Akili Hubbard picks Kansas, will sign on Wednesday

Akili Hubbard had an idea what he wanted to do before his official visit to Kansas.

Kansas defensive coordinator Brian Borland recruited Hubbard and was the first coach to extend him an offer. Other offers came in after the Jayhawks, but he remembered the offer from KU.

This weekend Hubbard visited Lawrence and gave the coaching staff good news before he left campus.

“I knew I wanted to go there, and I committed,” Hubbard said. “I was in the office with Coach Lance and other people in the office. He said, ‘Are you ready to be a KU Jayhawk?” I said, ‘yes sir.’ I walked out to the office, and everybody was everybody was just like popping out to see me.”

The fact Kansas was the first to offer stood out to Hubbard. He said the Oregon State coaches met with him the day before he left for his visit, but he is solid on the Jayhawks.

Borland made a trip to Golden West to evaluate Hubbard and met with him. Kansas signed Alex Raich from Golden West last year and had connections to their program. He spent more time with Borland on the visit and learned more about the defense.

“I met him when he came up to my school,” Hubbard said. “We had hung out already. On the visit he was the same dude, same guy. He's chill.”

Hubbard is an interesting story. When he arrived at Golden West, he played defensive end. Head coach Nick Mitchell, who is a defensive back coach, took him on defense. They moved him to safety, and he kept improving every year. Mitchell said they had four safeties who had division one offers.

This season everything clicked for Hubbard, and he learned the position to a point where Mitchell could see his growth.

“The kid has a ton of upside because his best football without a doubt is still ahead of him,” Mitchell said. “He's still just kind of learning the game, but he's very intelligent out there in the meeting room.”

At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds he has the frame division one coaches look for. Add in the fact he learned how to play safety after being a defensive end and offensive lineman.

“I have played about every position,” Hubbard said. “I even played offensive line. When I moved to safety, I was soaking everything up like a sponge. It wasn’t that hard because I have played so many different positions and made the switch a lot.”

Hubbard said he plans to sign with Kansas on Wednesday.

“Oregon State was trying to get me,” he said. “They met with me the day before my flight to Kansas. But I am committed to Kansas and that’s where I am going.”