Schoonover makes quick contact with Domonique Orange

When Les Miles hired Jake Schoonover last week the plan was to start using his local connections. Several high school coaches in the Kansas City gave strong reviews about Schoonover who has been recruiting the area for a long time.

One of the newest recruits he has added to the list is Domonique Orange, one of the top defensive tackles in the country. Orange plays at North Kansas City and is getting offers from several of the nation’s top programs.

This week Orange did a virtual visit with Schoonover and got a closer look at the facilities. He told Rivals Midwest analyst Josh Helmholdt he gave the virtual visit positive reviews.

And he also got a chance to speak with Les Miles.

“The virtual tour was great, I really liked it,” Orange said. “It was basically taking me through the facilities, taking me through the weight room, the locker room, the meeting rooms and the coaches offices and I talked with the coaches a little bit.

“I can say with Kansas, they have great facilities. Plus, I got on the phone with coach Les Miles today too. He hopped on and we started chopping it up a little bit.”

Schoonover hasn’t been on campus very long, but it didn’t take him long to reach out to Orange. He already had a good relationship with the coaching staff at North Kansas City.

“I got to talk to him about two days after he got in,” Orange said. “I really connected with him because he went to college with my coach and they played a little bit of ball. That sparked things up a little bit knowing he knows what my coach is about. Plus, my head coach can tell me what (Schoonover) is about and what type of person he is.”

Orange, who stands 6-foot-2, 315 pounds is racking up offers from all over the country. He said with Schoonover handling the recruiting he has a lot of interest in the Jayhawks.

“He made me understand what they are trying to build and made me a little more interested in what Kansas is trying to build over there,” he said.

“I can say they have evolved much more than what they were because of the fact that I didn’t plan on going to Kansas at all. I can say now that I have high interest in them now.”

Last week he picked offers from Texas and Michigan. The Longhorns also reached out to him the same day he did his virtual visit with Kansas.

“Texas actually talked to me today as well,” Orange said. “Especially with the new coaching staff, I am interested in what they are going to do next year and just seeing what they can do with a whole new coaching staff.”

Josh Helmholdt the Midwest regional analyst contributed to this story