The term being tossed around is backloading, and Kansas University’s football team is taking advantage of it.
During the summer, KU officials announced self-imposed recruiting restrictions on the football program, including a limit of three junior-college transfers per recruiting class.
Well, KU had four juco standouts sign as midyear transfers Wednesday – cornerbacks Blake Bueltel and Mike McCoy, offensive lineman Rameses Arceo and tight end Marc Jones.
“We have limited ourselves to three (junior-college players) in 2006 and three in 2007,” associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said. “However, we were two below the initial limit last year with kids we brought in. When we signed kids this year, we can assign two of them to the ’05 year.”
KU was allotted 25 scholarships for the 2005 recruiting class, but only 23 were filled. So two of the four juco signees will be considered the class of ’05 for technical reasons.
Because of that, Kansas actually can sign one more juco player for this recruiting class. For the 2006-07 class, only three juco scholarships will be allowed.
KU targeted cornerbacks for immediate help, with Theo Baines, Ronnie Amadi and Donnie Amadi graduating and Charles Gordon maybe ticketed to finish his KU career as a wide receiver. Bueltel (6-foot-1, 180 pounds) is a Topeka Hayden grad who played two years at Butler County Community College. McCoy (5-11, 175) played at San Bernardino (Calif.) Valley College.
Arceo (6-4, 310) also played juco football in California, while Jones (6-4, 240) wrapped up a two-year career at Kilgore (Texas) College.
¢ Early Christmas: One of the most interesting side stories from bowl week is the gifts players are given from the bowls.
For KU, that includes a 7-inch portable DVD player, a backpack, watch and a commemorative workout shirt and football.
All 28 bowls have similar packages, though the more prestigious the bowl, the better gifts those players get. In the Rose Bowl, for example, Texas and USC players will get a Sony PSP, the new rave in portable video games.
¢ Road warriors: Kansas will be considered the road team for Friday’s game and will wear its white jerseys. Houston will wear red.
¢ On tap: Kansas is scheduled to have a walk-through at Amon G. Carter Stadium at 5 p.m. today, then the Jayhawks plan to make an appearance at the Fort Worth Bowl pep rally in downtown.
A news conference featuring coach Mark Mangino and three players will take place this morning.
