2026 Kansas Football Recruiting Class Climbs after Kaydin Jones Commitment

Head coach Lance Leipold and the Kansas football coaching staff nabbed a huge commitment this week with the verbal pledge from Kaydin “Batman” Jones.

Jones is a three-star running back prospect out of Oklahoma who is ranked as the No. 6 player in the state and the No. 30 running back in the 2026 class, according to On3.com. He recently decommitted from Oklahoma State following the news that long-time head coach Mike Gundy had been fired from the program.

His commitment is a big boost for the 2026 Kansas football recruiting class which now sits at No. 6 in the Big 12 and No. 36 in the country. The Jayhawks have a total of 20 high school recruits committed at this point, including 18 three-star prospects and two four-star recruits.

The two four-star recruits both happen to be Kansas kids who are part of a loaded crop of players that KU currently has committed from the Sunflower State this year.  

Offensive lineman Kaden Snyder is a four-star prospect from Salina who chose to play for KU over offers from Kansas State, Arkansas, Wisconsin and others. He is ranked as the No. 2 player in the state and has the chance to make an early impact for the Jayhawks’ offensive line next year with his 6-foot-5, 295-pound frame.

James Dunnigan Jr. (also known as JJ) is the other four-star prospect who is a highly talented player out of Manhattan, Kansas, ranked as the No. 3 player in Kansas. The 6-foot-2 defensive back plays on both sides of the ball for Manhattan High School and is even used as a returner on special teams.

He’s got a slew of highlights already from his senior season, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him get a lot of early playing time next year as a freshman at KU.

In total, KU has commitments from seven of the top 15 recruits in Kansas.

The other players are three-star quarterback Jaylen Mason from Maize (No. 7 in Kansas), three-star defensive end Hunter Higgins from Wichita (No. 8 in Kansas), three-star wide receiver Nate Sims from Ottawa (No. 10 in Kansas), three-star wide receiver Tyren Parker from Topeka (No. 11 in Kansas), and three-star linebacker Joshua Galbreath from Lawrence (No. 13 in Kansas).

If Leipold and the KU staff are able to secure commitments from a few more high-impact recruits before the early signing period begins on Dec. 3, the Jayhawks may be looking at a top 25 class in college football when final rankings come out next spring.

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