Apparently, February’s National Signing Day didn’t mark the end of the Kansas University football coaching staff’s recruiting work.
A month after securing it’s top-rated recruiting class of the Mark Mangino era, the Jayhawks this week earned a late commitment from linebacker Jon Watts, a recent graduate of Oroville Butte Community College in California, according to Rivals.com. A 6-foot-3, 225-pound Gainesville, Fla., native, Watts was recruited by new Kansas linebackers coach/co-defensive coordinator Bill Miller, who has served as an assistant at both Florida University and Miami University during his 31-year coaching career and was familiar with Watts from his prep days at Gainesville’s Eastside High.
“I know coach Miller has coached a lot of good players in his career,” Watts, who also garnered offers from Hawaii, Nevada and Iowa State, told Rivals. “He knew me from when I was in high school in Gainesville. He has been looking at me and knew he was interested. He made me feel like they wanted me and that was important.”
Watts twice earned all-Nor-Cal honors, and as a sophomore in 2008, recorded 75 tackles, 10 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. Assuming he signs with the Jayhawks, Watts will mark the 25th commitment for the program in the Class of 2009. He will also provide depth to a linebacking unit that loses three starters — James Holt, Mike Rivera and Joe Mortensen — from last season’s 8-5 team.
“I’m done with school,” Watts told the Web site. “I have graduated and I am back at Butte just working hard. I hope I can help Kansas and if everything goes right I can get there the first week of June. I know I will have to come in and work hard and show I can play.”