+
KANSAN.COM
SPORTS
21
Football plan focuses on recruits from the state of Kansas
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Coach David Beaty explains the talent Kansas football signed for the 2015-16 season at a press conference on Feb. 4. Kansas football's new recruiting strategy focuses on recruits from the state of Kansas.
DEREK JOHNSON
@DJohnson1510
In 2003, a running back from Olathe North High School finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy, college football's biggest award. Standing at just 5-foot-6, Darren Sproles "grew up wanting to come [to KU] and got turned away because former coach Terry Allen considered him too small," according to KU Sports.
Instead, Sproles attended Kansas State and was the star of a team that finished 14th in the final AP Poll rankings.
In 2014, Kansas went 3-9, while Kansas State finished 9-4. The Wildcats also defeated the Jayhawks 51-13 in late November. One big difference among the teams last year was almost 39 percent of Kansas State's roster consisted of players from Kansas high schools. Only 20 percent of Kansas' roster — in total, 19 players for Kansas compared to 45 for Kansas State — hailed from the Sunflower State.
"For us to do what we really want to do we have to take care of the state of Kansas and we've started that process," Beaty said following National Signing Day. "In the future we have to continue to make those relationships count."
In his short time at Kansas, Beaty has already made recruiting the state a priority. His dedication, along with the rest of his staff, has gotten the attention of high school coaches around the state, including Bishop Miege High School coach Jon Holmes, who won the Kansas 4A-I state title last year.
"You look at some of the walk-ons
[Kansas was] able to get only in a couple short months; that's gonna help," Holmes said. "K-State's made a living doing that, and that's who you've got to beat to be the best team in the state."
As the team focuses on beating its in-state rival, Kansas football begins a new era this coming fall. Gone is former head coach Charlie Weis. Double-digit starters departed from last year's roster, 11 of whom are getting a shot in the NFL this fall. Only two teams — University of Texas at San Antonio and South Alabama — in the entire Football Bowl Subdivision return less starters.
It's an uphill battle, but Beaty leads the rebuilding of a program with just 12 wins in the last five years. Along with Beaty, the rest of the Kansas coaching staff is replenishing the Jayhawks' future roster by reaching out to every high school in Kansas.
"They were going out to western Kansas schools that I don't think KU's ever been to," Holmes said. "They're definitely dedicated to doing it."
"Over the last 20 years I've been doing this job, this is probably the most excited I been about KU trying to get out and recruit our kids," Rose Hill High School football coach Ray Boese said. "This is a new era for KU football."
The Jayhawks already have seven commitments in the 2016 recruiting class, none of whom are from the state of Kansas. Once Kansas football starts to yield the results of recruiting in-state, it could have one of its best recruiting classes in years.
The most important reason for Kansas to recruit well in-state is to help them compete against K-State
and a program that has more wins in the last two seasons than Kansas has in the last five.
Already, Holmes said, Kansas is developing bonds with many high school coaches around the state.
"They really trust what the high school coach tells them. I think
that's probably the biggest difference between this staff and the last staff," Holmes said. "They're going to ask what the coach's opinion is and if the coach likes the guy then they offer a lot quicker than they used to."
In other states, that trust has led the Jayhawks to a strong recruiting
presence. Kansas currently has more commits than Oklahoma and Texas and is ahead of K-State in current Big 12 recruiting rankings.
Beaty and Kansas football coaching staff were unavailbale for comment.