s first spring footballcamp:

**1 – M.J. Mathis, 6-2, 205:** A former Kentucky commitment, Mathis was recruited by Dave Campo and re-recruited by David Beaty and staff. He has strong coverage skills, hits like a linebacker and is built like an NFL defensive back.

**2 – Brandon Stewart, 5-11, 175:** The fact he committed to California and then changed his mind bodes well for his chances at KU in two areas. First, he must be a pretty good football player if Cal wanted him. Second, he must have his academic house in order or Cal wouldn’t have looked twice at him.

**3 – Ke’aun Kinner, 5-9, 185:** What can I say, I’m a sucker for [running back highlight videos set to music.][1] As a senior in high school at Little Elm, a 4A school just north of Dallas, he had single-game rushing yardage totals of 432, 345, 343, 339 and 332.

**4 – Bazie Bates IV, 6-1, 195:** Hard-hitting cornerback/safety looks on video like a guy who really enjoys playing football, which can’t be a bad thing.

**5 – Will Smith, 6-4, 315, OL:** Fromer Shawnee Mission Northwest behemoth looks to have a shot at winning a starting job with a strong spring.

**6 – Jacky Dezir, 6-3, 305:** His highlights show a player who never quits on a play and is rewarded by making plays on the opposite side of the field. Then again, that’s why they’re called highlights.

**7 – De’Andre Banks, 6-3, 325:** One of three players from Trinity Valley CC in Athens, Texas, to enroll at mid-year, joining Stewart and Bates.

**8 – Jayson Rhodes, 6-4, 310:** A last-minute addition when another lineman backed out of his commitment, Rhodes received just one other offer, from UT-San Antonio.

[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2014/dec/17/mid-year-signing-day-opens-with-a-flurry/

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