Published Dec 14, 2024
Laith Marjan has a connection to Kansas, excited for visit
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Jon Kirby  •  JayhawkSlant
Publisher- Football Editor
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@jayhawkslant

South Alabama transfer kicker Laith Marjan is on campus at Kansas for his official visit. Marjan is one of the highest-recruited specialists in the transfer portal after turning in a big year.

He was a semi-finalist for the Lou Groza Award and has a connection with the KU staff. Before Marjan arrived at South Alabama he was at East Carolina. While at East Carolina he was coached by Kansas special teams analyst Kyle Deween.

Deween left East Carolina to join Lance Leipold’s staff.

“You know, he's a kicking guru,” Marjan said of Deween. “He's been scouting the portal, and I think as soon as I hit the portal, I had a connection with him at East Carolina. He knows kind of the type of person I am with my work ethic.”

Marjan is coming off an impressive season where he was 16-of-17 on his field goals. His only missed field goal was in week three and he never missed another for the remainder of the year.

“I was just sticking to the simple things throughout the season,” Marjan said. “The drills, sticking with my confidence and having trust in the guys who are snapping the ball and holding the ball. Just having trust in the operation and going out there and having fun doing my job.”

Kansas made a push for Marjan shortly after he entered the transfer portal in early December. The Jayhawks offered him a scholarship and he spoke with other members of the staff including Taiwo Onatolu and Lance Leipold.

“I got a chance to speak to the head coach and Coach O a couple nights ago,” he said. “They called me and all the whole staff has been following me on Twitter. I'm definitely feeling the love. It's been great.”

Marjan has trust in the Kansas staff and believes they can help build on his past success.

“KD (Deween) really thinks that we can get that kickoff touchback percentage up,” Marjan said. “He knows to work with me on the technique. Because he used to be a specialist, and he knows the mental side of how you need to be preparing for game day. If a kicker needs space, he knows what to do, so that he can get in the right headspace. He knows all the tips and tricks because he used to be one of us.”

His flight arrived in Kansas close to midnight and he started his visit today. He wants to see the program and surrounding area with his family before leaving on Sunday.

“I'm really looking forward to seeing Lawrence,” he said. “I've never stepped foot in Kansas. So, I'm just excited to see the town and the facilities. All the coaches have talked about the top-notch facilities and how it's a really cool town. I’ve seen some pictures, and it looks beautiful.”