When spring football starts the Kansas staff is expecting to host several visitors. One of the will be Daniel Howard from Lane Tech in Chicago.

The defensive lineman has been talking with Kansas assistant coach Jim Panagos and plans to take more than one visit.

“When I first met Coach Panagos I knew our relationship would be great in the future because he was an easy guy to talk to,” Howard said. “We got our relationship to where it’s at now by texting keeping in contact with each other almost every day.”

Howard said he plans to visit Kansas this spring to watch practice and then return in the summer for an official visit.

“When I visit I’m looking for how I can fit in at this school and if I can and will all of my effort I put in on the field be shown and expressed,” he said. “I want to see what it’s like during football and outside of football. My mindset is always if I wasn’t playing football would I want to go to this school.”

Howard has locked in his official visit date for June 13 and the two trips to Lawrence will give him a better picture of the Jayhawks program.

Panagos has told Howard that Kansas would be a good fit.

“He has told me that the program is that it’s something where you can’t just play football you have to be a great student as well behind football,” Howard said. “He has also told me how the coaching staff and him are brutally honest and keep it real with me no matter what.”

Panagos liked Howard’s film and how physical he is in the run game. There are several other schools showing interest and many have offered scholarships. He plans to take other visits this spring.

“Recruiting gives me a variety of opportunities to see where I fit but I am definitely ready to make that decision after all of my spring visits,” he said. “Spring visits I have coming up are Iowa State, Wisconsin, Toledo, Northern Illinois, the University of Iowa and more.”

He will have options when it comes down to choosing a school. He has a checklist of things that are important to him.

“The most important things are definitely again the great relationship I can maintain with a coach, if I fit into the school and with the players,” he said. “If I would love the school non-football wise, and lastly a place that would let me love the game of football.”