Sunday, 115 players arrived for KU’s four-day camp — a drop of about 40 players from a year ago.

“The one-day camps, seven-on-seven camps and satellite camps are becoming more and more popular than the residence camps,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “And the reason for that is a lot of kids that consider themselves prospects want to be seen for one day, and then they want to go to somebody else’s camp.

“Then what you have here is a bunch of younger kids who aren’t quite ready to be prospects.”

Director of football operations George Matsakis said 90 percent of the players in the one-day camps were juniors and seniors, while the same age group made up about 35 percent of players in the four-day camp.

Aaron Lindberg/Journal-World Photo

While all the players in the one-day camps were from Kansas or Missouri, the four-day camp drew 31 out-of-state players from Missouri, Nebraska, Indiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Ohio, Nevada, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Illinois.

Matsakis said numbers were similar to last year at KU’s one-day satellite camps. The June 3 camp at Wichita South High drew about 40 players, while a June 5 outing at Blue Valley High drew 70.

Cost is one factor in the growing popularity of one-day events. This week’s four-day camp cost $139 for day campers and $209 for overnight campers. KU charged only $10 for its satellite camps, and the camp for linemen cost $20. The seven-on-seven camp cost $150 per team with up to 15 players on a team.

Saturday’s seven-on-seven session drew 32 teams — eight more than last year. The session was so popular, KU coaches had to use the practice fields and Anschutz Sports Pavilion. The camp for linemen, which drew more than 100 players, was moved to Memorial Stadium.

Working on his fifth camp in seven days, Mangino said there was a good crop of in-state seniors.

“We’re still evaluating, so I don’t know how many legitimate Division I players there are, but it’s an encouraging class,” he said.

Mangino will get a look at some out-of-state talent June 27 when his staff works a one-day camp at his high school in New Castle, Pa.

College coaches use their camps to identify prospects and recruit players, but Mangino said that wouldn’t be the case with the one-day camp at his alma mater, which will be free to players in grades five through eight and $10 for high school players.

“It’s good will on my part for my hometown,” Mangino said. “It has nothing to do with recruiting at all. If there’s a great player there, we won’t get him. It’s highly unlikely.”

Most of KU’s staff will make the trip, and Mangino won’t be the only one going home. Receivers coach Tyrone Dixon is from Aliquippa, Pa., and tight ends coach Brandon Blaney’s father lives in Hopewell, Pa. Matsakis and offensive line coach Ed Warinner are from neighboring Ohio.

Mangino was unsure how the camp would draw.

“I expect there will be a respectable turnout,” Mangino said. “Whether it’s 10 or 500, we’re going to show up.”