Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - Jayhawks Add Georgia Tech CB Syeed Gibbs: Leipold's WORKING the Portal + NFL Draft Primer for Kansas

Episode Date: April 25, 2025

Kansas Jayhawks Football: Transfer Portal Triumphs and NFL Draft DreamsCan the Kansas Jayhawks football team leverage their latest transfer portal additions to boost their 2025 season? With Syeed Gibbs joining from Georgia Tech and Rhode Island, the Jayhawks are making strategic moves to strengthen their roster at corner. Derek Johnson explores how Gibbs' skills could enhance KU's secondary, while also dissecting the team's transfer portal strategy, focusing on offensive line targets like Jordan Davis from South Alabama and Makilan Thomas from Arkansas State. The discussion extends to NFL draft prospects, spotlighting Devin Neal, Logan Brown, and Cobee Bryant as potential picks, and comparing them to KU's historical draft achievements in something that KU has a chance to do in the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay.Discover how these developments could shape the Jayhawks' future. Tune in for an in-depth analysis of Kansas Jayhawks football's evolving landscape and the exciting prospects on the horizon.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Supply HouseJoin the Trade Master program today at SupplyHouse.com/TM and start ordering plumbing, HVAC, and electrical supplies with just a few clicks. Plus, use promo code SH5 for 5% off your first order. That’s SupplyHouse.com!PrizePicksDownload the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE and get $50 instantly when you play $5! You don't even need to win to receive the $50 bonus, it's guaranteed! Prizepicks. Run Your Game. https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONCOLLEGEAmazon Fire TV Stick 4kDid you know your Fire TV is also an Xbox? Turn any TV into your gaming and entertainment hub with Fire TV Stick 4K devices — no console required. Head to Amazon.com/firetvlockedon to get started. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and compatible controller required.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Saeed Gibbs, a Transfer Corner from Georgia Tech is officially a Jayhawk, as Lance Lightbulb is working the transfer portal hard, many more possibly to come. You are Locked On Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. What's going on Derek Johnson here, this is Locked On Jayhawks. Thanks for making it your first listen every day. Thank you to every dayers catching each and every episode of the show. We're free and available anywhere you get your podcast,

including on our YouTube page where you can like and subscribe to the show. And on today's edition of Locked On Jayhawks, we're giving a little KU football transfer portal update. KU makes an addition of Syed Gibbs, a transfer corner from Georgia Tech. We'll get into his game when he brings the table. And what else is cooking for Lance Leipold in the portal game right now with things being opened up? We'll also talk a little NFL draft opportunities for the KU players.

Round one came and went. No KU players went as was expected. But now you can start seeing some guys going off the board maybe as early as round two or round three and especially on day three of the NFL drafts are cool opportunity there for KU football getting all that on today's episode, which we're brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook right now to customers and get $250 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins with FanDuel. Okay, so Syed Gibbs is officially a Jayhawk.

He is a corner transfer, began his career at Rhode Island. He's a 6'190 pound corner, originally from Everett, Massachusetts, and he goes to Rhode Island, which is at the FCS level. He came in as a unranked, unrated, whatever you want to call it. I guess some people will refer to it as a zero star recruit at high school. That's not really what it is. It's just that he was unrated, but shows you he was, you know, under the radar, so to speak. So

he goes to Rhode Island. And I think he was a FCS freshman All-Americans or Kansas is just, you know just racking up a, I don't know, they're cornering the market in former FCS freshman All-Americans. Then in year two at Rhode Island, he has a really good season. He has 38 tackles. He has three pass deflections. He has three interceptions for the Rams. He has a pro football focus grade in his second and final season at Rhode Island of 69.9.

And he was actually a, I should mention he redshirted in his first year at Rhode Island because he played limited games. Now if he had two tackles, but ended up redshirt. And so he gets the FCS freshman, all American team as a redshirt freshman in 2023. When he played 577 snaps and he had a 70 PFF grade and a 72 coverage grade, he was really good for Rhode Island.

So he transfers up, makes the big jump to Georgia Tech where this past season he ends up with 22 tackles, one pass deflection, one sack, and two forced fumbles as a redshirt sophomore. PFF grades below average here, 54.1 overall in 343 snaps. He had a 60 grade in run defense. So it was not the biggest corner in the world. The six foot though, decent size for a corner,

but he was able to be adequate enough for undefender. And he had just a 50.6 coverage grade. So that's obviously you'd like to see that number go up a little bit more, but I almost look at it as like, okay, his first year at Rhode Island, he had a redshirt to get adjusted to playing the at the collegiate level of ball. And then his next year, at that level of play with Rhode Island, he ends up being an FCS freshman All-American. Okay, now he takes

a big jump to power for football with Georgia Tech, probably a big adjustment period for him. And I think it's safe to assume, especially if you just look at that pattern of year two for him, or Rhode Island was a lot better. I think year two of power for football here at Kansas this year, I think it's safe to assume that he will be better than he was last year at Georgia Tech. Overall, you look at the coverage numbers though, and

you see the coverage grade of 50.6. And honestly, you look at some of the the targets allowed and stuff, and it doesn't necessarily show a guy who like, sometimes you see guys who have a coverage rate of 50.6 and you can see it in the stats. It's like, oh, they're getting burnt. They're giving up, you know, 15 yards per cash. They're giving up a ton of touchdowns. They're, I don't know, the completion percentage

against is really high, stuff like that. It wasn't that bad for him. I mean, so Rhode Island just final year, he was targeted 51 times. He gave up 12 and a half yards per reception, but he only gave up a little over seven yards per target. He gave up one touchdown compared to three interceptions with three pass breakups and had a 63.8 NFL pass

or rating against, which are all very good. The Georgia Tech this year, he was targeted 36 times. He gave up 22 catches, about a 61% completion rate, a little higher than you'd like, but it's not like a huge number. He gave up 9.6 yards per catch and he gave up a little under seven yards per target, which is not that bad at all.

He gave up just one touchdown. He didn't have any interceptions, but just one touchdown. 86.7 NFL passer rating again. So like those numbers, yeah, they're not all American or something, but like those don't equate out to being 50 coverage grade. Now the coverage grade isn't just looking at the numbers, it's looking at every snap and all that sort of thing.

But I do think that. I don't know, I guess what I'm saying is like, I think he's a better coverage guy than the 50.6 that was kind of indicated there. And again, going back to the patterns of what he did, the FCS level, I wouldn't be surprised if in year two here for Georgia Tech, he ends up being a guy who and he's playing significant snaps, right? For a team that goes to a bowl game, played a lot of them

for his team in the slot this year, Georgia Tech, which is interesting because he was mostly on the outside the year before at Rhode Island, which one that could be at Rhode Island, it's easier to play a guy on the outside once you get to power four level, like the size goes up and stuff but of his snaps that he played at

343 at Georgia Tech 261 of those came in slot the year prior at Rhode Island 577 snaps 518 of those came as an outside corner And so again does that mean he's gonna be a slot corner for KU Well, if you view him because if you look at the corner room, DJ Graham, Jalen Todd could be the possible starters. That would leave your third corner is more of a slot corner in theory.

So that would work out perfectly anyway. But I know KU in the same way they like offensive linemen who can play multiple positions. They probably like corners in the same way they can play multiple positions. I'm sure they like guys that make their lives easier if they can play multiple positions and you can do multiple things with them. And so you do have a little bit of that here with Syed Gibbs, plus the fact that he's just going

to be a redshirt junior in the fall of 2025 means that you could have two years left with him. And you look at that corner and well, DJ Graham would be graduating at the end of 2025 as a redshirt senior. So like if Gibbs has a good enough season as your third or fourth corner, then he could be graduating at the end of 2025 as a redshirt senior. So like if Gibbs has a good enough season as your third or fourth corner, then he could be a starter the following season.

And it gives you just a little bit more time for guys like Jaleel Hurley, who's a redshirt sophomore, for guys like Jamil Croft, redshirt sophomore, Chakobe Davis, redshirt sophomore, Austin Alexander and Andre Gribson as redshirt freshmen, Chris McCorkle, who's an incoming true freshman. It gives you more time for those players to continue to develop and get better Austin Alexander and Andre Gribson is redshirt freshmen. Chris McCorkle, who's an incoming true freshman.

It gives you more time for those players to continue to develop and get better and hone their craft. Then now you don't have to throw them into the fire if they're not ready. Now if they get thrown in the fire, it's because they earned it over another veteran that you kind of brought in here. So I like this move all around for KU adds another corner, adds another DB to the room. They don't have nine scholarship corners on the roster. And when you look at it, obviously.

So I have Kansas at over like 80 scholarship players at this point, which again, the walk-ons are going away, or at least we think. I mean, that stuff isn't being signed off on. And we'll see where things end up there. But if you're going to be allowed 105 scholarship players, it's not really a worry for KU now does become a bit of something where it's like, does it make more sense for KU to be sticking 80 to 85 scholarships as opposed to the

105 so that they can, you know, condense like if you're not having to pay 20 extra players and I'll even if it's the last 20 on your roster, that money adds up that you can give you that out for a better top 85. I wouldn't be surprised if we see some schools start to do that, right? Like you'll see the smaller schools, quote unquote, the non blue bloods of college football of the world be like,

you know what, we're gonna try to play with a 75 scholarship roster because we'll be able to pay our 75, the same amount of money that Alabama is paying their 105 or something. And it'll allow us to compete at a better level. So I don't know. Anyway, that was just a quick side there, but wouldn't surprise me if this is it for them.

Looking at corners, I still think that they could be looking for players on the offensive and defensive line. So let's get to that next. This is Locked on Jayhawks. And today's episode of Locked on Jayhawks. And today's episode of Locked on Jayhawks is brought to you by the Amazon 4K Fire TV Stick.

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Thanks for joining us on Lockdown Jayhawks. Don't forget to make Lockdown College football your second listen every day. All right, other portal news for KU. Obviously you land a corner here, you feel like you're pretty good now at that corner position. I think the focus really hones in on the line of scrimmage. And KU obviously already adding a defensive end,

probably could bring in another defensive end, but I think that the main focus is offensive line. They could bring in multiple offensive linemen, but I think there is a real priority, like if you're divvying out your NIL money, I think the majority of it goes to bringing on a good offensive linemen. But again, you could bring in another good offensive defensive end too. So some latest news with, with players around both of those things. We talked about Leroy Harris, the third committee to KU the transfer from Chattanooga. Thank you

every day or if you already caught that one if you haven't check out that deep dive on him coming into Kansas they had Kim Williams visit on Thursday, who's a transfer from Georgia State he would fill that other possible defensive end role if they could add him he's a good from Georgia State. He would fill that other possible defensive end role if they could add him. He's a good defensive end, somebody that, you know, you would project to be one of the top three or four defensive ends on this Kansas team

if they could land him. And we'll see how that visit went. And if it's enough for them to get a commitment, I think he has some other visits lined up too. This one came from Bryce Kuhn of 247 Sports on Twitter. It was former South Alabama offensive tackle Jordan Davis has heard from and had a bunch of sports on Twitter. It was former South Alabama offensive tackle. Jordan Davis has heard from and it had a bunch of schools on there.

And one of the schools was Kansas. And so Jordan Davis would become a certainly very interesting offensive tackle option for KU. And I think you look at it right now. We went into spring ball for that KU offensive line feeling good about, okay, Bryce Foster who, you know, I don't know if he just didn't participate in

spring ball at all, or if it was just like more limited in, you know, some practices he did some practices he didn't, because obviously he's doing track and field and he just wrapped up like really good. I think they're still doing it. But like he is having a good track and field season. So that, you know, it impacts things a little bit. But you came in with that, you felt good that Calvin Clements would nail down one of the other tackle spots and then you felt good that Kobe Baines would nail down one of the guard spots for you, right?

But the question was who's going to be the other tackle and who's going to be the other guard and there's some players for KU that are kind of versatile and can play around at different positions, possibly like Nolan Gurchika, he could play guard or tackle, like whatever you would kind of need him to be that give you options on what you want to do there. But I do think it's interesting when you look at the common names that have come up, it seems like tackle is more of a priority right now. And I think that makes sense. Allocation resources and stuff like that. The tackle position is on an island

more than the guard position is. And knowing you have Bryce Foster at center to come over and help that guard potentially, or it's easier for the running back to get that pressure coming through the middle than maybe that speed rusher on the outside, to where, I don't know, I guess it makes more sense to put more money like it just you're just talking about the most

important position on the field tackle. There's reason like tackles get drafted higher, get paid more and more often than guards necessarily. Right. So it makes sense that you would be going for this a little bit more. Plus then, if you have guys that can play multiple decisions, like if Tavaki Tuikovolotu or Nolan Gorchicka can play guard or tackle, and then you bring in a good tackle, then just those two guys become in competition for guard. Right? And that kind of helps out the KU depth that you'd also have guys

where one of them would be coming off the bench and could play either and be a swing player for you. So Davis specifically, he's logged over 1400 snaps at South Alabama, he's got basically a career PFF grade of around 58. But the pass block grade this past season really good almost a 76 pass block grade run blocking game, not as good. But I also think you do have to like take into account some of these because some of the like blocking grades that you see on these guys, I think a lot of them would actually,

I know it's counterintuitive to be like, oh, you'd be jumping up a level in competition, your grades are gonna get better. But I do think offensive line is such a position that is, like the coaching matters a ton, the scheme matters a ton, the play calling matters a ton and how you protect your offensive lineman, right? I mean, if you have smaller offensive lineman who are who are like quicker athletes, doesn't make sense to just hang in there all the time and run straight up the gut on the other team.

No, you want to move the pocket. You want to get the lineman out running on screens or downfield on runs or option plays, right? Kansas does a good job of doing those things, and it makes linemen, I think, play better to their skill set and look better when you do those things, right? I mean, it's obvious like that's the thing with coaching. Good coaches are going to make players look even better because they're going to be able to take advantage of their skill sets. So even though it would be a jump in competition, I look at it and say,

OK, he's a good pass blocker. And could you take advantage more of some of his get rid of some of his weaknesses and run blocking or something? The other guy was Macklin Thomas. I don't know if that's right. We pronounce it. He's an Arkansas state transfer who was visiting Virginia. And according to Greg Media, he is somebody who Kansas is interested in. He was a former all Sunbelt second team selection. Somebody who's logged almost 2400 snaps

over four years at Arkansas State. And this past season had a 73 PFF Greg, the year before that 70. Pass block rated the last two years 77 and 86. So that's somebody who's probably going to have stern competition for, but he would certainly be a big time ad if a lights light bulb and company could reel him in. Let's finish up NFL Draft Day for Devin Neal, Kobe Bryant, and many other

Jayhawks. Could they get picked? Where could they get picked? And what does it all mean for KU Football's program? Today's episode of the show is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. The NBA playoffs are almost here, and FanDuel has given new customers an incredible way to get in on the action. Right now when you join FanDuel and place your first $5 bet, you'll get $250 in bonus bets if your first bet wins. You might have bet on some first round draft picks, you might be betting on the NBA playoffs

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Claim your $250 in bonus bets today with FanDuel. Thanks for joining us on this episode of Locked on Jayhawks. Don't forget to make it your first listen every day. And thank you that every day is catching each and every show. You can find Locked on College Football or Locked on College Basketball for a second listen every day. All right. So NFL draft for KU, no players go in the first round. Not that that was expected necessarily.

There are some guys that could be going on day two and especially going to be some guys if they don't go on day two They could be going on day three. So Devin Neal there was NFL mock draft Consensus there's a site that Looks at all the mock drafts and kind of puts a consensus Devin Neal 119 there So that kind of puts him in the range of being like a third to fourth round pick Logan Brown at 148 puts him in the range of like fourth to fifth round pick. Kobe Bryant at 149, same thing there.

Melodots in a 225 that kind of puts him in the range of six to seventh round draft pick. And then Bryce Cable do 237, kind of same thing, six to seventh, if not undrafted there. Undrafted range, but still ranked on there as well. Quentin Skinner, Michael Ford and LJ Arnold. And what I find interesting here is the amount of players KU could have drafted. One is a little weird coming off a year in which you went five and seven

and didn't even make a bowl game, but it also shows the progression of this program and the talent that they are really producing, that they are developing, that they are putting out there. So you can go back and find years like 1957 and 1962 and so forth that have Kansas getting like more than a handful of players picked in the draft But a lot of those in the early draft were like drafts were like you're gonna see like oh this guy was taken in the 11th Round this guy was taken in the 20th round But if we're looking at times where Kansas had because if you look at it

Devin Neal should get drafted, Logan Brown should get drafted, Kobe Bryant should get drafted. Those are three guys I feel confident will get drafted at some point. And in the case of Neal Brown and Bryant, I don't think it would shock me if any of them went in the third round necessarily, right? That's three guys. Can you get a fourth between one of Mello or Bryce Cable do? I think you can. It'll be close.

And maybe even you could get a fifth if all of them you'll go. But I do feel really good about at least those first three. And honestly, I kind of do think Melodotson could get drafted. But if we look back to times that KO has had four players selected in the first seven rounds of the NFL draft, it's not a long list. 1969, and that was the year after that was the draft after they lost in the Orange Bowl to Penn State on the 12th man. But you had Bobby Douglas, Vernon Vanoi,

John Zook, Keith Christensen. You did it in 1974, that was after they made the Liberty Bowl. Don Goody, who was a first round pick. Delvin Williams, Mitch Sutton, and then David James, your quarterback. 1976 you did it, which was after a Sun Bowl appearance. Kurt Knopf, Eddie Lewis, Dave Scott, and Steve Taylor.

Then 1986, you went six and six that year, so that one would be closer to this one. You had Alvin Walton, Len Williams, Mike Norsef, and Johnny Holloway. And then 1995, this one makes sense. It was coming off that 10-win Aloha Bowl season, which you had Dorian Brew, Rod Jones, Chris Banks, and L.T. Levine.

And then obviously the Orange Bowl season. 2008 draft, Keeb Tuleib in the first, Anthony Collins, Derek Fine, Marcus Banks, and L.T. Levine. And then obviously the Orange Bowl season, 2008 draft, Keeb to leave in the first, Anthony Collins, Derek Fine, Marcus Henry also get drafted. There actually are some times where they've had more draft picks than that though. If you look back to, because again, if Kansas can get those three with Neil Brown and Bryant and then you get those two of Dotson and Cable,

that would give them five. you have to go back to 1975 which oddly was coming off a four and seven season similar to this one and you have five players drafted Emmett Edwards Bruce Adams Robert Miller Steve toll and Mike lemon and Honestly, what's crazy like this? This is just a quick side because you might heard me say 1974 1975 and 1976 were part of these four or five men classes. That means that that 1974 team that went 7-4-1 and lost in the Liberty Bowl, they had nine players that would get drafted in the next two drafts, and they have 13 players that would get drafted in the next three. And it's like, how did they even lose four games? How did they go 7-4-1, which is like

fine record, but it's not something that like jumps off the page. The reason for that, when you go look at the teams, they played on their schedule. Oklahoma, who was 10-0-1 that year, finished ranked third. Nebraska finished ranked seventh. Missouri finished 17th, although Kansas beat them and finished ranked 18th. So that makes sense.

Although makes it even wackier, Kansas lost to Tennessee, who finished ranked 19th, one spot behind all that. But anyway, if it went the holy grail, by the way, I don't think kids can be able to do this this year, but maybe in a future year with the way Lance Leipold has gotten things rolling at KU football. Six players drafted in the first seven rounds.

Again, it was happening one time, 1977. So right after that run of all those guys drafted that I just mentioned. Mike Butler, who went in the top 10 of the draft. Nolan Cromwell in the second round. Terry Beeson in the second. Laverne Smith in the fourth. Skip Sharp in the fifth.

And then Chris Golub in the seventh. But anyway, history lasting over. Hopefully a fun couple of days for Jayhawks in the NFL draft. That'll do it for this episode of Locked on Jayhawks. You can find our show anywhere you podcast podcasts, including on our YouTube page. We'll see you next time. If there's any breaking news over the weekend, if not, catch you back on Monday. Probably more transfer portal talk for either KU football or KU basketball.

See you then on LOJ.