The additions of several new players to the Kansas football team are now officially official, as the program updated its published roster this week.
With both incoming freshmen and transfers arriving on campus for summer courses and workouts, the Jayhawks’ list of players for the 2021 season now looks more complete than it did in the spring.
The latest version includes eight new players with varying degrees of college football experience.
As expected, all six of the former Buffalo players who decided to follow head coach Lance Leipold to KU via the transfer portal are now Jayhawks: senior defensive linemen Eddie Wilson and Ronald McGee, junior center Mike Novitsky, junior linebacker Rich Miller, sophomore receiver Trevor Wilson and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Michael Ford Jr.
Zion DeBose, a senior defensive end and Virginia Tech graduate transfer who originally planned to play for Leipold at Buffalo, also is on board at KU.
So is former North Texas starting quarterback Jason Bean, a junior who was recruited by KU receivers coach Emmett Jones this past spring, while Jones was serving as the Jayhawks’ interim head coach.
KU football’s director of sports performance, Matt Gildersleeve, honored both Bean and Trevor Wilson this week by making them a part of the “rock chalk rack” group in the weight room.
While eight freshmen enrolled at KU for the spring semester, allowing them to participate in workouts and the entirety of spring practices over the course of the past several months, a new wave of freshmen from KU’s 2021 signing class has now joined them.
Twelve more freshmen scholarship players are now on campus: running back Devin Neal, cornerback Cam’ron Dabney, corner Edwin White-Schultz, receiver Majik Rector, tight end Mason Brotherton, receiver Kelan Robinson, linebacker D’Marion Alexander, defensive lineman Tommy Dunn Jr., linebacker James Wright, receiver Tanaka Scott, offensive lineman Corey Robinson and defensive lineman D.J. Withers.
The only remaining member of KU’s 2021 signing class who has yet to join the team is freshman linebacker Trey Staley, from Snellville, Ga.
The Jayhawks also added a group of freshman walk-ons to the roster.
The newest version of KU’s roster — the first one published since Leipold and his former UB coordinators and assistants came in — also featured some returning players with new positions next to their names.
A pair of key defenders with starting experience who were considered outside linebackers by the previous staff, super-senior Kyron Johnson and sophomore Steven Parker, are now listed at defensive end. Similarly, senior reserve Hayden Hatcher is at D-end now, too.
Some other players, though, have switched positions since the initial spring roster was published.
Sophomore Torry Locklin, who made a brief return to quarterback during the spring, is now back out wide at receiver again.
Johnquai Lewis, a redshirt freshman who was listed at corner in the spring, is now at safety.
Malik Johnson, a redshirt freshman, has been moved from receiver to running back.
Additionally, redshirt sophomore Dylan Downing, who was at outside linebacker in the spring, is now simply a linebacker.
Transfers
Trevor Wilson — 5-11, 190; soph. WR; Tallahassee, Fla. (Buffalo)
Eddie Wilson — 6-4, 325; sr. DL; Jersey City, N.J. (Buffalo)
Jason Bean — 6-3, 189; jr. QB; Mansfield, Texas (North Texas)
Rich Miller — 6-1, 230; jr. LB; Detroit (Buffalo)
Zion DeBose — 6-1, 245; sr. DE; Salisbury, N.C. (Virginia Tech)
Mike Novitsky — 6-5, 295; jr. C; Victor, N.Y. (Buffalo)
Michael Ford Jr. — 6-3, 285; RS-fr. OL; Homewood, Ill. (Buffalo)
Ronald McGee — 6-3, 285; sr DL; Sumter, S.C. (Buffalo)
Class of 2021 signees
Devin Neal — 5-11, 208; fr. RB; Lawrence
Majik Rector — 5-9, 152; fr. WR; Dallas
Edwin White-Schultz — 6-0, 196; fr. S; Mobile, Ala.
Cam’ron Dabney — 5-10, 175; fr. CB; Gainesville, Ga.
James Wright — 6-1, 195; fr. LB; Sumter, S.C.
D’Marion Alexander — 6-5, 215; fr. DE; China Spring, Texas
D.J. Withers — 6-4, 245; fr. DL; Little Rock, Ark.
Corey Robinson — 6-5, 270; fr. OL; Roswell, Ga.
Tanaka Scott — 6-4, 192; fr. WR; Mobile, Ala.
Mason Brotherton — 6-4, 242; fr. TE; Mena, Ark.
Kelan Robinson — 6-2, 183; fr. WR; Grand Prairie, Texas
Tommy Dunn Jr. — 6-3, 227; fr. DL; Garland, Texas
Walk-ons
Jaden Robinson — 6-0, 170; fr. CB; Grand Prairie, Texas
Landon Nelson — 5-11, 185; fr. S; West Des Moines, Iowa
DeAndre Thomas Jr. — 5-8, 180; fr. RB; Blue Springs, Mo.
Grayden Addison — 5-11, 175; fr. P; Noblesville, Ind.
Cole Mondi — 5-10, 195; fr. LB; Lawrence
Mack Moeller — 6-3, 200; fr. TE; Mission
Hank Kelly — 6-4, 270; fr. OL; Fayetteville, Ark.
Jake Eisenhauer — 6-1, 285; fr. OL; Salina
Cole Petrus — 6-4, 240; fr. LB; St. Louis, Mo.
