Picking Kansas on Father's Day has a special meaning for Damani Maxson
For the second time in a week the Jayhawks have added a four-star player om defense. Moments ago, Damani Maxson, a safety prospect from Clear Lake High in Texas announced his commitment to Kansas.
Maxson took an unofficial visit to Kansas in April and followed that with an official visit over the weekend.
He took two trips to Kansas and when he left it was the people in the program that caught his attention.
“The biggest thing that stood out to me, quite frankly, that didn't stand out to me the first time, were the people,” Maxson said. “I got a chance to be able to get in with the players and really get to talk to some of the coaches on a deeper level. I really got to tell my plan and what I have planned for the future and how I can contribute to the team.”
Another angle for Maxson was spending time around the players. His host was safety Taylor Davis, who plays safety and is from Missouri City. The two live 20 minutes apart and have a lot in common.
“I just felt like I was at home when I was with the current team there,” Maxson said. “I clicked with them immediately. They were cool. I vibed with them immediately. They were amazing. They showed me nothing but love and it was a great time.”
The players sold Maxson they have something special building at Kansas.
“The biggest thing that everybody really told me was, ‘We're building something here,’” Maxson said. “I already knew Kansas was building something, so for the team that's currently there that they know they're building something, they know they're going somewhere, I like that. They know that they’re on a steady grind.”
Kansas assistant Jonathan Wallace recruits the area and Brian Borland was involved a lot in the recruiting. The official visit gave Maxson time to be around them coaching staff.
“Oh man, they’re amazing, man,” he said. “They're my guys. I’ve never got a chance to really vibe with coaches like that before even being coached by them. I never really got to know a coach on a personal level before, being coached by somebody. So being able to do that before walking in or before coming in here, I feel like that's a good thing to start off with, build that relationship.”
Making his decision public on Father’s Day has a special meaning for Maxson. He could have picked any day to announce his college, but he wanted to honor his late father.
“My father passed in October of 2021,” Maxson said. “I started playing tackle football with him. We would always go out and go to the park and train. I would play quarterback and he'd play receiver and do some routes and I'll go throw it to him. We always grinded for this. He always helped me get to where I wanted to come. He knew this was my dream. He always helped me to get here.”
Maxson knows his father would be proud of him continuing his football career at the next level.
“We butted heads a lot,” Maxson said. “We did. But man, I miss him a lot. I know how important this is for him and for us as a family. So, man, I just know he'd be so proud of me, especially since the way everything has happened, the way my life has been, the way my story is going through, it has been a tough journey.”
Maxson held offers through his recruiting process from Georgia, Arkansas, LSU, Oklahoma, USC and several other Power Five programs. He said he went through a lot along the way, but happy his journey is taking him to Kansas.
“I never thought it would be possible,” he said. “It was always a dream, but I always thought it'd be something I'd be reaching for and couldn't reach. So, to really get here, and as much as I grind, as much as I work, as much as I cried, as much as I bled, man, I love the game of football and to be able to commit to the game like this and be able to commit to KU, it means a lot to me. And I know how much it would mean to my dad.”