Published Nov 14, 2021
Recruits impressed with Texas win, see program improving
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Jon Kirby  •  JayhawkSlant
Publisher- Football Editor
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@jayhawkslant

The Jayhawks win over Texas grabbed a lot of national headlines and it also caught the attention of recruits. The fact Kansas was able to beat the Longhorns gave a sign to recruits the program is changing in year one under Lance Leipold.

Several recruits said they came away impressed with the win on Saturday and it shows them the program is making strides in the right direction.

We caught up with several recruits who were either watching or following the game and got their thoughts.

On Friday Kansas wide receivers coach Emmett Jones stopped by Austin Westlake High to check in on Keaton Kubecka.

“It was great for him to make a trip out to Westlake before his game means a lot,” Kubecka said. “It shows he really is interested in his recruits and wants to watch how they play in person.

“This win definitely will open a lot of eyes for recruits. You can tell Kansas is getting better and better every day. They put up a great fight with OU, then came out and beat Texas. They’re starting to gain their confidence and it’s going to be scary when they realize how good they can be."

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The win will get the attention of recruits around the country but can really make an impact on those in Texas. Kansas commit Anthony Davis watched the game and said it shows prospects the Jayhawks have potential.

Davis is one of the top cornerbacks in the Dallas area.

“It shows that we have potential to be great,” Davis said. “It shows that it just takes time but once you get all the missing pieces, we can be good. This should show that Texas players we get we have a chance to turn Kansas up.”

Camden Beebe was in Manhattan earlier in the day to watch his brother, Cooper play against West Virginia. On Saturday night he was in front of the television watching the Jayhawks. Beebe camped with the Jayhawks and took an unofficial visit for the Oklahoma game.

The offensive lineman from Piper who is getting a lot of division one interest said he can see the changes in the program.

“I can definitely see a change in the culture and energy in the program,” he said. “It shows me that all the changes and shift in the culture is finally coming together, a big win for the program and a huge step in the right direction.”

Topeka Hayden offensive lineman Joe Otting was driving back home from his visit to Iowa and said he was following the game through the Jayhawk Slant Twitter. Even thought he was not watching the game he believes it shows progress.

“It is great to see them get a big road win and it shows that the team is making progress,” Otting said. “The coaching staff is developing them to be better and better every day. It’s cool to see their hard work paying off and hopefully continue.”

James Livingston gave his commitment to the Jayhawks this summer based on knowing the staff when they were at Buffalo. He was familiar with Scott Fuchs and Scott Simpson. When the offer from Kansas came, he accepted it after an unofficial visit to Lawrence.

“I know that this program is in a state of rebuild right now but I’m very happy with the way the program is headed under this coaching staff,” he said. “I believe this program is going to get turned around.”

He said there will be more wins in the Jayhawks future.

“This game can show the fight and heart this team has and how committed we are to winning and to continue winning into the future,” Livingston said. “I feel very good about this program. Kansas has shown the foundation for a great future, and we’ve seen glimpses of it this current season.”

The Kansas staff is making a push at Mason Ellis from Mulvane. He was one of the standouts at the Kansas summer camp and earned an offer. Ellis attended the Oklahoma game and has watched the team improve since the beginning of the season.

He watched the Texas game with his mother.

“For the game I was at and watching them go back and forth with OU and then now finding a way to win against Texas shows that they've got the right tools and right people to lead the program in the right direction,” Ellis said.

Ellis is doing his research and has talked with Kansas tight end Mason Fairchild about his experience.

“I've just been getting his thoughts on the new staff and how he thinks things are going,” Ellis said. “He said he has full confidence in the new staff and believes it's heading the right direction for sure.”

He continued: “As a recruit it gets me excited to where the program is headed. I loved the gutsy play call to win the game and definitely think the program is headed in the right direction.”