Credit Kansas University basketball player Thomas Robinson with an assist.
Monday night, JayhawkSlant.com reported that De’Jon Wilson, a defensive end from Washington, D.C., had orally committed to the Kansas football program.
Wilson, 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, had the chance, this summer, to talk with Robinson about his experiences in Lawrence. Evidently, T-Rob’s words carried a little weight, as did those from KU coach Turner Gill and lead recruiter Reggie Mitchell.
“Coach Mitchell did an awesome job recruiting me,” Wilson said. “He’s an outstanding recruiter. Man, I thought he was a young guy with all the energy he had.”
Wilson picked the Jayhawks over offers from Buffalo, Illinois, Marshall, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Temple and Toledo.
He becomes the sixth member of the Class of 2012 to commit to Kansas.
Roster update
A couple of tidbits from Monday’s practice… Gill said defensive tackle Patrick Dorsey would miss six to eight weeks of action after suffering a broken foot. Dorsey, a senior from Houston, started 11 of 12 games in 2010.
In addition, Gill said that sophomore Randall Dent, a former defensive lineman who was listed as a second-string offensive lineman on the depth chart, had moved back to the defensive side of the ball. Dent, who red-shirted in 2009, was a defensive lineman during his first two seasons at KU. He moved to the O-Line this spring.
Football 101 a hit
Gill turned 49 years old last Saturday, and to celebrate,, he enjoyed a heavy dose of football.
Beginning at 8:30 a.m. Gill hosted Football 101 With The Jayhawks, an interactive clinic designed for women interested in learning more about football. The clinic took place at the Anderson Family Football Complex, and all proceeds went to benefit Jayhawks For A Cure, which raises money to benefit the KU Cancer Center and Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
In all, the event drew nearly 50 women, who serenaded Gill with “Happy Birthday,” midway through the day.
The clinic, which wrapped with a luncheon hosted by the KU coaching staff and their wives, provided attendees the chance to experience a day in the life of a KU football player. Sandra Kay, of Lawrence, was one of them and she soaked up every second.
“I think Football 101 was an impressive event,” Kay said. “The coaches and their wives were very genuine in the way they shared the importance of Jayhawks For A Cure. And they were so thorough about what each position needed to work on in terms of training. I would encourage everyone who’s a KU fan to go to this event in the future.”
Included in the clinic were workshops on both offense and defense, along with a question-and-answer session with current KU players.
In addition, former KU linebacker Justin Springer made a special presentation on team equipment.
The women in attendance were not the only ones who enjoyed the experience.
“It was good to see all the women there and it was for a great cause,” Gill said. “It was a good turnout. They seemed to enjoy themselves. It was also good to have our fans get connected with us as coaches and also good for us to get connected with them.”
Gill’s birthday celebration continued later that night, with KU playing host to its second intra-squad scrimmage of preseason camp.
The modified game featured several highlights, including a 40-yard touchdown pass from senior Quinn Mecham to sophomore Christian Matthews. In addition, several message boards were filled with posts from those in attendance about the play of true freshman QB Michael Cummings.
The Jayhawks wrapped up their third session of two-a-day drills on Monday and will return to practice this afternoon in preparation for their season opener, Sept. 3 against McNeese State at Memorial Stadium.
