New Kansas defensive lineman Corey King slaps hands with his teammates on the sidelines during practice on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015.

Landing a player at the midway point of preseason camp does not always qualify as a huge lift. But in the case of former Miami, Florida, defensive lineman Corey King, that’s exactly what it could be for the Kansas University football team.

The Journal-World learned Thursday afternoon that King, a 6-foot-1, 295-pound D-tackle, has been cleared to join the Jayhawks in time for the start of the 2015 season.

King, a Miami native out of West Boca Raton High, played in nine games as a freshman at UM in 2012, starting one and finishing with 13 tackles. He played in three games and made one tackle during his sophomore season in 2013 and missed all of last season because of injuries. King red-shirted in 2011.

Listed as a senior on the Miami roster, King, a recent graduate, is eligible to play immediately and is expected to have one season of eligibility remaining.

During his senior season at West Boca Raton, when he registered 56 tackles and seven sacks, King, a two-star prospect according to Rivals.com, was selected to the national team at the Outback Bowl, earned a spot in the annual South Florida high school football all-star game and was named All-Area for Palm Beach County.

His addition brings much needed size and experience to KU’s thinnest position. Senior Kapil Fletcher (6-3, 271) and red-shirt freshman Daniel Wise (6-3, 271) have been running with the first-team defense at the D-tackle spots. Though not as tall as either player, King has more bulk than both and also brings some much needed experience from a legitimate school.

“It showed me how to be a man,” King said of his time at Miami in a July interview with the Miami Herald. “You grow up fast, you meet a lot of people. It was a great experience.”

A source with knowledge of the situation said it was unclear whether King would be able to work his way into a starting role right off the bat — because of both the timing of his arrival and KU coach David Beaty’s desire to make guys earn everything they get — but added that there was “no doubt” that King would help KU’s D-Line immediately.