The Jayhawks were looking for help at defensive end in the transfer portal and they got it signing Caleb Redd.

Redd spent one year at Kentucky before entering the portal. The Jayhawks had a good scouting report on him since they offered a scholarship when he was coming out of De Smet High School. Redd visited Kansas his senior season.

When he entered the portal the Jayhawks moved quickly, and defensive ends coach Taiwo Onatolu already had a relationship with him.

“I had a good relationship with Coach O out of high school,” Redd said. “He’s a great coach and a great guy who can show me how to be a great man life outside of football. They recruited me out of high school, and I already built a great relationship with the coaching staff. I felt really close and connected to them.”

Redd had offers from Oregon, Oklahoma, USC, Nebraskan Kansas State and several other programs before signing with Kentucky. He redshirted last season giving him four years of eligibility at Kansas. Being in Kentucky’s strength program he added weight and is close to 240 pounds.

“My one year at Kentucky I feel like it took my game to the next level,” he said. “I worked with Coach White, who is a smart coach there and got my football IQ better. I learned a lot and got a lot more explosive and way stronger.”

Sources told Jayhawk Slant the Kentucky coaches tried to convince Redd to stay at the school and not enter the portal. They lost a couple pass rushers and had another enter the portal and it was believed he would be in line to play as a redshirt freshman.

But he wanted a fresh start and liked what the Kansas program offered.

“My relationship with them (KU) ultimately lead to me wanting to play for them,” he said. “The facilities were beautiful. They upgraded the strength and condition program is on point with a lot of development in there.”

Redd said he likes the fact he will be playing closer to home and in a program he believes that will help him be successful.