The names of college football’s administrative periods tend to lie — what, exactly, was “quiet” about June 1-25, an officially designated “quiet period”? — but there’s no getting around the “dead period” that started Monday. Coaches and players will be unable to communicate in-person, while a moratorium on campus visits, unofficial or official, persists for nearly a month.
That’s not to say there won’t be any Kansas football news until the dead period ends July 24, of course. Case in point: Kansas just missed out on Texas offensive tackle Willie Goodacre, who committed to Syracuse over Kansas on Monday afternoon, then added fellow offensive lineman Carter Lavrusky, from Horizon High in Arizona, Monday evening.
Plus, plenty of KU’s top targets in the class of 2024 are expected to make verbal commitments between now and late July, some with fixed dates set: linebacker Temerrick Johnson on Friday, Desert Edge (Ariz.) edge rusher Deshawn Warner on Saturday and highly touted wideout Nick Marsh on July 7, to name a few. And it’s also worth noting that not only are none of these players required to commit by the end of the summer, no verbal commitment is even close to set in stone this far ahead of signing day. So the parameters of this class are certainly subject to change over the course of the next 14-plus months.
Having said all that, here’s a sweeping look at where the recruiting class, a baker’s dozen strong, remains as KU prepares for the (relatively) dead period ahead. All star ratings are from Rivals.
Quarterback: Isaiah Marshall, Michigan, three-star, committed Feb. 2: The Jayhawks’ de facto quarterback of the future is a key part of linebackers coach Chris Simpson’s recent Detroit-area pipeline.
Running backs: Red Martel, Oklahoma, three-star, Nov. 8: KU’s first commitment of the class agreed to join the Jayhawks before his junior season was even over.
Harry Stewart III, Texas, three-star, June 13: The Frisco product ran for 1,823 yards and 14 total touchdowns between his freshman and sophomore seasons combined
Tight end: Carson Bruhn, Iowa, three-star, April 20: Bruhn went on numerous unofficial visits to KU and ended up picking the Jayhawks over Kansas State.
Offensive linemen: Kene Anene, Minnesota, unrated, June 18: The 6-foot-5, 268-pound tackle committed less than a week after receiving an offer from Kansas.
Carter Lavrusky, Arizona, three-star, June 26: The newest future Jayhawk, Lavrusky told Jon Kirby of JayhawkSlant.com Monday that during his visit over the weekend, soon after telling coach Lance Leipold he wanted to commit to KU, Lavrusky did a backflip into the coach’s swimming pool.
Harrison Utley, Oklahoma, three-star, June 11: Utley committed following his visit earlier this month and expressed a desire to help recruit the rest of the 2024 class.
Linebackers: Jonathan Kamara, Arizona, three-star, May 28: A high school safety by trade who projects as more of a linebacker at the next level, Kamara forms part of the Desert Edge group that now hopes to bring Warner aboard.
Jacorey Stewart, Georgia, three-star, June 11: Stewart tallied 87 total tackles as a junior at Milton High.
Defensive backs: Austin Alexander, Illinois, three-star, June 12: The top-rated player at his position in the state of Illinois was committed to Wisconsin until Jan. 25.
Aundre Gibson, Arizona, three-star, March 5: Gibson is the second half of the Jayhawks’ Desert Edge duo and was the first defensive player to commit for 2024.
Damani Maxson, Texas, four-star, June 18: Rivals’ highest-rated player in Kansas’ class (so far) chose to announce his commitment on Father’s Day as a tribute to his own late father.
Jalen Todd, Michigan, four-star, June 14: A high school teammate of Marshall, Todd held scholarship offers from schools in the Big Ten, Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences.
