WATCH: KC Sports Network’s Kevin Flaherty talks KU football recruiting
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Stock in Kansas football has grown exponentially since Lance Leipold’s arrival in Lawrence.
Kevin Flaherty with the “Pay Heed” podcast of the KC Sports Network has had a front-row seat for it all. He joined K-Nation in-studio Sunday to talk about the state of Jayhawk football.
Flaherty says that one of the biggest changes in the program the last few seasons has been how high school prospects from the state of Kansas view Jayhawk football.
“There was a top recruit in the state just a few classes ago that basically sent out the message, ‘If I’m going to stay in state, I’m not going to Kansas,'” Flaherty said. “And it was early stages of the recruitment. ‘I’m not even going to give you a chance. I’m not going to look at you.’ And I think that’s been the major difference…I think kids have their doors open more and they’re willing to hear what people say.”
A hot-button issue in college athletics is that of the transfer portal, as more student athletes find themselves at a new program the next season than ever before. Many take offense to the new normal, but Flaherty thinks a program like KU’s has benefitted from the new rules.
“One of the things that’s really helped Lance Leipold that I’m not sure it gets discussed enough was the addition of the transfer portal,” Flaherty said. “The fact that you could take more than 25 scholarships in a class because [former KU football coach] Charlie Weis booted off such a huge portion of the players.”
The full interview with Wentworth can be watched above.
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