Drew Pickett has Kansas in top five, plans to visit again

The Jayhawks made the top five list for Drew Pickett when the highly recruited running back announced his top five.

Pickett, who ran for 835 yards as a junior and averaged over 5.7 yards a carry, has been talking to Kansas running backs coach Jonathan Wallace for a long time. Wallace started recruiting Pickett early last year and has been a big reason the Jayhawks were on his list.

“We have a great relationship,” Pickett said. “Me and Coach Wallace talk all the time, whether it's about football, life, anything, really. That's just somebody I can go to and talk it up with. We've been building this relationship for quite a while now, since about March of last year.”

Wallace first saw Pickett researching running back film and watched what he did in seven-on-seven. After watching more film from his sophomore year, Wallace extended a scholarship offer.

“Coach Wallace said that I can make people miss, that I’m a multipurpose back, I can catch out of the back field, read blocks well and a good blocker,” Pickett said. “He just likes that I can be used in multiple different situations.”

Last fall Pickett made the trip from Alabama to Lawrence to take in a football game and spend more time around the coaching staff.

“The staff made it feel very welcoming,” Pickett said. “They welcomed me with open arms, showed me the campus, showing me everything what Kansas was about and just made it feel really at home.”

When Pickett announced his top five Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Michigan State joined the Jayhawks on the list.

He currently holds over 15 division one scholarships and after narrowing his list can focus on his top schools.

“It's been a great experience,” he said. “I'm very blessed to be in the situation that I'm in and it's going pretty good so far. I narrowed down my top five. I'm looking to take a couple visits here in the spring and into the summer. And then after that, hopefully narrow it down even further.”

Pickett, who is an honor roll student, said he will be looking at the fit of each school when he starts to trim his list.

“A school I will fit in and a place that feels like home,” he said. “I’m looking for a place that I'm comfortable in and just learning about how I'll be used in the offense.”

When asked if he would make a return visit to Kansas he replied, “Yes sir, I will.”