Kenean Caldwell fills a major need on the defensive line

The Kansas staff is coming off a big weekend in recruiting and one of the commitments came from a position of major need in the 2020 class.

Kenean Caldwell was one of the big surprises over the weekend. Caldwell was the only commitment from the weekend who wasn’t on an official visit. He made the trek from Louisiana with his parents to check out the Kansas program and paid their way.

He arrived Friday and by the time he arrived back home on Saturday night he called Kwahn Drake and Les Miles to tell them he wanted to be a Jayhawk.

“I talked about it with my parents,” he said. “They thanked God and believed Kansas is the right place for me. They said they wanted me there (at Kansas).”

He looked to the advice of his parents Kendall and Kemberlie Brown, and Kewanda Caldwell.

At 6-foot-2, 305 pounds Caldwell is one of the missing pieces of the 2020 class, which is filling up by the day. He is disruptive from his defensive line position and active for a player his size.

“Coach Drake told me I’m explosive, have strong hands and I’m quick,” Caldwell said. “He told me I have good hip flexibility.”

The Kansas coaches weren’t the only ones to recognize his ability. He had offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, TCU, Texas A&M, and Oregon among many others.

It was Drake who won him over and meeting with Miles on his visit helped sell the Jayhawks.

“There are two reasons that I committed to Kansas,” Caldwell said. “One would be Coach Drake and the other is Coach Miles. I talked about it with my family and we all felt this would be the right decision for me.”

Caldwell can still take his official visit to Kansas that would likely come later in the season. He went to Lawrence with the thought they were the school on top of list. Drake is from Louisiana and the two were able to connect from the beginning.

“I knew I was going to like it up there,” he said. “Coach Drake is a really cool dude. Ever since he got the job that Kansas, he has recruited players from The Boot. He offered me a scholarship and ever since then we just clicked.

“I liked the campus but what really stood out to me was that commitment they have to make me better on and off the field.”