photo by: Journal-World illustration

University of Kansas football recruiting

After wide receiver Maliek Brown from Tyler, Texas, kicked things off, four more players announced commitments to join the Kansas football team’s 2027 recruiting class over the course of Sunday in what proved to be a very fruitful weekend of official visits for the Jayhawks.

Cornerback Nazir Pitchford, defensive end C.J. Johnson, wideout Tavares Powell and linebacker Elliott Neff all made their decisions public in the span of less than an hour as the 2027 class’ size swelled to 14 players.

For Pitchford, it wasn’t quite as direct as running back Dylan Edwards’ Kansas-State-to-Kansas transfer back in January, but he became the latest football player to swap sides in the Sunflower Showdown rivalry.

Pitchford, who was once K-State’s first commitment in the 2027 class before backing out in May, announced on Sunday that he has chosen KU as his future collegiate destination.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Pitchford plays both ways at Palmetto High School in Florida, where he recorded six tackles and a pass breakup on defense with 22 catches for 344 yards and seven touchdowns as a receiver. He had visited Pittsburgh before coming to KU over the weekend and also had recent interest from the likes of Boston College and North Carolina.

“The coaching staff has done a great job building a strong culture, developing players, and creating an environment where athletes can succeed both on and off the field,” Pitchford told Jon Kirby of JayhawkSlant.com.

Johnson will be one of the prizes of KU’s class. The defensive end is a composite four-star prospect from Cretin-Derham Hall who comes in at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds.

The Jayhawks won out over a final five that included Boston College, Georgia Tech, Missouri and Northwestern.

Allen Trieu of Rivals wrote the following of Johnson in a report on Saturday: “Has quickness off the ball and can win with a straight speed rush but also has a spin move. Also has the agility to make offensive tackles overset and beat them inside. Has to still get stronger and improve with his hands when engaged. Also has room to improve in terms of top end speed and testing. Has some experience dropping into coverage but will need continued reps there.”

Powell and Brown join Deng Tong among a steadily growing group of wideouts in 2027, which now matches the three scholarship seniors currently on the roster (Nahzae Cox, Nik McMillan and Cam Pickett).

Powell, nicknamed “TJ,” is from Bradenton, Florida, where he now attends Manatee High School. As a junior at Bradenton Southeast, the 6-foot-2 wideout caught 42 passes for 488 yards and 12 touchdowns.

“I love the program they have at Kansas,” Powell told Kirby. “I feel like I’d be a good addition to what they’re building. Coach (Samuel) told me the real story. I just have to go in there and work. He sees me playing early.”

He picked KU over Wisconsin. He is also Pitchford’s cousin, 247Sports reported.

Neff, 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, attends Thornapple Kellogg High School in Middleville, Michigan. He will be a linebacker at KU, having played spent time in the secondary at the prep level.

Neff’s recruitment to Lawrence came together quickly, as he announced his offer from the Jayhawks on May 14 after having received a visit from position coach Chris Simpson earlier in the month. He also had offers from Penn State, Pitt and Syracuse.