Report: Speedy running back commits to KU

By Matt Tait     Feb 13, 2012

It appears Kansas University’s football recruiting class for 2012 grew by one over the weekend.

Jon Kirby, of JayhawkSlant.com, is reporting that Piscataway (N.J.) High running back Tevin Shaw has committed to the Jayhawks and will join the team this summer.

Shaw, a three-star running back who made his official visit to KU over the weekend, had been committed to Iowa but elected to look elsewhere when the Hawkeyes ran out of scholarships on signing day 12 days ago.

That led Shaw to Kansas, which had been recruiting the 5-foot-11, 190-pound all-state selection since mid-January. In addition to Iowa, the speedy power back had offers from Maryland, Penn State, South Carolina and Temple, among others.

Shaw, who has been clocked as fast as 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash, ran for 1,600 yards and 24 touchdowns during his senior season. His addition brings even more depth and talent to an already-crowded Kansas backfield.

In addition to Shaw and fellow-newcomer Taylor Cox, a junior-college transfer who signed with KU earlier this month, the Jayhawks figure to return two-year starter James Sims (727 yards, nine touchdowns) and young tailbacks Tony Pierson (396, three) and Brandon Bourbon (190, one).

Throughout his years in the NFL and at Notre Dame, KU coach Charlie Weis’ pro-style offense successfully accommodated multiple running backs. It will be interesting to track whether there will be playing time for all five guys next season or if one or two of them will red-shirt.

The addition of Shaw brings the total number in KU’s latest recruiting class to 21 players. However, because two of the three mid-year transfers added by Weis this offseason will be counted toward the Class of 2011, several spots remain. Weis said on signing day that many of those spots likely would be filled by more fifth-year transfers sometime in May.

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.