With the 2013 season just two months away, the Kansas University football program is still adding bodies to its 2013 recruiting class.
Late Wednesday, KU announced the addition of El Camino Community College offensive lineman Pearce Slater, a 6-foot-8, 340-pound tackle who chose KU over offers from Arizona State, Texas Tech and Utah.
Many expected the athletic big man to be a December graduate and enroll at the college of his choice in January in time for spring ball prior to the 2014 season. However, Slater fast-tracked his junior-college graduation and will report to KU in August in time for most of fall camp. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
KU was one of the first schools to offer Slater a scholarship, and the early interest along with continued energy from assistant coaches Jeff Blasko and Tim Grunhard and head coach Charlie Weis made quite an impression.
“I am very excited to get to Kansas and compete,” Slater told Jon Kirby of JayhawkSlant.com. “The coaches told me I could help right away but I know I have to get in there and work. I have to see what it is like to adjust. Coming from junior college to Division I, there will be an adjustment but I am ready for it.”
According to Kirby, who has covered KU football recruiting for more than a decade, Slater would have been one of the top junior college offensive line prospects in the country in the Class of 2014. Now, he’ll enter the fall competing for playing time on a Big 12 offensive line.
Slater is a three-star prospect according to both Rivals.com and JCFootball.com. He is the 55th-rated junior college prospect according to 247Sports.com, including ranking as the 10th best offensive tackle and the 16th best prospect in the state of California.
He becomes the fifth offensive lineman and 21st junior-college pick-up in KU’s 2013 class.
