Dalton Knapp likes the development of players in the Kansas program
Dalton Knapp got his first look at the Kansas football program in the spring, and he is looking forward to a return trip in June for an official visit.
Knapp, a defensive end from All Saints Episcopal in Fort Worth, visited Kansas near the end of spring football. He watched the team practice and met with the coaching staff.
He liked what he saw from the structure and organization during practice.
“When I was there for practice was, I saw how intense they practice and just how fast moving it is,” Knapp said. “There's no like wasted movements at all. Everything has a reasoning.”
Knapp was focused on the defensive ends and how Taiwo Onatolu worked with his group. One thing he took away from the visit was the development of players in the program.
“Coach Leipold and his staff really stood out,” he said. “I like how straightforward they are and the development of their program and also the strength staff. I saw how advanced they are and how technical every little thing is to them and how they build the program.”
After the practice he visited with Onatolu and defensive coordinator Brian Borland.
“When I was eating lunch with the coaches, I could tell just how personable they were,” Knapp said. “It was like they were just regular people. They were just so cool, and we weren't even talking about football. I could just talk to them and they're genuine people.”
He had a chance to learn more about the Jayhawks strength and conditioning program talking with Matt Gildersleeve. He learned how detailed their plan is for each player.
Knapp will return to Lawrence for an official visit on June 21. His spring visit was a one-day trip, and he will get more details about the school and program this summer.
“I would like to see more of the campus and meet some more of the players that go there,” he said. “I want to talk to some of the athletes and just get to know them better.”
Knapp said he visited TCU, UTEP, North Texas, Utah and Texas Tech. He has official visits planned to Kansas and Utah.
“What I’m looking for is a good, stable program,” he said. “For example, at Kansas the head coach and staff have been together for a long time. They're all bought in, and they're not going anywhere. And also look at the developmental side, who they put out. They just had a defensive end who was drafted. That looks real good. So definitely just how sturdy the program is, and development are the two biggest things for me.”