Kansas continued to add to its defensive backfield on Tuesday afternoon when D.J. Graham II, a veteran cornerback who previously played at Utah State and Oklahoma, announced his plans to join the Jayhawks.
Graham will be a sixth-year senior in 2025 after spending four years with the Sooners and one with the Aggies. In his most recent season at USU, he started nine games and played in 12 total with a strong Pro Football Focus grade of 69.4, 42 tackles, three forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions.
The native of Fort Worth, Texas, has played in 40 games throughout his career, which included a dramatic one-handed interception against Nebraska when he was a starting corner for OU in 2021, a move to wide receiver (a position he played in high school) during the 2022 season and then an injury that caused him to miss 2023.
The addition of Graham gives KU another corner with power-conference bona fides after the Jayhawks added Alabama transfer Jahlil Hurley, a less experienced but quite promising option, on Sunday. It also means more fresh talent for newly appointed defensive backs coach Brandon Shelby to work with, along with returnees like Damarius McGhee, who brought big-time experience of his own but has struggled to stay healthy, and Jalen Todd, one of KU’s highest-rated recent prospects who saw significant time as a true freshman.
Graham’s commitment quickly followed the reported addition of Bowling Green linebacker Joseph Sipp Jr. on Tuesday, and he is the sixth transfer overall to join the Jayhawks on defense.
AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
