KU coaches continue to build relationship with Joe Otting

During the open recruiting period Lance Leipold made several stops to local high schools to visit with coaches and build relationships.

One of Leipold’s stops was Topeka Hayden to check in on Joe Otting. Kansas offered Otting a scholarship last year and have been heavily recruiting him since they arrived in May.

Leipold and several of the Kansas coaches spent a Friday evening watching Otting play basketball.

“It was very cool,” Otting said. “It means a lot to see Fuchs, Kotelnicki, and Leipold to spend their Friday coming to one of my games. It was a cool sight to see.”

Otting has received the headlines for his play on the offensive line, but he is having a good junior year on the court. He recently helped Hayden advance to the state tournament where they will face Eudora in the first round.

He has shown some of his ability on the basketball court that does not always show up on football film.

“Basketball has been really fun and exciting,” Otting said. “It’s been cool having coaches come to games and for me to show case skills you can’t see on the field.”

The KU coaches have made a strong effort to recruit local players. According to the Rivals database the Kansas staff has offered more players in Kansas and Missouri than any other school.

Otting has noticed their attempts to increase the level of interest for local players.

“I’ve seen the change in recruiting be more local and that’s really important since they have not done that in the past,” he said. “Props to the new staff for changing recruiting.”

Offensive line coach Scott Fuchs has been the lead recruiter for Otting, and he also recruits the Topeka area. Otting took his first visit to Kansas last summer and the two have been building a relationship.

“I talk with Fuchs the most, it’s been going well,” Otting said. “We are building more and more of a relationship every time we talk. So, it’s been good.”

Otting said he plans to visit Kansas, Iowa, Kansas State, Iowa State, Missouri and Nebraska in the upcoming months. He is going to have a lot of options and hopes to know his college destination before the start of his final season.

“I’m hoping to be finished with it before my senior year, but we’ll just see what happens,” he said. “I’m looking for where my best fit will be, and the relationships is a big part in it as well as education.”