Kansas checked everything on Keaton Kubecka's list
Keaton Kubecka just announced his commitment to the University of Kansas, which would give the Jayhawks one of the best wide receiver classes in recent years.
Kubecka took his official visit this weekend to Lawrence and was sold on the program. It was the second time he has been to KU and his official visit was all he needed to see.
He arrived home on Sunday and wanted to go over everything with his family.
“Right when I got back, I sat down with my mom, because she wasn't able to go,” Kubecka said. “She knew I was going to commit, but she didn't want me to do it without her because she wasn't there. So, I told the coach and staff, ‘Let me just get home and talk.’ We got home, and the second I got home, we were like, ‘All right. Let's call them.’”
Kubecka reached out to the Kansas coaches to give them the good news shortly after he arrived back home. He talked with Lance Leipold, Terrence Samuel, and Andy Kotelnicki.
“They loved it and they were excited,” he said. “They're one of the best coaching staffs. They've been with me since the very beginning. They were my very first offer, so it really shows me that they stuck with me the whole time.
“I felt like I was needed there, and they were super stoked about it. Coach K got all excited. He's one of my favorite coaches. Coach Samuel and Coach Leipold were excited.”
There were several schools recruiting Kubecka. But the Kansas coaches built a strong relationship with him and were at the top of the list. Kubecka wanted to see more of the program on his official visit and got his answer all the way down to the living setup in the dorms.
“I really just went in with a checklist of things I needed to see, and I was blown away,” he said. “It was more than I even thought it could be. Every little part of it from the facilities, nutrition plans, and the dorms. Something that was cool is the players gets their own bathroom in the dorms.”
When Kansas first offered Kubecka, Emmett Jones was the receivers coach. Kubecka said when Samuel was hired, they started talking his first day on the job.
“Me and Coach Samuel have a really good connection and just bond,” Kubecka said. “He came and visited Westlake not that long ago. I’ve had the chance to talk to him a lot and just see what type of coach he was. I really like him a lot. And then I’ve been talking to Coach Leipold a lot. It's just been great.”
Kubecka plays for Westlake High in Austin, which is one of the elite high school football programs in the nation. Last season they were ranked second in the national polls and have won three, straight state titles.
Making the decision to commit to the Jayhawks takes off stress from recruiting and allows him to focus on the rest of the summer with his team.
“It's really relieving I don't have to worry about it anymore,” he said. “During the season, it's straight focus on Westlake football, winning the last state championship I can. It is a good feeling to commit to Kansas. I feel comfortable.”
Kubecka joins Surahz Buncom and Jarred Sample on the commitment list at receiver. That gives the Jayhawks one of their best receiver recruiting classes dating back 12 years.