Portal Recap: Seven players expected to join KU program
When the team officially reports today and starts winter conditioning with Matt Gildersleeve, there are going to be some new additions.
The Kansas coaching staff had seven spots open for early enrollees and they filled those with most of their top targets.
Here is a look at the players who will join the program this week from the transfer portal.
Kalon Gervin- Cornerback 5-11, 185, transfer Michigan State, (Detroit Cass Tech HS)
Gervin started every game for Michigan State in 2020 and the first two games of last year. He entered the portal after playing in four games and that preserved an extra year of eligibility.
When Gervin entered the portal there were several schools who offered him a scholarship. He committed to Wisconsin and appeared ready to stay in the Big 10. Then the Jayhawks entered the picture. Chris Simpson recruited him when he was at Buffalo and has strong connections in Michigan, where Gervin is from. Gervin also grew up playing football with KU players Cornell Wheeler and Rich Miller. Coming out of high school he was the number one rated player in the state and a four-star prospect by Rivals.
Eric Gilyard- Linebacker 5-11, 230, transfer Central Florida (Trinity Christian Jacksonville)
It was big news when Gilyard hit the portal because he was an impact player for Central Florida. Over the last three seasons he had 199 tackles and was among the team leaders at linebacker.
Gilyard entered the portal in September and Kansas was one of the first schools to contact him. The staff recruited him for the next two months until his official visit in December. He was on the AAC All-Academic team three straight years. PFF rated him at 75 and 84 in tackling the last two seasons. In high school he helped his team to three consecutive state titles. He was a high three-star prospect coming out of high school.
Nolan Gorczyca- Offensive line, 6-6, 300, transfer Buffalo (Omaha Roncalli Catholic)
Gorczyca did not play last year at Buffalo so he will have four years eligibility. He will be one of the most athletic linemen on the Kansas roster. Coming out of high school in Nebraska he was a five-sport athlete, something you don’t see with a 6-foot-6, 300 pound prospect. He played football, baseball, basketball, track and field, and wrestled.
Kansas offensive line coach Scott Fuchs recruited him to Buffalo and when Gorczyca went in the portal the Jayhawks moved quick to offer him. Gorczyca can play tackle or guard. He made his name at the Nebraska Shrine Bowl where coaches said he had the talent to play on Sundays. He said Kansas was an early favorite because he wanted to get back in the Midwest.
Sevion Morrison- Running back 6-0, 215, transfer Nebraska (Tulsa Edison)
The former four-star running back was recruited by Kansas out of high school. When he decided to enter the transfer portal Kansas was an immediate option because of what he heard about the program Duece and Kyle Mayberry. Morrison grew up with the Mayberry’s in Tulsa and heard positive things about Kansas.
Kansas head coach Lance Leipold and Jonathan Wallace did an in-home visit with Morrison, and he took an official visit the following weekend. At 210 pounds Morrison can run with a physical style but also uses speed and has good cutting ability. He played in seven games at Nebraska this year and scored three touchdowns.
Lonnie Phelps- Defensive End 6-3, 242, transfer Miami (OH) (Mount Healthy HS)
Phelps was one of the last players to commit during the early period but might be one of the most important. Defensive end was one of the main positions for the coaching staff after losing Kyron Johnson and Steven Parker entering the portal.
Phelps picked up an offer from Kansas the day he entered the portal on Christmas Eve. He was listed as one of the top 10 players available in the transfer portal according to Pro Football Focus. He had an impressive 91.3 pass rush grade. Phelps had 9.5 sacks and faced a lot of double teams. He narrowed his choices down to Kansas and Virginia Tech but canceled his visit to Blacksburg after he committed on his visit.
Ky Thomas- Running back, 5-11, 200, transfer Minnesota (Topeka HS)
The Jayhawks were only going to take one running back from the transfer portal but when Ky Thomas became available there was no way the staff could pass him up. When Amauri Pesek-Hickson entered the transfer portal it opened another spot for a running back and there was no better option than Thomas.
This season he led Minnesota in rushing and was the MVP of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. He finished sixth in the Big 10 in rushing. Pro Football Focus graded him rushing the ball at 76.0. The former Topeka High star ran for 7700 yards in his career and was the Gatorade Player of the Year. He was rated the second-best player in the state in the Rivals rankings coming out of high school.
Craig Young- Linebacker 6-4, 225, transfer Ohio State (Fort Wayne- Wayne HS)
Young will bring athleticism to the linebacker group. At Ohio State he played safety where he graded out with a solid 72.4 and 72.3 scores in run and pass defense. At Kansas he is expected to play the Hawk which is a hybrid position that plays in run and pass coverage. Sources told Jayhawk Slant the Ohio State coaching staff tried to talk Young out of entering the transfer portal. He was expected to be a bigger part of the Buckeye’s defense next season.
He played in all 12 games this year at Ohio State. At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds he has speed to cover receivers and is good in run support. Coming out of high school he won the sectional track meet running a 10.7 in the 100m.