Early on in head coach David Beaty’s third season at the University of Kansas, the football program continues to make strides on the all-important recruiting front.
Over the course of the past several days, Beaty and his staff learned four different prep prospects and one junior college talent included KU in their shortlists of schools up for consideration.
The first came from Mississippi prep defensive end **Deuntra Hyman**, rated a 3-star prospect in the Class of 2018 by Rivals. While the 6-foot-5, 235-pound lineman from Meridian, Miss., made it clear in his tweet he was still open to other offers, he announced he would be “taking a closer look” at Ole Miss, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Louisville, Purdue and KU.
Another high school defensive end evaluating the Jayhawks at this juncture is Blue Springs (Mo.) lineman **Daniel Parker Jr.** Rivals’ 10th-best rising senior in the state of Missouri also has three stars next to his name. Parker announced via Twitter his top 10 finalists (in no specific order): Nebraska, Missouri, Memphis, Arizona State, Iowa State, Minnesota, Central Florida, Kentucky, Iowa and Kansas.
The [defensive line trend][1] on KU’s recruiting front included a junior college defensive tackle at Copiah-Lincoln Community College (Miss.), **Jonathan Lolohea**. Rated a three-star juco prospect by Rivals, Lolohea posted on Twitter that his recruitment remains open but he currently has a top four of KU, Kansas State, Washington State and TCU.
Add two more potential “Louisianimals” to the list of players contemplating KU in associate head coach Tony Hull’s home state of Louisiana.
Marreo safety **Lance Robinson** on Tuesday tweeted he, too, is open to further recruitment but listed a current top eight of K-State, KU, SMU, Tulane, Washington State, South Carolina, Arizona and Memphis. Currently un-rated by Rivals, Robinson, a rising senior at De La Salle High, is rated a three-star prospect by Scout and 247 Sports.
Late Wednesday morning, another KU recruiting target from The Pelican State, New Orleans defensive end **Josh Smith**, posted on Twitter he is focusing on a top six of Houston, Tulane, Arkansas State, Ball State, Colorado State and KU — and is still open to hearing from other programs. Smith, listed at 6-foot-4 and 247 pounds, is a three-star strong-side end according to Rivals. He also happens to be the Landry-Walker High classmate of the Jayhawks’ two most talented commits in the Class of 2018, receiver Devonta Jason and cornerback Corione Harris.
KU currently has secured nine commitments for [its 2018 class][2], which Rivals ranks No. 23 in the nation.
https://twitter.com/lajoshhh/status/867422534236385280
https://twitter.com/LanceR7_/status/867163990652276736
For those who were wondering… pic.twitter.com/bvJwXmE2LO
— Jonathan Pono Lolohea (@Pono_Lolohea) May 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/LuhhDaniel/status/866752593195929600
https://twitter.com/DeuntraHyman/status/865721650507108354
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/smithology/2017/may/9/ku-football-targeting-lsu-commit-jayhawk/
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/football/recruiting/2018/
