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RecruitingNation- Jeremy Crabtree is a senior coordinator
- Spent 12 years with Rivals.com/Yahoo! Sports
- Graduated from Kansas State
With signing day around the corner, this week we're going to be breaking down where Big 12 teams have a need on their rosters. Then ESPN recruiting guru Jeremy Crabtree is going to reveal how those teams are addressing those holes in recruiting.
We continue this series with the Kansas Jayhawks.
Position of need: Defensive tackle
Who they’re losing: Look, there are no wrong answers when it comes to Kansas’ biggest roster needs. For how young they were last year, though, the Jayhawks aren’t losing all that many seniors from the end of season two-deep depth chart. Ben Goodman is an obvious loss at defensive end, but let’s focus on defensive tackle.
The Jayhawks do lose two seniors there in Corey King, who started 10 games at nose tackle after transferring in from Miami, as well as seven-game starter Kapil Fletcher. The other two dudes on the depth chart? Both redshirt freshmen a year ago. Daniel Wise looks like he could be a good one, but he’s still inexperienced.
Kansas needs to find some difference-makers in the middle if it hopes to improve a run defense that ranked sixth-worst per carry in FBS last season. -- Max Olson
Who they’re getting: The needs are plenty for the Jayhawks, and you have to like David Beaty’s plan of attacking the high school ranks in the Lone Star State for the best available players and then complimenting that group with junior college players at key positions like defensive tackle.
And defensive tackle is where two of KU’s best overall prospects are. The Jayhawks went to the juco ranks to land No. 12 defensive tackle DeeIsaac Davis of Highland (Kansas) Community College and No. 15 defensive tackle Isi Holani of Riverside Community College.
Both are expected to play right away in Lawrence, mainly because they’re both talented enough to do that, but also because that’s how big of a hole the Jayhawks have up front on defense. -- Jeremy Crabtree