Talk about calming the waters.
Just a day after offensive line coach Tim Grunhard officially resigned his post, Kansas University coach Charlie Weis and the KU football program picked up an oral commitment from Georgia Military offensive lineman Keyon Haughton.
Haughton, who confirmed his commitment to Jon Kirby of JayhawkSlant.com, becomes the third offensive lineman in the Class of 2014 to commit to the Jayhawks. He joins high school prospects Jacob Bragg, a three-star player from Nacogdoches (Tex.) High, who ranks as one of the top centers in the country, and Apa Visinia, a two-star player from nearby Grandview (Mo.) High.
The 6-foot-2, 300-pound Haughton was in town for his official visit last weekend. He attended the K-State game and told Kirby in an update last weekend that he liked Kansas and he would likely make his final decision following Georgia Military’s appearance in the juco national championship game.
However, an early morning visit from Weis and running backs coach Reggie Mitchell on Monday impressed Haughton so much that he committed on the spot and later told Kirby he was thrilled with his decision.
“The visit there went good,” said Haughton, who was hosted by Georgia Military graduate Keon Stowers. “I liked the camaraderie with all of the players and how they stand by each other. Kansas has good, loyal fans. I liked the coaches on the team. I liked the school a lot.”
Haughton chose Kansas over offers from Florida A&M, Louisiana Lafayette, South Alabama, Southern Miss and Troy. Several other schools were starting to show greater interest in recent weeks due to the fact that Haughton figures to be a mid-year transfer and likely will report to campus in January.
Haughton was joined on his visit by Georgia Military teammate Devon Williams, the team’s 6-5, 335-pound starting left tackle.
“They’re looking at me as a left tackle,” Williams told Kirby before his visit to Kansas. “They told me they like how physical I am and how I block down on the linemen. I am really looking forward to my visit and seeing what Kansas has as a program. I want to see their facilities and how I fit in.”
Williams has offers from several of the same schools as Haughton and also is receiving interest from Auburn, Kentucky and Tulane.
Haughton’s commitment pushes KU’s total of committed players in the current class to 10 and there’s room for at least that many more.
Joining the O-Linemen in the current class who have committed to KU are: 6-2, 197-pound defensive back Joe Dineen; 5-11, 182-pound wide receiver Bobby Hartzog; 6-3, 235-pound defensive end Damani Mosby; 5-11, 171-pound wide receiver Tyler Patrick; 6-4, 245-pound defensive end Austin Stevens; 6-0, 226-pound linebacker Kyron Watson; and 6-0, 180-pound running back Traevohn Wrench.
KU’s coaching staff, including Weis, will be on the road recruiting until Dec. 14.
