With recruiting nothing is ever finalized until a player signs. But following the commitment lists can usually give you a good idea how a school is doing.

The 2026 high school recruiting season is getting ready to enter the stage where recruits take official visits.

The Kansas coaching staff is off to what might be the best start they have ever seen. Since Rivals.com tracked recruiting in 1999, the Jayhawks have never experienced the start to a class like they are putting together.

A commitment is non-binding and head coach Lance Leipold acknowledged that when Jayhawk Slant asked him about the early success.

“We can't talk specifically as you know (about a recruit),” Leipold said. “As we go through it, we’ve got some time yet before they sign. We got to keep working at it. But I think a lot of things, I think our staff's done a good job working at it.”

Kansas moved out to a fast start and currently has the second most commitments behind USC. The Trojans have 15 commitments and KU has 13. The Jayhawks class ranks seventh in the national rankings.

The class spans seven states and the strength in numbers has come from local recruits.

Eight prospects who have given their verbal commitments are local players. The staff has landed seven players from the Sunflower State including Tyren Parker (WR), Kaden Snyder (OL), Josh Galbreath (LB), Hunter Higgins (DE), Nate Sims (WR), JJ Dunnigan JR. (DB) and Jaylen Mason (QB).

They have also tapped into the Kansas City area on the Missouri side to get a commitment from Jack Utz, one of the top players in the state.

Outside the region they have commitments from DE Draeden Punt (Iowa), WR Corbin Glasco (Texas), OL Malachi Mills (Indiana), and DB Trey Brown (California).

The quick start to recruiting has put the staff in unfamiliar territory heading into April. In some situations, they have informed recruits they have filled the scholarships at their position.

“It's been exciting and as you kind of go through this process,” he said. “But you know, we're at a point already telling some guys that we're filled at their position, and we have to turn a couple away, which is tough this early. But it's exciting. Our personnel staff, our assistant coaches, I think everybody's put a good emphasis on it and it's given us a good chance.”

Leipold said their early success could be traced to several factors including stadium renovations, winning high profile games on TV last season, and relationships they built with recruits.

“I think the last couple seasons and where we've gone and even how we played in that last part of the season I think helped us,” Leipold said. “And of course the facilities have shown that this program has a chance to be consistently a winner, and the relationships were able to jump start early out of the gate.

“Transfers that came here from Power Four schools talked about things that we have that weren't at their (previous) school. The qualities of the new things that we've been able to add, I think the stadium, and everything is going to be another added bonus and will continue to pay dividends with our current players as well as the future.”