LAWRENCE — The Kansas football program put in a lot of work ahead of the early signing period this past December, when it came to the Jayhawks’ 2025 recruiting class.
That work led to the signing of 15 high school prospects, with an emphasis on in-state recruiting that’s carried over to the team’s effort with the 2026 class. It all helped set the groundwork for what the team would be able to do in the transfer portal, as momentum surrounding the program continued. What coach Lance Leipold and his staff were able to do when it came to retaining players since the 2024 season ended, has been a factor in the optimism around the program as well.
Kansas is attempting to bounce back from a dip during the 2024 season that saw the Jayhawks finish 5-7 overall and 4-5 against the Big 12 Conference. Although they recovered from a slow start, that recovery wasn’t enough to reach the goals they were capable of achieving before this past season began. The development of the 2025 signees will do a lot to help ensure the momentum surrounding KU continues, as it works on soon unveiling a new-look David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Ahead of the next National Signing Day, which starts up in February on Wednesday for the 2025 high school class, here are some notes to know about where Kansas stands:
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Which players signed with Kansas football in December?
This information is per a KU release announcing these 15 players signing on Dec. 4, 2024.
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Kansas football signees |
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Jackson Cook – wide receiver, 6-foot-2, 180 pounds from Loganville, Georgia |
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Malachi Curvey — linebacker, 6-foot-4, 220 pounds from Waukee, Iowa |
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Josiah Hammond — defensive tackle, 6-foot-4, 270 pounds from Tulsa, Oklahoma |
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Bryson Hayes — wide receiver, 6-foot, 180 pounds from Wichita, Kansas |
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Adrian Holley — defensive end, 6-foot-4, 235 pounds from Westville, Indiana |
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Darrion Jones — safety, 6-foot-3, 175 pounds from Fort Myers, Florida |
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John Kelly — running back, 6-foot, 190 pounds from Cypress, Texas |
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Anderson Kopp — offensive lineman, 6-foot-4, 290 pounds from Phoenix, Arizona |
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Garrett Martin — defensive end, 6-foot-3, 229 pounds from Scottsdale, Arizona |
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David McComb — quarterback, 6-foot-4, 210 pounds from Edmond, Oklahoma |
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Chris McCorkle — cornerback, 6-foot-1, 180 pounds from Bradenton, Florida |
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Tate Nagy — wide receiver, 5-foot-10, 165 pounds from Overland Park, Kansas |
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Jaden Nickens — wide receiver, 6-foot-3, 190 pounds from Simi Valley, California |
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Brandon Schmelzle — safety, 6-foot-2, 195 pounds from Axtell, Kansas |
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Justin Thurman — running back, 6-foot-, 195 pounds from Tampa, Florida |
How does Kansas football’s 2025 signing class rank heading into February’s signing day?
The 247Sports Composite rankings have Kansas at No. 68 in the nation as of Tuesday evening, with no commitments listed apart from those who have already signed, which puts it at No. 15 in the Big 12. However, 27Sports transfer rankings have the Jayhawks — with 22 transfer portal commitments — at No. 24 in the nation and in that regard second in the Big 12 for the class of 2025. The overall ranking has KU at No. 54 in the nation, which is good for No. 11 in the Big 12.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Who did Kansas football sign before February National Signing Day?
