Kansas lands commitment from Eastern Michigan safety Jarrett Paul

By Zac Boyer     May 18, 2022

Courtesy of Walt Middleton Photography
Eastern Michigan cornerback Jarrett Paul prepares for the snap during a game against Northern Illinois at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois, on October 2, 2021.

Jarrett Paul left Eastern Michigan earlier this spring hoping to play football in a Power 5 conference once again. On Wednesday, that goal became reality.

Paul committed to transfer to Kansas at the end of an official visit, marking the second time he will have changed schools. For him, the visit was more of a formality than it is for most players; he had already told defensive coordinator Brian Borland and general manager Rob Ianello that he intended to commit before making the trip to Lawrence from his home in Brooklyn.

“I saw their success at Buffalo and I know that they’ll be able to do the same thing at Kansas,” said Paul, who chose a scholarship offer from Rutgers over one from Buffalo while he was in high school. “I’m only going to be there for a short time, but I know that slowly but surely, they’ll get there.”

The 6-foot-1, 192-pound defensive back played at Rutgers during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, decided to transfer after the start of the 2020 season and enrolled at Eastern Michigan prior to last season.

He started 12 of 13 games for the Eagles at cornerback and finished with 45 tackles, six passes broken up and one fumble forced. In his two years at Rutgers, he played in 23 games, including eight starts as a sophomore at free safety after playing primarily on special teams as a freshman.

https://twitter.com/jarrettpaul25/status/1527085535126233088

Paul will be able to play immediately at Kansas despite a second transfer because he will graduate from Eastern Michigan in the coming weeks. He said he expects to have one year of eligibility remaining, though he could have two; the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to players at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Paul left Rutgers in September 2020 and said he’s been told he’ll have to apply for a waiver.

“I just know me being an older guy, I’ll be able to come in and whatever knowledge I have, I’ll be able to spread that to younger guys and just be a good influence,” Paul said. “Then schematically, I can play anywhere, so I feel like I have a lot of flexibility. I’m comfortable playing anywhere and I feel like I can help the defense out doing that.”

Kansas’ coaches told him that they envision him returning to safety and playing nickelback as well. He was also a cornerback in high school; he played first at Christ the King in Queens before transferring to Paramus Catholic in New Jersey before his senior season.

“He was always a kid that (was) on the quiet side but loved to work, loved to compete,” said Dan Sabella, Paul’s coach at Paramus Catholic and now the coach at nearby Don Bosco Prep. “That was the first thing that jumped out at you — kind of had a linebacker build but could run like a corner.”

Paul could provide the help the Jayhawks need at safety. Kenny Logan, who led the Big 12 with 113 tackles last season and will be a senior in the fall, is entrenched as a starter. Defensive backs coach Jordan Peterson said sophomore O.J. Burroughs was the leading contender to start alongside him, but Edwin White-Schultz and Jayson Gilliom, also sophomores, will compete to start.

The commitment from Paul is the most recent the Jayhawks received from a player looking to transfer. Minnesota wide receiver Doug Emilien, Buffalo right tackle Deondre Doiron and Hutchinson Community College defensive end Davion Westmoreland have also decided to join the program since May 1. College of the Canyons outside linebacker Dean Miller, a freshman last season, also wrapped up his official visit at Kansas on Wednesday but did not commit.

Paul said he enjoyed his time playing at Eastern Michigan, which went 7-6 last season and lost to Liberty in the LendingTree Bowl, because “football-wise, we were very close, a very tight-knit group.”

Now, he’ll head to the Big 12 to conclude his college years — and hopes another appearance in a bowl game will cap them.

“I see the vibe around the program,” Paul said. “They improved the last few weeks of the season and I could see the buy-in from the players. They want to win. They know they can. That’s very encouraging. I’m looking forward to being a part of that and adding to that.”

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