Kansas Jayhawks Football

The University of Kansas officially hired former Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long to the same position on Thursday.

Long was Arkansas' athletic director from 2008-17 and previously served as the chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee. 

"Jeff Long has tremendous leadership and administrative experience in major college athletics, and he is a terrific fit for Kansas Athletics as we work to ensure our student-athletes succeed on the field and in the classroom," Kansas chancellor Douglas A. Girod said in a press release. "Those who know him describe him as a man of character who cares deeply about higher education and the student-athletes he serves. For all these reasons, we are thrilled to welcome him to the University of Kansas."

Long's contract states he will earn $1.5 million annually in base salary, with $1.3 million paid privately by Kansas Athletics. The University will cover the additional $200,000. 

"Jeff Long is among the best and most respected athletics directors in the country," Kansas basketball coach Bill Self said. "He has great experience, a great pedigree, and he knows what it takes to succeed at the highest levels. While I'm just getting to know Jeff, I'm impressed that he’s universally described as a high-character guy who will provide strong support for every sport across the entire athletics program. From my perspective, he’s exactly the type of leader we need. Our fans can be excited about the future of Kansas Athletics."

Now settled in Lawrence, Long will oversee an athletic department that is headlined by Self's basketball team—one that is expected to contend for a national championship with Dedric Lawson, K.J. Lawson, Udoka Azubuike, Quentin Grimes and Devon Dotson. 

Long will also be in charge of a football program that has gone 3-33 over the last three seasons and hasn't played in a bowl game since 2008. 

The girlfriend of former Kansas Jayhawks defensive end Maciah Long says he threatened to shoot her in the knees during an argument the two had in his apartment last month, the Kansas City Star's Jesse Newell reported Wednesday.

The Jayhawks dismissed Long from the program Aug. 21, the day after he was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal damage to property and marijuana possession, according to Newell.

The allegation was included in the arrest affidavit. The woman said Long told her he'd "shoot [her] kneecaps out" and that he had put a bullet into the chamber of his handgun prior to making the threat.

Police searched Long's car and found a handgun with one bullet in the chamber and four in the magazine.

Long told authorities he had loaded the gun because he was "playing with it" and then wanted to show it to his girlfriend.

Long joined Kansas as part of the 2016 recruiting class. The Houston native appeared in 10 games as a freshman for the Jayhawks.

Kansas head football coach David Beaty is going against a state policy that goes into effect on Saturday which makes it legal for people over the age of 21 to carry a concealed weapon on campus.

Beaty explained to CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd why he will ban his players from carrying concealed weapons on campus:

"It is a deal that I will be very adamant about in a way of banning [guns]. I don't want weapons around for our team. I know it's a bad, bad deal for us. 

"I understand the politics involved in it. I get that. But we're talking about kids with lives and kids getting pissed with each other and kids that are highly competitive with each other. I fear what it could blow into."

The Personal and Family Protection Act was originally approved by Kansas legislators in 2012 and went into effect the following year, but college campuses in the state were given a four-year exemption before students and staff had the right to carry a concealed weapon starting July 1, 2017. 

Jeff Sims, who is the head football coach at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas, told Dodd his program has never had an issue with firearms on campus. 

"Guns and weapons have never been our issue on a college campus," he said. "Our issues are alcohol and marijuana."

In an effort to comply with the law, Dodd notes Kansas athletic officials are required to set up "elaborate detection devices" at all the entrances to Memorial Stadium and Allen Fieldhouse, as well as having an armed guard present. 

Beaty is entering his fourth season as head football coach at the University of Kansas. He took over the program from interim coach Clint Bowen, who replaced Charlie Weis early in the 2014 season. 

The notion that one of the nation's most gifted high school football players would willingly forego an opportunity to play at Alabama, Florida State or LSU for a program with two wins across the past two seasons seems implausible. But at the moment, that is precisely what Devonta Jason, a 5-star wide receiver from the West Bank in New Orleans, is poised to do.

Rather than commit to Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Georgia or Florida, Jason is committed to Kansas. Not Auburn, Miami, Ole Miss or Texas A&M. Not Arkansas, Arizona, Missouri, TCU or the plethora of other football meccas that have showed interest.

Kansas.

"People were asking me if they gave me something," Jason says of his decision. "Everybody was going crazy. They wanted to know what I was thinking. I'm just going to be me."

Fans, recruiting analysts and coaches alike have explored the aftershocks of Jason's choice. Upon hearing he had committed to Kansas, assistant coaches competing for his services were in awe.

"Kansas," one coach texted him. "Really?"

Others have followed suit in questioning his decision, while fans of SEC programs and beyond have shared their thoughts on his historically unique decision. Rivals currently ranks Jason as the nation's 22nd-best overall prospect in the class of 2018 and the No. 4 wideout. He was only recently upgraded to a 5-star.

"I've been doing this long enough to know that this is a unicorn," says Mike Farrell, national recruiting director for Rivals. "I've never seen one in person, and I don't know if they exist. If this sticks, it will prove that they do."

Farrell has essentially covered college football recruiting since it was modernized into a business, seeing firsthand the notable outliers over the past few decades. But even he struggles to find a comparison to Jason. Even though it's only a verbal pledge for now, few star prospects have ever made this kind of statement at any point in the recruiting process.

Last season, Jason helped lead Landry-Walker to a 5A state championship. He finished the year with 51 catches for 1,018 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also scored five two-point conversions.

Standing 6'3" and 217 pounds, Jason possesses NFL-caliber size for a receiver. For much of his youth, he played other positions because of his stature. He started on the offensive line before switching over to defensive line and eventually tight end. When his coaches split him out wide to catch passes and saw how he was able to use his body, he stopped changing positions.

"He's big and physical and has a great catch radius," Farrell added. "The one question we still have about him is his flat-out speed. We had a debate about him while making him a 5-star, and that was the one thing. Is he fast enough?"

Because he's had significant playing time on varsity since he was a freshman, Jason's recruitment began early. Having grown up a short drive from LSU's campus, he always viewed the Tigers as his dream school.

After a successful freshman season, LSU was the first program to offer Jason a scholarship. He committed in November 2015, although he eventually decommitted last July, overwhelmed at the pace of his recruiting process and how he was suddenly flooded with interest. For a while, he took a break from the process entirely.

All told, Jason now holds roughly 30 offers. Alabama still regularly checks in, hoping to sway his commitment. LSU head coach Ed Orgeron still communicates with him from time to time, as he has not given up on the possibility of keeping one of Louisiana's own from leaving the state.

Others such as Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Georgia and Florida State still feel they have a shot as well.

"He has every offer you can almost imagine," Landry-Walker head coach Emanuel Powell says. "You name the program and he probably has an offer from it."

Currently, however, Jason is committed to a program that has not won more than three games in a season since 2009. Over the past six years, Kansas has won a combined 11 games. For perspective, Alabama has yet to win fewer than 11 games in a season during that span.

"It really didn't get to me," Jason says. "I know they went 2-10 and 0-12 the year before. It's really not about what school you go to or being a big fish in a big pond. It's about your future and making an impact on your life. It's about being known and recognized."

Earlier this year, Jason and teammate Corione Harris, a 4-star defensive back garnering substantial interest of his own, took the nearly 900-mile trip to Lawrence, Kansas, to see what the school had to offer.

While most prospects would disregard the Jayhawks' offer and throw it in a pile, they did not. This, if anything, marked the opportunity to be different. And perhaps even more significant, it emphasized someone could be comfortable and content in a place outside of the football norm.

His mother, Tamara, joined him. Like Jason, she also fell in love. 

Jason spent time with head coach David Beaty, who outlined his vision for the future and how Jason would fit in. He sat down with new offensive coordinator Doug Meacham, one of the brightest young offensive minds in the sport, and watched film of what his role would be in the new offense.

Tony Hull, a former New Orleans high school coach and now the running backs coach at Kansas, played a significant role in making the connection in the first place. 

"Being as far away as I was," Jason says, "it still felt like home."

Without hesitation, the two friends with more than 60 scholarship offers between them committed to a program seeking a spark.

We Just Some Boys From The Boot Committed To KU #RockChalk ❤💙 pic.twitter.com/jvDr3pszbO

— Whop (@TheRealWhop3) February 5, 2017

Content with everything they were sold, they committed to play for a team that has been the Big 12's doormat since before they entered high school. They bought into the future of Kansas, which is far brighter than it's been in some time thanks in large part to Beaty and the staff he's assembled.

But even now, Jason still fields calls and texts from coaches wanting to see where he stands—inquiries to see just how committed he is. He plans to take his official visits this fall during his senior season and has by no means shut down this line of communication.

His current head coach, who has more than 10 players on his current roster with Division I offers, is taking similar inquiries as well. While initially surprised by Jason's decision given his robust list of offers, Powell has made it a point to not sway him one way or another.

"All you can do is support your player and hope he makes the best decision for him and his family," Powell says.

With a season still to play, Jason plans to graduate high school early and officially sign with a team in December—college football's new early signing period. If all goes accordingly, he will be enrolled with his future school come January. Right now, that school is Kansas.

"Maybe he is the one guy who will buck this trend, but it would be a lot considering the offers he has." Farrell says. "Let's say Kansas struggles again and LSU competes for the SEC West when the season comes around. Will this stick? That's the question that I have, and I really don't have the answer."

To sway him, Jason says it will require a perfect match: a mix of comfort and offensive promise that can trump what Kansas has presented thus far. As unusual as that might seem, this is the current standard.

Tamara will be have to swayed as well.

In the meantime, Kansas has taken advantage of the momentum. On Tuesday, it picked up the commitment of 3-star defensive end Miles Emery, the top defensive end in the state. The program is assembling one of the best classes in its history, thanks in large part to what Jason stands for.

Many assume this class will unravel and Jason will ultimately sign with an Alabama or an LSU. Balance will eventually be restored within the recruiting world and things will return to normal.

Perhaps that is the case. Or maybe Jason is a unicorn after all.

Class of 2018 4-star cornerback recruit Corione Harris has committed to the Kansas Jayhawks, according to Rivals.com's JayhawkSlant. 

The New Orleans product yielded some big-time offers from major SEC programs like Florida, Auburn and Ole Miss.

At 6'1", 170 pounds, Harris already has a solid frame to cover any kind of receiver on the outside or in the slot.

He also has the strength and athleticism to keep up with receivers, too:

Harris originally committed to LSU during his sophomore year but decommitted in July. With his recruitment back open, he still had 11 offers from FBS programs on the table, including LSU.

But he decided to go to the Big 12 instead and join a Kansas program that could use a boost in its secondary. 

In 2016, the Jayhawks' pass defense was ranked 52nd in the FBS with 2,637 yards allowed.

Saturday was a big day for the program and Landry-Walker High School, as Harris' teammate, 4-star wide receiver Devonta Jason, also committed to the Jayhawks, per JayhawkSlant. 

Kansas also received a commitment from 4-star running back Anthony "Pooka" Williams out of Boutte, Louisiana, per Julie Boudwin of NOLA.com.

   

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com. Rankings courtesy of Scout.com.

The Kansas Jayhawks have added a big-time playmaker to their 2018 class with running back Anthony Williams, who committed Saturday, according to Julie Boudwin of NOLA.com.

Williams is considered a 4-star recruit by Scout.com thanks to his ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. Although he doesn't have great size at 5'10", 165 pounds, his elusiveness out of the backfield, as a receiver and on special teams makes him a threat to score on just about any play.

"He's fast," Hahnville offensive coordinator Lester Ricard said of Williams, per Boudwin. "Anthony is such a phenomenal athlete. He's one of the most electrifying guys I've ever seen."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4OME32yxGY

The young runner will need to add weight to his frame before becoming an every-down back at the college level. This could mean a redshirt season or at least limited carries during his freshman season.

However, Williams is such a big-play threat that simply giving him the ball a few times could change the course of a game. He should at least be a threat as a returner right away while trying to also help the offense if the coaching staff can get creative.

As he continues to get comfortable at the college level, he could become one of the most dynamic players in the Big 12.

The 2018 class is far from over for Kansas, but adding a difference-maker like Williams could go a long way toward helping on the field.

Getting an early start on his college preparations, wide receiver Devonta Jason will play for the Kansas Jayhawks starting in 2018. 

Per JayhawkSlant, Jason committed to Kansas on Saturday. 

Even though national signing day 2017 just passed on Wednesday, the Jayhawks are off to a phenomenal start on next year's class. 

In addition to Jason's commitment, Kansas head coach David Beaty also brought in quarterback Clayton Tune and defensive back Corione Harris, per ESPN.com's Max Olson. 

Jason and Harris are teammates at Landry-Walker High School in New Orleans and will remain together in college. 

Jason is listed at 6'2 ½", 194 pounds and is a 4-star prospect ranked as the No. 3 wide receiver from the state of Louisiana, No. 27 wide receiver in the nation and No. 165 player overall, per Scout. 

While Jason still has some developing to do as a wide receiver in terms of running precise routes and generating separation from defenders, his scouting report is glowing with many reasons to be optimistic. 

"He will go up to get the ball, and he will fight for the ball in jump-ball situations," according to Scout's analysis. "His speed is good, not elite, but he has shown the ability to make plays down the field. Where he may surprise some is how he adjusts to the ball with body control at his size. He is a true outside receiver who can get vertical and work the middle of the field."

Beaty took over a Kansas program in complete disarray in 2015. The team went winless in his first season at the helm and won two games last season. Kansas hasn't won more than three games in a season since 2009, but the ability of Beaty's coaching staff to recruit prime talent will start showing positive results in the near future. 

Jason's early commitment is an indication to other top 2018 recruits that Kansas should be taken seriously in the Big 12 from now on. 

Kansas bolstered its backfield for the 2017 season after securing the commitment of junior college running back Octavius Matthews.

Matthews announced Wednesday his intention to sign with the Jayhawks: 

https://twitter.com/octaviusmatthe1/status/826837371362672640

The Itawamba Community College star is the ninth-best JUCO recruit in the country, according to Scout. In 19 games with Itawamba the last two years, he has rushed for a combined 1,453 yards and nine touchdowns.

Matthews will hope the third time is the charm after he selected the Jayhawks. He originally committed to the Louisville Cardinals last April before spurning them for the Auburn Tigers in June. On Jan. 26, Matthews backtracked on that decision and left the Tigers' 2017 class.

Their losses are Kansas' gain.

Matthews should have an immediate impact in Lawrence. He's a dynamic runner who boasts a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, per Hudl, and averaged 7.7 yards per carry at Itawamba. He has the speed and athleticism to be a big-play threat with the ball in his hands.

In addition to his abilities on the ground, Matthews is a solid receiver out of the backfield. He caught 28 passes for 367 yards and five touchdowns between 2015 and 2016.

Kansas has fallen on hard times since Mark Mangino left in 2009. The Jayhawks' win total in Mangino's final season (five) is nearly half their win total in the seven years since (12).

Kansas' overtime win over Texas in November gave fans some hope for the future, and Matthews' commitment is another sign the program may finally be headed in the right direction under head coach David Beaty.

Especially given his limited eligibility as a JUCO recruit, Matthews is showing a lot of confidence in Beaty.

His arrival will be a big boost for the Jayhawks offense. Kansas ranked 108th in offensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) and 119th in rush offense DVOA, per Football Outsiders. The team also has to replace leading rusher Ke'aun Kinner, who had 738 yards and three touchdowns in his senior year.

One player can't single-handedly turn Kansas into a bowl-eligible team, but Matthews' commitment could help open the floodgates for more talented recruits to join the Jayhawks in 2018 and beyond.

The Kansas Jayhawks, who entered Saturday's game against the Iowa State Cyclones with a 1-8 record, have probably wished for invisibility at some point this season.

Looking for a spark late in the second quarter, the Jayhawks pulled off a sneaky trick play by having LaQuvionte Gonzalez hide in the end zone. The wide receiver's blue uniform camouflaged into his surroundings until he popped off the ground to field a backward pass from Steven Sims Jr.

The deception netted a 34-yard return, but Kansas failed to capitalize with any points when Matthew Wyman missed a 46-yard field goal with 1:20 left in the half.

The Jayhawks led the Cyclones 24-22 entering the fourth quarter, but they ultimately lost 31-24 to remain winless (0-7) in Big 12 Conference play.

How is this Kansas Football? How? What is wrong with TCU? pic.twitter.com/yj4J6nDa2H

— Sam Duren (@Sam_Duren) October 8, 2016

LaQuvionte Gonzalez should consider changing his first name to Speedy.

The Kansas wide receiver is doing his best to earn the Jayhawks their first victory in more than a month. In the third quarter, he turned a third-down pass near the line of scrimmage into a 67-yard run.

A couple of Horned Frogs defenders had an opportunity to stop him short of the first-down marker. A couple more could have tackled him long before he passed midfield.

Once he danced clear of them all, he was off to the races. The junior was tripped two yards shy of the end zone, but not before reeling off a 67-yard gain.

TCU buckled down for a goal-line stop, limiting Kansas to a field goal. Despite entering the fourth quarter up 23-14, the Jayhawks couldn't complete the upset. They lost 24-23.

[Twitter]