Texas twosome to enroll at KU

By David Mitchell     Jan 19, 2004

Jermail Ashley had the attention of major-college recruiters when the 2003 football season started, but most coaches didn’t like what they saw when a knee injury hampered the 6-foot-5, 245-pound defensive end.

“He had everybody on him at the beginning of the semester,” Tyler Junior College defensive line coach Johnathan Harrison said. “He had such a great freshman season that a lot of major colleges were talking to him, but he didn’t start off strong. A lot of schools backed off, including Kansas.”

Ashley eventually returned to form and finished with 41 tackles, four sacks, six pass breakups, three forced fumbles and 14 quarterback hurries.

Baylor, New Mexico and Louisiana Tech made scholarship offers to the Fort Worth, Texas, product, according to rivals.com.

Kansas, which had been on Ashley early in the year, also recruited Tyler cornerback Theo Baines. When a KU coach called Tyler’s football office to ask about Baines, Harrison saw an opportunity to help his guy.

“I informed them that Jermail was back to his old self,” Harrison said. “He started out slow because of the knee injury. Then midway through the conference season, he came on and started playing like a wild man.”

Ashley and Baines made a campus visit to Lawrence a week before the Dec. 17 signing date for semester transfers, and each picked KU. They’re expected to be on campus Wednesday, two days before classes resume and the Jayhawks begin their offseason conditioning program.

The Texans both fit dire needs in KU’s leaky defense. The Jayhawks allowed averages of 28.3 points and 392.6 yards in the regular season before being hammered, 56-26, by North Carolina State in the Tangerine Bowl. Kansas loses three senior starters on the line, including end Reggie Curry. The secondary, meanwhile, was so shaky that coach Mark Mangino moved offensive standouts Charles Gordon and John Randle to cornerback with three games left in the season.

“KU stuck with me the whole season,” said Baines, who also had offers from Arizona and New Mexico. “I liked the program. It has a lot of potential, and secondary was something they needed. I feel like I can come in and help.”

Baines, a 5-10, 180-pounder from Rosenberg, Texas, had 41 tackles, one interception, 10 breakups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and scored a touchdown.

“I’m real excited,” he said. “I’m ready to get there and go to work.”

Baines and Ashley helped Tyler finish 10-2.

“I think KU got two good signees,” Harrison said. “They’re good kids and good football players.”

Kansas signed five junior-college transfers in December. The others are City College of San Francisco quarterback Jason Swanson, San Bernadino Valley College safety Rodney Harris and Chaffey College offensive lineman Alan Erving.

Erving, an all-conference right tackle, could help KU fill a void on the offensive line. Starting tackles Adrian Jones and Danny Lewis were both seniors.

“His forte is that he’s a good pass-blocker,” said Chaffey coach Carl Beach. “He’s got really long arms. He can run-block, too, but we pass a lot. I think that’s what we like about him.”

Erving is listed at 6-5, 3000 pounds.

“He doesn’t need to get any bigger,” Beach said. “He’s big enough. He might need to get a little bit stronger.”

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