Kansas University football coach Terry Allen will announce his fifth recruiting class today, and, despite the fact the KU staff went through the whole recruiting period short-handed, it should be a big, well-rounded class.
Allen is expected to name a class that numbers 26-27, which would make it his largest group of recruits.
Whether it’s one of his best remains to be seen.
Allen, who has had four straight losing seasons as KU’s head coach, dismissed two coaches last November, had a third quit to pursue other opportunities and lost a fourth associate head coach/offensive coordinator Darrell Wyatt just before Christmas.
Allen since has hired two new aides offensive line coach Sam Pittman and wide receivers coach Clarence James.
Kansas still is looking for a defensive coordinator. Allen has said he’ll take over as the Jayhawks’ offensive coordinator.
“We didn’t have one player who said he wouldn’t come here because he didn’t know what defense we’d be running,” Allen said. “And I’m calling the plays on offense, so that really wasn’t a factor.”
The NCAA limits the maximum number of coaches who can be on the road recruiting, and the Jayhawks adjusted for their low numbers by sending certified graduate assistants on the road.
Kansas’ patchwork recruiting staff set its sights on shoring up the offensive and defensive lines, the linebacker corps and the defensive secondary and found bodies, at least, to address those needs.
The Jayhawks brought in seven junior college transfers at semester, four of whom are offensive linemen. Three of the semester jucos are linebacker/defensive end types.
Kansas also is expected to sign three high school defensive backs, and a junior college cornerback Garden City’s Remuise Johnson might sign today. Johnson, a 5-9, 175-pounder, said he probably would pick KU today over New Mexico State, Missouri and Mississippi.
“I haven’t made up my mind 100 percent,” Johnson told online recruiting service MoKan Football. “I guess I’m about 99 percent sure.”
Kansas also picked up a late nonbinding oral commitment from Brandon Rideau, a 6-4, 180-pound wide receiver from Beaumont (Texas) Ozen High.
“He’s an excellent, big, tall receiver,” Ozen coach Arthur Louis said. “He’s always played quarterback, but we moved him this year. His best days are ahead of him. He’s only going to get better, and he’s one of the best receivers I saw this year. A lot of schools were calling the last few weeks.”
An all-district selection, Rideau had 39 catches for 800 yards last season. He picked KU over Vanderbilt, Indiana, Ohio and Baylor.
Barring any signing-day surprises, KU’s class today will include at least a player at every position.
Perhaps the greatest weakness of the class will be the lack of high school offensive linemen.
Still, a few national recruiting services are giving the Jayhawks’ recruiting class a preliminary ranking in the top 40 nationally.
