Anterio Thompson will take an official visit to Kansas
Anterio Thompson has been a long-time target of the Kansas coaches. They started recruiting him in the spring and offered him a scholarship.
The defensive tackle from Iowa Western visited Kansas for their home opener against Tennessee Tech.
“I went into the weight room, and they told me about the new technology they got,” Thompson said of his KU visit. “I got to step on the field and see the environment. I got a golf cart ride around the campus and got to see the area. Just getting to talk to the head coach, and him talking about how much of an impact I can have on the team. If I were to join the program and what they're doing with the program right now.”
Kansas defensive tackles coach Jim Panagos started recruiting Thompson in March and he earned an offer shortly after. He said there were several phone calls and FaceTime calls with the Kansas staff. Offensive line coach Scott Fuchs recruits the area and helped get the initial recruiting started.
Thompson liked what he heard from Leipold during his visit.
“He says I could be a very big part and a big help to their program,” Thompson said. “And plus, they gave me my first offer. They were the first team that believed in me. So just going to watch that game and meeting with the coaches and stuff was good to meet all of them.”
He has followed the program since the first game of the season and watched KU get off to a 5-3 start where they were ranked in the top 25 for three weeks.
“It's awesome,” he said. “People came into the season not thinking about Kansas because the history and records of last couple seasons. Just for them to beat some really good teams, shows that he's (Leipold) really helping the program. He's really putting the program to the right path. And hopefully, I can come in, if that is the school that I'm choosing, and continue to succeed.”
Thompson set an official visit to Kansas for the November 18th weekend when they play Texas. He wanted to set up an official visit after meeting with Panagos and Leipold on his unofficial visit.
“Me and Coach P have been talking,” he said. “We were staying in touch and talking for a month about a visit. When I went up there the first time, I felt like that could be home. I felt the love and excitement from the coaches, and I got to meet the whole coaching staff.”
Thompson currently has offers from 18 division one programs. He is from Hempstead, Iowa and his most recent offer came from Iowa. He plans to make his decision in December, and he will graduate at the end of the semester.