Marshon Oxley building relationship with Chidera Uzo-Diribe

The Kansas staff has landed recruits from California the last two years. Now, they are working ahead hoping to make it three in a row.

The Jayhawks were one of the first two offers for Marshon Oxley, a defensive end from Inglewood, Calif. They extended an offer to Oxley after his sophomore season last December.

“The coaches reached out to my high school and asked about my film,” he said. “Coach (Diribe) liked how I played in some games. That's what my coach told me, and Kansas offered. I was real happy because that was my second offer. So yeah, I was real excited.”

Kansas outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe is recruiting Oxley and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Uzo-Diribe is from California and has a lot of contacts there.

A lot of the communication has been done through social media and text messaging.

“He sent me pictures of me in the jerseys,” Oxley said. “We’ve talked about playing games. He talked to me about being in the weight room and how I should stay on my grind. We are starting to talk about the school but most everything has been about football.”

Oxley’s first two offers have come from Colorado and Kansas. That’s something that stands out with him as his recruiting process is underway.

“It means a lot, it really does,” he said “I didn't expect to get offered this soon. I didn't even think I was really good enough. I just thank God those schools offered me.”

Oxley, who plays defensive end, put on 20 pounds in a year. He went from 195 to 215 and Uzo-Diribe has talked to him about his continued success in the weight room.

“He (Uzo-Diribe) said he liked my technique and my ability to rush the quarterback,” Oxley said “He said he likes how hard it is for me to get blocked. He told me that's what he liked and that I just need to be in a weight room more.

“That was my first year of varsity so I wasn't really that big, but more in the off season my body started to develop and he likes that too. He said he can see I'm working on my craft and I'm trying to get better.”

Oxley said he will factor in academics along with football when he makes his future choice. He said academics are important and find a school where he can play early.