Kansas’ future secondary got a boost on Tuesday afternoon with the commitment of safety Braiden Graves in the class of 2027.
Graves, from Bridgeland High School in Cypress, Texas, picked KU from a final group of contenders that included Houston, Iowa State, SMU, TCU and Utah, among a variety of other offers. He had visited SMU and was slated to see many of his other contenders in the months ahead, including KU from June 12-14.
But he pulled the trigger early, having previously seen KU in the winter.
“Kansas just felt like the right fit for me and my family,” Graves told Jon Kirby of JayhawkSlant.com. “The relationships I built with the coaching staff were a huge part of it, and I really believe in the direction the program is headed. It felt like a place where I could grow on and off the field.”
According to a post he made on X in December, Graves recorded 97 tackles with seven sacks, eight pass breakups, five tackles for loss, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries during his junior season at Bridgeland.
He now becomes the fifth member of the Jayhawks’ recruiting class, following most recently quarterback Chance Thomas, as well as offensive lineman Derek Gonzalez, wide receiver Deng Tong and running back Trey Stewart.
That makes Graves the first addition on defense.
“It honestly feels like a big relief,” Graves told Kirby. “I’m grateful for all the coaches who recruited me and built relationships with me during the process, but it feels good to finally be locked in and know where I’m going.”
KU did not bring in a safety as part of its 2026 class after JJ Dunnigan ended up going to Miami. In 2025 it added two in Darrion Jones and Brandon Schmelzle, but in general it is pretty experienced at safety, having replenished the position group with offseason transfers like Corey Gordon (redshirt senior), Christian Pritchett (redshirt junior) and Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman (redshirt sophomore.)
