Kansas University football recruiting

With temperatures in the 70s for its annual Friday Night Lights football camp, the Kansas football program’s recruiting for the 2019 class heated up when the Jayhawks landed an oral commitment from running back Cole Mueller.

Mueller, a 6-foot-1, 192-pound athlete from Holt High in Wentzville, Mo., is a two-star prospect according to Rivals.com. But JayhawkSlant recruiting analyst Jon Kirby tweeted shortly after Mueller’s commitment that he was told that the hard-nosed halfback “might have been the best performer at the Friday Night Lights camp.”

Mueller announced his commitment on Twitter, writing, “I’ve committed to the University of Kansas. Thanks to all the coaches that (helped me) achieve this goal,” above a photo of him and KU coach David Beaty inside Beaty’s office.

Known most for his blazing speed, the Holt High running back put his wheels on display during Friday’s camp, recording the fastest 40-yard dash time of the more than 200 players in attendance.

According to Kirby, Mueller and Beaty’s relationship dates back to when Beaty first saw him at a camp at Lindenwood University — where Beaty played quarterback — and the two have watched their bond grow since then.

“I just wanted to go up and see the campus because I like coach Beaty,” Mueller told Kirby. “I liked him from the first time I talked to him after the Lindenwood camp. I was ready to commit while I was there.”

As a junior, Mueller ran for more than 2,400 yards and 35 touchdowns.

KU receivers coach Justin Johnson is listed as the lead recruiter for Mueller in the Rivals data base and he becomes the third known commitment in KU’s 2019 class, joining four-star quarterback Lance Legendre, from New Orleans, and three-star tight end Clay Cundiff, of Bishop Carroll High in Wichita.