Khairi Manns has ties to Kansas staff, setting official visits
The Kansas coaching staff is hoping past connections can help them in the transfer portal. The Jayhawks do not have many spots to fill this spring but have targeted Khairi (pronounced Ky-ree) Manns at defensive end.
Manns is from New York, where he played at New Rochelle High School.
When the KU staff was working at Buffalo, they recruited his high school and knew about him.
“The connection was really through my head coach and through my high school film of the Buffalo staff knowing me,” Mann said. “And then once they got the new job at Kansas, it just so happened that I entered the portal two seasons later and then they offered me. They know the type of player that they're getting. They've known me since high school.”
Manns said a lot of the early contact has been with Kansas General Manager Rob Ianello. Ianello built a relationship with his former high school coach Lou DiRienzo.
“I've talked to Coach Ianello multiple times since the portal's opened,” he said. “He was one of the first coaches to hit me up. And me knowing him before I entered the portal and before even going to college, it was natural. We were just having regular conversations. He was just checking up, seeing what I wanted in a school and he believes that Kansas could give me that.”
He has talked with defensive ends coach Taiwo Onatolu and DiRienzo was familiar with Jim Panagos.
“I talked to Coach O,” Manns said. “And my high school coach knows Coach Panagos. He's well connected because Coach Panagos was at Rutgers and Rochelle has a bunch of Rutgers players that have gone there.”
Manns was ready for a different chapter in his career after playing the last three seasons at Maine. He wanted to showcase his ability at a higher level and bet on himself that Power Five teams would see his talent.
“Honestly, I knew my value from the jump, so that's why I entered the portal,” Manns said. “I just wanted a new change coming from Maine. But it was a blessing, honestly. I'm just truly grateful for the opportunity and I'm just happy that my talents are finally being shown for what it really is.”
Since entering the portal, he picked up offers from Kansas, Colorado, Eastern Michigan, Arkansas State, and Sam Houston State.
“I’ve got some visits coming up,” he said. “I go to Kansas May 6th. I'm really excited to get out to Lawrence and see what it's like. I have been taking the visits one day at a time. I have a visit to Boulder to see Colorado. Those are the visits and I'm excited about all of my offers. But knowing Coach Ianello and the type of person that he is, I'm excited to get to know the rest of the Kansas staff.”