KU lands Malachi Curvey, one of the top recruits in Iowa
The Jayhawks are on the board again in the 2025 class. The Kansas staff landed their second commitment of the class when Malachi Curvey announced this afternoon he committed to the Jayhawks.
Curvey, one of the top three players in Iowa, took several unofficial visits to Kansas starting in the summer. During those visits and conversations, he built a good relationship with the coaching staff.
“KU was the pick because from the jump it felt like home,” Curvey said. “From the people, the staff, the players, everything is to like. I like the direction Kansas is going as well from being an 0-9 team to a 9-4 team with a bowl game win. Everyone thinks of basketball when it comes to Kansas, but I want to be a part of the people that continue to make it a football school as well.”
Curvey visited campus in the summer and went through camp. He returned during the season to watch the Kansas State football game and again for the Missouri basketball game. He got to watch two of the best atmospheres in November and December.
“The atmosphere was crazy,” he said of the Kansas State game. “I chose the KU vs KSU game on purpose because I knew the game would be electric. The atmosphere was the craziest atmosphere I've been in for a basketball game in a long time. The crowd was louder than I was expecting coming into the game. At certain points it was almost deafening.”
He built a good bond with the staff including Scott Fuchs and Chris Simpson. Fuchs recruits his area and Simpson coaches the linebackers.
“I've built an amazing relationship with Coach Simpson and Coach Fuchs mostly, but I have good relationships with the entire staff and Coach Leipold,” Curvey said.
He is currently rated among the nation’s best tight end prospects, but his updated ranking will switch to defense. Some schools recruited him on offense but his future at Kansas will be on the defensive side.
“For now, I will start at linebacker,” he said. “Most schools were looking at me for edge/outside backer and some tight end. I prefer the offensive side, but I feel like defense comes more natural.”
During his visits to Kansas, it gave him an opportunity to watch the coaching staff and learn how they work together.
“The visits were great at Kansas,” he said. “Things that stood out to me are just the way the staff works as a whole. They are all real people and care about their athletes. On top of that the new renovations will be done when I get there too. What really stood out to me is they are a grind it out from the bottom program and they know what it takes to get to the top.”
Curvey had offers from Kansas, Iowa State, Missouri and Kansas State. He said his final three came down to KU, Iowa State and Missouri. He called the Kansas coaches to tell them about his decision.
“The coaches were crazy excited,” he said. “They called the next day and the entire staff wanted to say congrats and thank you for choosing KU.”
The last year Curvey took several visits including KU, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri, and Michigan State. He made his commitment a month away from his birthday and felt he was ready to decide.
“It feels amazing to be almost completely stress free,” Curvey said. “I get to try and perfect my craft and play my senior season without having to think about where I'm going. It truly feels amazing and I'm more than blessed.”