Published Dec 28, 2021
Kansas moved fast to offer Lonnie Phelps
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Jon Kirby  •  JayhawkSlant
Publisher- Football Editor
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@jayhawkslant

When Lonnie Phelps entered the transfer portal, Kansas was one of the first schools to start recruiting him.

Both Chris Simpson and Taiwo Onatolu contacted Phelps and started to build a relationship with the former Miami (OH) star.

“The conversation I had with the coaches was great,” Phelps said. “I feel as if they told me the facts about the school and I also felt they were honest with me. One coach that hit the head on most of the questions my family had to ask was Coach O, and I felt as if he answered my family’s questions with honesty.”

The Kansas coaches have stayed in contact with Phelps and had another call on Monday. He likes what he has heard from the coaching staff since entering the portal.

“I had a good impression because when I hopped on the phone with them after entering the portal I was hoping for some good information and also some honesty,” he said. “And like I said I felt as if I got that while on the phone with them.”

Phelps was a second team All-MAC selection this year and finished third in the conference with 9.5 sacks. He also recorded 13.5 tackles for a loss.

It did not take long for the Kansas coaches to watch his film and offer a scholarship. It has been no secret they are looking for a defensive end and pass rusher with the graduation of Kyron Johnson and Steven Parker entering the portal.

"They liked my speed, my explosiveness, my pass rushing and just what I can do and provide for the team,” he said.

“I feel that I could bring my explosiveness and pass rushing skills to any program and if anyone knows me or has heard of me, they know they do not have to question my work ethic. I don’t feel like I can be a dominant player or anything, I know that I can be a dominant player on any team that gives me the opportunity.”

There are several schools showing interest in Phelps who should be an every-down player wherever he ends up. This season he was the highest-rated player in the Pro Football Focus defensive grade card scoring an impressive 84.7 grade and a 91.3 for pass-rushing.

Phelps said once he entered the portal his notifications on Twitter and messages on his phone started right away. He is ready to showcase what he can do at another level. He knows what he is looking for and has been through the recruiting process before.

“I am looking for something better than when I left,” he said. “I am not knocking my guys on that team though because I loved the team, but I had to do what was best for me just like the coaches were doing for them.

“I am looking for something better than when I left but I am a dominant player, so I am not looking for school just to fill a depth chart and be a back-up. And that leads to one of my main questions to coaches who is your best player at my position and why do you think he is better than me?”

There are going to be a lot of phone calls and communication with coaches over the next couple weeks. Phelps can leave at semester and enroll at the school of his choice in January.

With official visits starting back up on January 14, he will have to make decisions to be on a campus shortly after.

“I have two more years of eligibility left but I plan on being somewhere possibly before spring,” Phelps said. “There’s no reason of just sitting around at home trying to find places to work out because I am not like certain people who have those resources to gyms personal trainers.

“I plan on taking a visit here soon when coaches starting to bring up visits or me and my family will just ask them the next time we are on the phone.”