The Kansas football team continues to bolster its depth in the trenches via the transfer portal, and on Thursday it earned the commitment of North Dakota State transfer Javier Derritt for the upcoming season.
The native of Warrensburg, Misouri, who attended St. Thomas Aquinas in Overland Park, played five seasons as a defensive tackle for the Bison and will spend his last year of eligibility with the Jayhawks.
Derritt told Jon Kirby of JayhawkSlant.com that he’s paid attention to the program’s transformation since he was in high school.
“I’ve seen how good they are, and it just seemed like something I would definitely want to be a part of and close to home,” he said.
Derritt tallied 31 total tackles and 2.5 sacks for the Bison in 2023, including six tackles (two solo) and a pair of sacks against Montana in the Football Championship Subdivision semifinal on Dec. 16. Over his last three seasons as a major contributor at NDSU, he tallied an average of five tackles per loss each year.
JayhawkSlant reported he visited USC as well as Missouri; he also had reported offers from schools such as Cal, Michigan State and Minnesota. But he opted instead for KU and the vision presented by position coach Jim Panagos.
“I feel like he can make me into a really good D-lineman and help me with my goals of reaching the NFL,” he told Kirby. “They have an awesome plan for me, and I know it will raise my ceiling potential. I think that’s going to be good for me in the long run.”
The 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive tackle fits well into KU’s 2024 plans, particularly after the Jayhawks lost Gage Keys to the transfer portal. He should see immediate playing time in a rotation headlined by Tommy Dunn Jr. and DJ Withers.
He is the fifth player the Jayhawks have added in the transfer portal, after DeShawn Hanika (Iowa State), Devin Dye (Utah State), Dylan Wudke (Youngstown State) and most recently Shane Bumgardner (Tiffin).