KU’s junior day rich with talent

Junior day prospect list

The following players — listed below along with position, high school and current scholarship offers — are expected to be present during the Kansas University football team’s junior day on Saturday in Lawrence.

Blake Bell; QB; Wichita Bishop Carroll High; Oklahoma, LSU, Georgia, Miami, Notre DameChase Rome; DE; Rock Bridge (Mo.) High; Oklahoma, South Carolina, WisconsinJoseph Randle; RB; Wichita Southeast High; Miami, Illinois, LouisvilleTyler Gabbert; QB; Parkway West (Mo.) High; Nebraska, Missouri, IowaKeeston Terry; WR; Blue Springs (Mo.) High; Nebraska, Missouri, Wisconsin

Although barely two weeks removed from finalizing its 24-member 2009 recruiting class, the Kansas University football team is already turning an eye toward the Class of 2010.

On Saturday, the Jayhawks will host their annual “junior day” — an event in which prospective high school players in their junior year will be invited to Lawrence for an informal campus visit — and in the aftermath of back-to-back bowl victories and its highest-rated recruiting class in recent history, the program is anticipating a number of high-profile guests.

“This is the most impressive group of juniors that I’ve ever seen show up this time of year at Kansas,” said Jon Kirby, who covers Kansas recruiting for Rivals.com.

Among the 20 or so players expected to be in attendance Saturday are Rock Bridge (Mo.) High defensive end Chase Rome, who has already earned offers from Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin, Wichita Southeast running back Joseph Randle (Miami, Illinois, Louisville and Stanford), Parkway West (Mo.) High quarterback Tyler Gabbert (Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa), Blue Springs (Mo.) High receiver Keeston Terry (Missouri, Kansas State, Wisconsin) and Bishop Miege High standouts Justin McKay and Trevor Releford, the latter of which is the younger brother of Kansas freshman basketball player Travis Releford.

Perhaps the most high-profile recruit, however, comes in the form of Wichita Bishop Carroll junior Blake Bell, a 6-foot-6 quarterback who has already received offers from Oklahoma, Miami, LSU, Notre Dame and Georgia, among others.

As a junior in 2008, Bell, the son of former NFL tight end and defensive end Mark Bell, threw for 3,200 yards and 37 touchdowns and rushed for 370 yards and another 12 scores en route to being named Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year.

Although junior day is largely viewed as a preliminary step in the recruiting process — players will tour the campus, meet coaches and attend the Kansas men’s basketball game against Nebraska at 3 p.m. on Saturday — it represents a chance to develop a rapport with prospective recruits in the region, some of whom Kirby figures will become four- and five-star recruits as seniors.

For Kansas, junior day has also proved a successful recruiting tool in the past. Last year, for instance, Darian Kelly, Kevin Young, Huldon Tharp and Riley Spencer each attended the event before eventually signing with the Jayhawks on Feb. 4.

Rambo now at Delta State: Xavier Rambo, a little-used backup receiver for the Jayhawks, has left the program and enrolled at Division-II Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss., according to the school’s Web site.

Rambo, a native of Dallas who earned all-state honors at South Oak Cliff High, did not see any game action as a red-shirt sophomore in 2008, although he twice earned offensive scout team player of the week honors.