The Kansas football team is still just over two months away from assembling its 2023 team for fall camp, but its coaches are already far along in the process of shaping the 2024 squad.
The Jayhawks secured their fifth commitment in the 2024 freshman class Sunday, beating out 12 other Division I schools, including Big 12 foes Iowa State, Kansas State and Texas, for the services of Jonathan Kamara. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound defensive standout has played plenty of safety during his tenure at Desert Edge High School in Goodyear, Ariz., but could project as a linebacker at the next level. Kamara mentioned both KU defensive backs coach Jordan Peterson and linebackers coach Chris Simpson in his offer and commitment posts on Twitter.
“My experience around the staff was great,” Kamara told Jon Kirby of JayhawkSlant.com. “They kept reaffirming me that I was their guy and that they wanted me there. Some signs that told me I was ready to commit was my comfort level with the staff and just how much they wanted me.”
Kamara is the second defensive player to commit to KU in the class, joining Aundre Gibson, a three-star cornerback and fellow Desert Edge product. Gibson tweeted approvingly after Kamara’s announcement: “We got the city on notice.”
The Jayhawks may not be done plundering Goodyear, either, as additional three-star Scorpions Kezion Dia-Johnson, a wide receiver, and Deshawn Warner, an edge rusher, both announced offers from KU back in January, at the same time Gibson initially had. All three wrote on Twitter that they had been recruited by Peterson. As of May 20, KU still ranked among Warner’s top four schools.
For Kamara’s part, he told JayhawkSlant.com that he committed following an unofficial trip to Lawrence, even with an official visit pending in late June.
“It feels great to make the commitment because that’s where I want to be,” he told Kirby. “I feel less stressed because I found the perfect match for me.”
KU will undoubtedly alter its stable of safeties and linebackers further by the time Kamara arrives on campus; however, based on the Jayhawks’ current roster, the group of safeties who will still have eligibility in 2024 figures to include Marvin Grant, O.J. Burroughs, Jalen Dye, Mason Ellis, Kaleb Purdy and Landon Nelson. The linebacking corps could feature some combination of Taiwan Berryhill Jr., Jayson Gilliom, Tristian Fletcher, Donovan Gaines, Krishawn Brown, JB Brown, Dylan Downing, Alex Raich, Cole Mondi and Cornell Wheeler.
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