Bryson Hayes took more visits to Kansas than any other school. Last spring he gave his verbal commitment to Nebraska but recently started to think more about the Jayhawks.

Two weeks ago, the wide receiver from Maize took a visit to Lawrence with his family to meet with the Kansas coaching staff. Although he remained committed to Nebraska it helped him make his final decision.

“Getting back up to Lawrence really showed me why I loved it up there,” Hayes said. “Being able to see and talk to all of the coaches and staff was great.”

After thinking about his original commitment with the Cornhuskers, Hayes decided it was time to change his verbal commitment.

“Kansas was always top of my list in recruiting,” he said. “The way they value me and always showed me how much I mean to their program really means a lot.”

He informed the Nebraska coaches of his decision and gave the KU staff his commitment. A big part of that was the relationship he built with them and receivers coach Terry Samuel.

“Coach Samuel was always my guy, and I can't wait to learn from him throughout my career,” Hayes said. “They backed everything they said up by never stopping communication and always seeing how I was doing. They would always show me how they plan on using me and how I fit into their offensive plans.”

Hayes visited Kansas last spring for the basketball game against Kansas State. It was his eighth unofficial visit to Lawrence and after that visit he told Jayhawk Slant he liked how the coaching treated his family.

“Every time I go back, I love all the coaches there,” Hayes said after the visit. “They show tremendous respect to me and my family. The game experience was great. Obviously, against the rival K-State and the crowd was going to be pumping and it definitely was. I got to talk to Leipold at halftime, so that was good to see him again.”

Hayes has over 2000 receiving yards in his career and 23 touchdowns. He will join former high school teammate Bryce Cohoon, and he is looking forward to being a Jayhawk.

“Staying in state and playing for your home state school means a lot,” Hayes said. “Knowing my state will have my back and knowing I will be able to play with Kansas on my chest is exciting for sure. I can't wait to get the new stadium jumping on Saturdays. Rock Chalk.”

The Jayhawks lose their top four receivers after this season. This was an important position, and Hayes becomes the third receiver to commit in the 2025 class. He is ranked among the top 10 players in the state according to the Rivals.com updated rankings.