Kansas Football Recruiting Analysis: Charlie Weis Gets 'C-' From ESPN For 2012 Class

National Signing Day was going to be a bit of a challenge for the Kansas Jayhawks this year. After all, no matter how much hype came with hiring Charlie Weis as the team's new head football coach, it's hard to erase the losing of the last few years after Mark Mangino's firing. That said, a "C-" grade from ESPN is not that inspiring.

ESPN's scouting report reads, "This is a small class, especially in regards to high school prospects, and is really heavy on junior college prospects and transfers. The headliners of this class are quarterback transfers Dayne Crist (Notre Dame) and Jake Heaps (BYU), but with the loss of Seth Russell the class lacks a promising prep signal-caller to start grooming.

"Tight end Jordan Smith (Waco, Texas/Reicher) can contribute as a blocker and receiver. He has good hands and can help move the chains. Smith is a tough football player who plays hard and with a bit of an edge and will be a productive, get-it-done type of player for a Kansas program trying to turn things around. Amongst the small group of prep signings are some solid prospects such as guard Brian Beckmann (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley) and defensive tackle Tyler Holmes (Sachse, Texas), but the group does not feature any prospects who show high potential to make an impact."

Kansas Football Recruiting Class Might Not Be Finished Just Yet

On Wednesday Kansas football recruits put pen to paper and Charlie Weis and the Jayhawks were able to announce their 2012 recruiting class. At the end of the day the Kansas class didn’t draw a lot of attention on paper. Perhaps the biggest splash came in the form of several high profile transfers that don’t really count toward the class when pundits are ranking the group. But when we look back and evaluate what Weis and his staff have done to improve this team in their first offeason, we might tell a different story down the line.

Kansas leaned heavily on the junior college circuit bringing in eight different players that Weis anticipates will compete for time immediately. The Jayhawks addressed glaring holes on the defensive line and completely revamped the quarterback position in the process. It was a strategy that Weis took with the goal of trying to win games now. Kansas isn’t talking two years, three years or five years and while Weis can’t put an exact number on it, his goal is pretty simple.

I think you have an ethical responsibility. Dayne (Crist) didn’t come in here and say, ‘Hey, let’s go 2-10 again.’ That’s not why he came here. I don’t know how many games we’re going to win. I’m not going to make that mistake of making projections, but I do know without a doubt you have an ethical responsibility to your older guys first and (you have to) do all you can to win as many games as you can.

That philosophy is a refreshing glance at how Weis has further taken a page from the Bill Snyder book and tried to apply it to Kansas. Snyder has long been known for effectively using the junior college circuit to infuse his program with talent and take teams to a level beyond expectations. While some might not want this to be the long term template, it’s certainly a good place to start.

What’s more interesting is that it might be just that, a start. During his press conference Weis talked about the individuals in this class. He pointed to certain glaring holes that were addresses, but also mentioned that some were not. The good news for Kansas fans is that he indicated a few extra players will still join the program.

“In the not too distant future, we have some additional reinforcements that we already have agreements with that they will be coming. Really, I cannot give their names at this point because they are still at colleges and at other institutions and will be graduating in May. There are multiple guys that fall into that category as well, so as you are trying to do the math, you have to understand that several of those holes have already been filled, just with names of guys that I can’t give you at this time.”

Long story short, Weis has more players like Dayne Crist who are planning to take advantage of the transfer rule that allows players who have graduated to go and complete their eligibility at another institution without sitting out a year as per the normal transfer guidelines. This is a low risk, high reward approach that brings in upperclassman who are looking for an opportunity and if things don’t work out it doesn’t effect recruiting numbers beyond that one year.

The approach is something that Weis says he will always be open to, but it’s probably a unique situation this year in terms of the number that we might see. Overall you can grade a class, evaluate it and break it down, but it’s sometimes hard to measure the impact until you see the product on the field. Weis is making some major culture type changes in the Kansas program and that probably makes his class and the Kansas situation even more difficult to judge. At the end of the day, the one good thing you can say RIGHT NOW is that people are talking Kansas football in February and that hasn’t always been the case.

Schlyer Miles Picks Kansas Over Florida And West Virginia

Charlie Weis and Kansas have pulled another late surprise in their second signing day announcement of the day. This time that announcement comes out of the State of Florida where Weis has managed to pull linebacker Schyler Miles away from the home state Florida Gators.

Miles instantly becomes the biggest high school signing for the Jayhawks in this last minute class as he chooses Kansas over Florida and future Big 12 opponent West Virginia.

Weis recruited Miles during his time at Florida and it was that relationship that allowed Kansas to move in and bring Miles to Lawrence for a visit. This is a solid addition to the Jayhawk class and a potential foundational type player at the linebacker position going forward.

Kansas Recruiting 2012: Charlie Weis Lands Cornerback Nasir Moore

Just after word spread that Charlie Weis lost out on one cornerback who would have certainly helped the defensive backfield, he ends up landing what some call a surprise in a commitment from Nasir Moore on National Signing Day 2012. Moore had eight interceptions last year for East Los Angeles (Calif.) College.

Moore is a 6-4, 185 lb. cornerback who runs a 4.32 40-yard dash. He also has a 37 inch vertical leap.

Moore was a big part of a strong defense at ELAC. Yahoo! Sports notes, “ELAC’s defense, which allows 22.1 points and 333.6 yards per game, is led by cornerback Tyrone Moore. Moore leads the team with 47 tackles while strong safety Robert Felton, who has three interceptions, is second with 43 tackles. Other key defensive contributors include Nasir Moore, Christopher Floyd and Justin Munoz.”

Moore also ran track and field in high school and can play on the offensive side at wide receiver.

Kansas Football Recruiting: V'Angelo Bentley Reportedly Headed To Illinois Instead Of Jayhawks

Charlie Weis might be losing one of his targets today as Matt Tait has word that V’Angelo Bentley is reportedly ready to sign with Illinois rather than Kansas. It’s a tale of two new coaches fighting for their first class and it appears Tim Beckman is going to win this one over Weis.

V’Angelo Bentley is listed as the No. 54 cornerback in the country and he certainly would have helped a porous pass defense that ultimately led to Turner Gill’s demise at Kansas. Bentley can also help in the return game.

Rivals also confirms Bentley’s signing and notes, “When Tim Beckman took over as head coach at Illinois in December he already knew the recruiting landscape in the Midwest from having led Toledo’s program the previous three years. That experience taught him that one of the region’s most prolific prep programs is Glenville High in Cleveland, and Beckman has dipped into the Tarblooder’s talent pool for a second time in the 2012 class.”

Kansas Football Recruiting: Brian Beckmann Stays Local To Join KU's Offensive Line

Brian Beckmann followed through on the commitment he made to Turner Gill and decided to stick with the changes to sign with Kansas. The offensive lineman is a good local player who will make the offensive line better in time, and it’s nice to see a kid stay local and stick through changes, something that’s undoubtedly difficult to do.

SB Nation’s Rock Chalk Talk has the word:

Beckmann played alongside current Jayhawk Dylan Admire at Blue Valley West during his junior year and Admire’s senior season. Beckmann is one of the top ranked offensive lineman in the state of Kansas but his senior year didn’t necessarily go smoothly. Early on Beckmann sustained a shoulder injury and he missed nearly the entire season for Blue Valley West which probably helped Kansas in retaining the local product.

Beckmann earned his offer at the Kansas offensive/defensive lineman camp last summer and ultimately chose the Jayhawks over Kansas State early in the process. Joining a former teammate certainly couldn’t have hurt. Now Beckmann joins a program where he’ll have time to develop under offensive line coach Tim Grunhard.

Check out more KU recruiting news there at Rock Chalk Talk.

Kansas Football Recruiting: Greg Allen Chooses Jayhawks Over Boise State, Utah

Charlie Weis is going to fill out the rest of his first overall draft class today for the Kansas Jayhawks football team, and Greg Allen is a nice addition to the defensive backfield. The three-star defensive back from Houston reportedly chose Kansas over others like Boise State and was even committed to Utah at one point. His 4.3 speed will certainly work well on the defensive end, which was a major issue last year under Turner Gill.

Yahoo! Sports reports, “Alief Taylor defensive back Greg Allen faxed in his letter of intent to Kansas and is now the newest Kansas Jayhawk. Allen committed to Kansas in January and was recruited by Buddy Wyatt.”

Weis has already brought in bigger recruits like Dayne Crist and Jake Heaps at the quarterback position, but it’s going to be the defensive additions like Allen and others that will turn the program around. After all, KU’s defense was among the worst in college football last year and that has to be the primary leak to plug.

National Signing Day: Charlie Weis Finds Another Quarterback As Jayhawks Pick Up Turner Baty

After visiting Lawrence over the week, junior college quarterback Turner Baty has made his decision to join the Kansas football program when he gave Charlie Weis and staff a verbal commitment on Tuesday.

Baty, 6'2" 225 lbs comes from City College of San Francisco, and according to Rivals.com, the Jayhawks were his lone offer. The three-star did have interest from many big time programs, including Big 12 foe Oklahoma.

The pro-style quarterback tallied quite the stats on the field in 2011, throwing for 3,149 yards and 22 touchdown passes.

Baty will have three season of eligibility once he arrives, as he will likely be behind recent transfer Dayne Crist of Notre Dame, and Jake Heaps of BYU.

Originally from New Canaan, Connecticut, Baty lead his high school team to a state title in high school while garnering All-State honors. You can check out footage of him from high school on youtube.

Also of note, cornerback Sean Draper of Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio has verbaled to the University of Iowa. Draper had visited KU over the weekend before choosing the Hawkeyes.

For more signing day coverage, make sure to check out Rock Chalk Talk, the home for KU athletics on SB Nation's network of blogs.

Kansas Football Recruiting: Jayhawks Land Three More Commits

The Kansas Jayhawks continue to have the commitments pour in from high school prospects prior to National Signing Day on February 1. Three new commits came in over the past weekend.

According to the Topeka Capital-Journal, the Jayhawks received commits from two defenders and a two-way player. Defensive tackle Jordan Tavai from El Camino Community College in California, selected KU over Texas Tech. Tavai is a three-star consensus prospect. Tavai marks the fourth JuCo lineman to commit to Kansas in the 2012 class.

Linebacker Courtney Arnick is also a three-star prospect from Dallas Carter High who had offers from Boise State, Memphis and Houston. Athlete Tyree Williams also committed to Kansas. He is a two-star athlete from Sugar Land, TX. Williams selected the Jayhawks over SMU.

For all news and information regarding the Kansas Jayhawks, please visit Rock Chalk Talk. For wall-to-wall coverage on National Signing Day 2012, head on over to SB Nation's dedicated college football recruiting hub.

Kansas Football Recruiting: Chaquil Reed Switches Commitment To Kansas State

Although the Charlie Weis has picked up quite a few commitments this week for his first Kansas Jayhawks squad in the fall, it appears as though he may have lost at least one.

According to Matt Tait of LJWorld, Butler County CC defensive lineman Chaquil Reed appears to have switched his commitment from the Jayhawks to the rival Kansas St. Wildcats. Tait reports that Reed has not officially announced his commitment to the Wildcats just yet, but that is expected to happen at some point on Tuesday.

Reed is a strongside defensive end who is a consensus three-star recruit from Wichita. He was the 33rd-highest defensive end in the 2010 Rivals rankings.

For more on the Jayhawks, check out Rock Chalk Talk. For updates on Kansas State, head over to Bring on the Cats. For everything college football, visit SB Nation's college football news hub.Click the link for more on National Signing Day 2012.

Kansas Football Recruiting: Busy Final Days For Charlie Weis As National Signing Day Approaches

Kansas capped off an impressive weekend as Monday they added their third recruit over the last two days as Charlie Weis tries to close ground on finalizing his first recruiting class by Wednesday's national signing day.

Tyree Williams of Sugar Land, Texas became the 14th member of the 2012 class (not counting transfers from other four-year schools), when the 6'0" 190 lb athlete picked the Jayhawks. After visiting Lawrence over the week, he choose the Big 12 school over offers from North Texas, SMU, and UTEP.

Williams spoke highly of the new coaching staff to the Lawrence Journal World -

"I felt like it was the right spot for me," Williams told Kirby. "I thought coach (Charlie) Weis and Dave Campo are great coaches. I want to be a part of the turnaround at Kansas. I love the coaching staff and how they interacted with the players."

Also picking Kansas over the week were JUCO defensive tackle Jordan Tavai from El Camino Community College and linebacker Courtney Arnick of Carter High School in Dallas.

Tavai, 6'3" 280 lbs is originally from Manhattan Beach, California and was the defensive MVP this past season in the National Northern Conference. He picked the Jayhawks over offers from Texas Tech and Washington State.

Arnick also visited Lawrence this past weekend and the 6'2" 200 lb outside linebacker had a list of offers than included Boise State and Houston.

Tavai and Arnick both have three stars according to Rivals.com, while Williams in a two-star.

Texas has been an area Kansas has zoned in on as this team looks to build. Of the 14 current commits, six come from the Lone Star State.

The other commits for Kansas include-

Greg Allen Defensive Back - Alief Taylor HS Houston, Texas

Sean Connolly Offensive Tackle - St. Edward HS Lakewood, Ohio

Charles Brooks Tight End - Scottsdale Community College in Arizona

Josh Ford Wide Receiver - Arizona Western Community College

Taylor Cox Running Back - College of the Siskiyous in California

Tyler Holmes Defensive Tackle - Sachse HS Sachse, Texas

Tre Parmalee Wide Receiver - Bishop Miege HS Overland Park, Kansas

Keon Stowers Defensive End - Georgia Military College

Ty McKinney Defensive Tackle - Trinity Valley Community College in Texas

Jordan Smith Tight End - Reicher HS Waco, Texas

Brian Beckmann Offensive Tackle - Blue Valley West HS Overland Park, KS

Turner Baty Takes Official Visit To Kansas, Charlie Weis

The Kansas Jayhawks received an official visit last week from Junior College quarterback prospect Turner Baty. The Jayhawks already have Dayne Crist and Jake Heaps arriving on campus but may also be the front runner to land Baty who described his visit as going "exceedingly well."

Baty is a 6-foot-3, 220 pound redshirt freshman from City College of San Francisco where he completed 200 of 317 passing attempts for 2,796 yards and 30 touchdowns while only being intercepted five times.

Crist will be in his final year of eligibility and is expected to begin the 2012 season as the starter. Heaps will sit out the upcoming season per the NCAA's transfer rule. Baty would provide even more depth and would in theory join the competition to be Crist's backup with incumbent starter Jordan Webb.

For more on the Jayhawks, check out Rock Chalk Talk. For everything college football, vist SB Nation's college football news hub.

Jake Heaps Ready To Live Up To Former No. 1 Ranking Out Of High School For Kansas

As signing day comes down to the final stretch, teams are beginning to have an idea of what they'll have in stock for the 2012 football season. For the Kansas Jayhawks, one position that they hopefully won't have to worry about for the next three years is quarterback.

Former Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist has been installed as the starter immediately after signing with the Jayhawks, and when Crist finishes up his final year of eligibility, the former No. 1 quarterback in America in a few years ago will have his chance at the Kansas reigns.

Jake Heaps story is an interesting one, and the final chapters have yet to be written. His former coach thinks he still has a great shot at playing in the NFL, and Heaps seems to have found a real comfort in the college town of Lawrence and the coaching staff.

"It is a second chance," Heaps said. "We had our first opportunities, and none of us expected to be sitting here today in Kansas when we had all committed to different places. You don’t go in expecting that it’s not going to work out, but at the end of the day, things happen for a reason. We’re all here and excited. In our minds, we couldn’t be in a better situation with Coach Weis and the rest of the staff."

As a freshman Heaps started 10 games for the Cougars and broke every freshman quarterback record. Heaps won four of the Cougars last five regular season games and finished with a record of 7-6. After five games into his sophomore year, Heaps lost his starting gig to Riley Cooper.

For more on the Jayhawks, visit Rock Chalk Talk. For everything college football, head on over to SB Nation's college football news hub.

2012 National Signing Day: Sean Draper Visiting Kansas Friday

As National Signing Day is quickly approaching, high school recruits are making their final visits to schools around the country. According to ESPN, Cleveland-area three-star recruit, cornerback Sean Draper, plans on making the trip to Lawrence, Kan. on Friday to check out the University of Kansas Jayhawks football program.

Draper will be make his fifth and final official visit when he travels to Lawrence, Kan. The Jayhawks began picking up interest in Draper when Charlie Weis was named coach in December.

New Jayhawks defensive coordinator and secondary coach Dave Campo, a former NFL head coach and assistant, has already made a big impression on Draper and his family.

Draper has already visited Pittsburgh, Louisville, Iowa and Hawaii and was considering visiting the University of Illinois with his final college visit. National Signing Day is on Feb. 1, which is just six days away.

For more information on the Kansas Jayhawks, take a look at Rock Chalk Talk.

Charlie Weis Hire At Kansas Graded An 'F' By Sports Illustrated

Dayne Crist Focused On Kansas Success, Not NFL Potential

Dayne Crist has no choice but to become a one-year wonder for the Kansas Jayhawks. If anything, he's hoping that the word "wonder" comes true after all. The former Notre Dame quarterback is the new transfer to the KU program following former head coach Charlie Weis, and it's apparent that he's likeliest to start the 2012 season for the Jayhawks. But with only one year of eligibility, it'd be difficult to blame him for thinking about life after college football.

Yet Crist says that's not the truth at all and that his primary concern is on his current position as Kansas quarterback.

"At this point, that’s not a conversation that I’m having," said Crist on possible life in the NFL. "The conversation that I’m having is, how are we gonna be successful on offense at Kansas? That’s the most important thing to me right now."

That said, it's clear that Crist didn't just want to finish his college career or even get a diploma. No player transfers and chooses between schools like KU or Wisconsin unless there is an instant opportunity to perform well. Wisconsin's Russell Wilson just did the same thing and likely vaulted up NFL draft boards with a stellar season in his one year with the Badgers. Crist has to hope for the same, despite his recent comments.

If Crist performs well, however, the rest will take care of itself. That's a lesson he can learn from Wilson.

Dayne Crist Says Kansas Head Coach Charlie Weis Is 'Greatest Offensive Mind' He's Been Around

The Kansas Jayhawks’ primary problems were on defense last year, a unit that executed so poorly that it placed them among the worst in college football. So it was an interesting hire for Kansas AD Sheahon Zenger when bringing in Charlie Weis to become the new head coach to replace Turner Gill. After all, Weis is known for his offensive prowess, not his defensive schemes. Still, Weis brings not only a keen mind for offensive schemes but one that is renowned in both the professional and collegiate world.

New quarterback Dayne Crist said as much in a recent interview. “He’s the greatest offensive mind I’ve ever been around. So playing for him as an offensive player is very, very exciting. He’s just so knowledgeable with everything in terms of schemes and personnel and ways to take advantage of defenses. It’s really fun to play for him.”

It will be interesting to see how Weis’ first year goes in Lawrence, but having an experienced quarterback to lead his offense is going to make the transition on one side of the ball that much easier. If Weis can find a way to even bring the KU defense back to average, then that will be a major leap and the team can expect to add a couple of wins under their belt.

BYU's Bronco Mendenhall Believes Jake Heaps Will Play Quarterback In NFL

By now you’ve probably heard that the Kansas Jayhawks recruited two new quarterbacks yesterday in one of the most memorable recruiting days on record for KU. Charlie Weis had fans quite excited yesterday about transfers Dayne Crist from Notre Dame and Jake Heaps from BYU. But while most of the attention was on Crist, who will immediately be the favorite to start in 2012, Heaps might be the more promising of the two.

That’s because his current coach at BYU, Bronco Mendenhall, believes that Heaps has pro potential. As he recently told the Deseret news of his frustration that Heaps was leaving:

“I would much rather have had Jake stay. I wanted him to stay. I love him as a young man and he has such great football skill,” Mendenhall said. "I’ve said many times that I believe he is an NFL quarterback. I thought he would have done a great job leading our football program here.

“I was hopeful that the hard, valuable lessons of watching another quarterback while biding your time through a redshirt year next year would have been what he chose. But I agreed to help him. That’s what I’ve continued to do through the transfer process. I wish he would have chosen to be here.”

Even more revealing is that Heaps started more as a freshman at BYU than any other quarterback in their storied history — one that also features names like Ty Detmer, Steve Young, Max Hall and Jim McMahon. Heaps will sit out this season and then will have two years left to play at KU. While Crist will provide some headlines and notoriety for this year, it might be Heaps who pays the most dividends for KU in the long run.

Reunion With Charlie Weis At Kansas Is 'Good Home' For Dayne Crist

Dayne Crist is following his heart to Kansas, and with it Charlie Weis. The move is one welcomed by Kansas fans and even Notre Dame's Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick says the move is good for both parties.

"I’m thrilled for Dayne," Swarbrick told the New York Times Pete Thamel. "He’s one of the great young men to ever be with us and he found a good home."

"I think it’s a pretty good case for a rule people criticize working well," Swarbrick said. "He completed his degree and during his time here couldn’t have contributed more to the university and the community. Now through the graduate-exception rule he has another year of football at another great school."

KU fans are going to place a lot of hope in that first year -- maybe unfairly so. It takes more than just a quarterback and coaching change to turn around a last place team that failed to win a single game in the Big 12 this season. Yet it clearly signals a turning of the corner for KU. If they have hopes of leaving the conference basement, then importing a former five-star quarterback isn't a bad place to start.

Dayne Crist To Kansas: 'Business Decision' And Familiarity With Weis Led Notre Dame QB To Jayhawks

Newly committed Kansas quarterback Dayne Crist told TheShiver.com that his decision to transfer to Kansas University was purely one of "business," and that the chance to play for his former coach Charlie Weis and a familiarity with the system set to be implemented at KU led him to Lawrence:

"It’s not something I’ve forgotten", said Crist on his recollection of the Weis’ offense. "I played in it for two years and have a real familiarity with it. I’m excited to see the rest of the guys on offense. We watched a little bit of film while I was there and I’ve already seen those guys play a little bit so it’s going to be exciting to put it all together."

The only other BCS option for Crist was filling the shoes of another one-and-done senior transfer - departing quarterback Russell Wilson at Wisconsin:

"It came down to Wisconsin, Delaware, and Kansas", said Crist. "At the end of the day, I just had the best feeling about Kansas and knew it was the best fit for me. Being able to play for Coach Weis again, and being familiar with the offense, and playing with the other guys at Kansas, is going to be very exciting and is something I just couldn’t pass up."

For more on the Jayhawks, check out Rock Chalk Talk. For everything college football, vist SB Nation's college football news hub.

Will Jordan Webb Leave Kansas Football Due To Jake Heaps, Dayne Crist?

First it was Dayne Crist. Then came Jake Heaps. Suddenly, Kansas Jayhawks football fans were christening both as the starting quarterbacks for the next two seasons — the junior and senior years ahead for incumbent starter Jordan Webb. And while both quarterbacks are hardly a sure thing and are only around for one year apiece, you have to wonder just how Jordan Webb is feeling right now given the attention paid to the newcomers by both the head coach and the fan base.

Of course, even Webb himself would have to admit that this last year was miserable for Kansas football. The Jayhawks went 2-10 overall and were winless in the Big 12. While their in-state rivals find life despite the lack of high-profile recruits and are playing in the Cotton Bowl, the post-Mark Mangino years have been devoid of any success to speak of. Thus it’s hard to fault Webb for a poor overall results.

In fact, Webb was just a sophomore this year and had been the starting quarterback at KU for most of the last two years. That sort of commitment, growth and maturity has to count for something. Even though he was often forced to throw early and often given the losing situations KU would find itself in game after game, Webb upped his completion percentage from 56.5 percent his freshman year to 63.7 this year. Given more talent around him, it’s possible Webb would be a decent starter in the Big 12.

It’s hard to tell what will happen at this point given that everyone is in celebratory mode over the dual commits that Charlie Weis received today from Heaps and Crist. However, no one could fault Webb for wanting out. It’s clear he’s not wanted here and that his only chance will be if someone else falters. Fair or not, he cannot change the fact that he’s caught in the middle of a complete overhaul of KU football. While it’s what everyone has wanted, some good people can get caught up in the undertow.

BYU QB Jake Heaps Transfers To Kansas

On the heels of former Notre Dame QB Dayne Crist's decision to join his old coach in Lawrence, Kansas football welcomed another highly-touted five-star QB in BYU transfer Jake Heaps Thursday.

Heaps, a 6'1 205 QB out of Washington, lost the Cougars' starting job five games into the 2011 season. In his two seasons in Provo, Heaps completed 57.2% of his passes for 3,768 yards, 24 TD's and 17 INT's.

A true sophomore, Heaps will use his redshirt year next season, giving him two years of eligibility in Kansas. 

With Crist slated to have one season of eligibility left as a graduating senior in 2012, Kansas football potentially has a five-star QB to run Weis' offense for the next three seasons.

And while neither player lived up to expectations in their first college stop, they were undoubtedly drawn to Kansas to play for Weis, who developed Tom Brady in New England and helped turn Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen into top picks at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame Transfer Dayne Crist Chooses The Jayhawks

After a whirlwind recruiting process between several schools, including Kansas, Wisconsin and Delaware, former Notre Dame QB Dayne Crist agreed to sign with the Jayhawks on Thursday:

dcrist10 Dayne Crist 

After a long & difficult decision making process, I'm incredibly excited to join the Kansas football team. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

14 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

Crist, a five-star recruit coming out of high school in Southern California, was one of new Kansas coach Charlie Weis' last recruits at Notre Dame.

A 6'4 235 pro-style QB, he was the Fighting Irish's starting QB in 2010 before injuring his knee and was the opening day starter in 2011 before being benched at half-time of the team's first game.

In three seasons in South Bend, Crist completed 58.9% of his passes for 2,327 yards, 16 TD's and 9 INT's.

He'll have one season of eligibility at Lawrence, where he'll be one of the most highly-touted QB's in school history, with Jayhawk fans undoubtedly hoping he'll have a season similar to the one NC State transfer Russell Wilson had at Wisconsin this year.

Weis' ability to get players like Crist on campus is a positive sign tor a program looking to rebound from hitting absolute rock bottom under Turner Gill for the last two seasons.

For the latest news and notes on Kansas football, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk.

Former Notre Dame QB Dayne Crist Still In Limbo With Decision On Kansas Vs. Wisconsin

Dayne Crist told the local media in South Bend that he plans on making a decision on where he will be quarterbacking in 2012 within the next week or so, as the fan bases of the Wisconsin Badgers and the Kansas Jayhawks wait with baited breath.

Will the influence of Charlie Weis be enough to bring Crist under center in Lawrence in 2012? Remains to be seen. Here's a perspective on Crist from KUsports.com:

As a high school senior in Canoga Park, Calif., Crist earned a five-star rating from Rivals.com and was ranked as the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the nation. His career at Notre Dame did not bring similar success. Two knee injuries cost him the better part of two seasons, and, after being named the starter for 2011, he was benched during the opening game of the season and appeared in just three games the rest of the way. Now, Crist, who has the look and feel of an NFL quarterback, is determined to prove he still can play. Whichever school he feels gives him the best shot of realizing his pro football dream may have an advantage. Of course, other factors also are in play.

February 1 is the official signing day for the Class of 2012, and junior-college transfers are allowed to sign from now up till January 15th.

For more on the Jayhawks, visit Rock Chalk Talk. For everything college football, head on over to SB Nation's college football news hub.

Dayne Crist And Jake Heaps Could Give Charlie Weis 'Most Important Recruiting Moment' At Kansas

Charlie Weis needs to pull off something amazing here. After all, if he fails to lure in Dayne Crist, the former Notre Dame quarterback who has one season of eligibility left starting in 2012, and/or Jake Heaps, the BYU transfer who will be eligible at quarterback starting in 2013, then Weis will be left with Jordan Webb, the incumbent Kansas quarterback who will feel like the leftovers on the roster. And that might prove to be too much to overcome.

As Charlie Weis publicly flirts with possible transfers to come in and help rejuvenate the KU offense, it’s also clear that he needs to pull something in to show that the “relevance” talked about by athletic director Sheahon Zenger is, in fact, a real thing. That’s what Dave Miller of the National Football Post writes about in his latest column:

Miller writes, "We know that Weis’ tenure will ultimately be defined by whether he’s able to field competent defenses and bring in solid recruits who are able to develop under this coaching staff. The Jayhawks have been unable to field enough speed to remain competitive in the Big 12, and the team’s youth hasn’t developed quickly enough to make a big impact.

“But having strong play at the quarterback position is a big start to the rebuilding project. And although Crist only has one year of eligibility remaining, a talent like Heaps could await in 2013 to give the Jayhawks potential stability for two consecutive seasons. In many ways, this could be the most important recruiting moment for Weis at his new home.”

Dayne Crist Checking Out Delaware, Wisconsin After Kansas Football Visit

Dayne Crist is scoping out the entire scene, and it’s hard to blame the former Notre Dame quarterback for wanting to make certain that his next stop is the best one for him. After all, he’s got one season left to try to turn in his most productive season in college football yet and make pro scouts turn their heads a la Russell Wilson at Wisconsin this season.

Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune reports that Crist has visited Delaware already this week and spent two days there. He’s also expected to his Wisconsin as well. Hamilton writes, "Delaware, in fact, was the first program to visit Crist in South Bend, Ind., after the erstwhile Irish starter received his release from coach Brian Kelly on Dec. 2, according a source familiar with the situation.

“The Blue Hens, a longtime Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) power, have been down the road of absorbing post-graduate Notre Dame players before. Former Irish players like Ronald Talley, Leo Ferrine and Junior Jabbie finished their careers at Delaware after not returning for fifth seasons in South Bend.”

If Crist likes Kansas enough, it should win considering his former head coach Charlie Weis is now leading the program here. But if KU football is not deemed the best opportunity to succeed, Weis or not, it might not matter.

Charlie Weis To Kansas: Former Notre Dame Quaterback Dayne Crist To Visit KU, According To Reports

From the moment Charlie Weis was confirmed as Kansas' next coach on Thursday afternoon, speculation swirled that his first recruiting coup would be former Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist. Pete Thamel of the New York Times is reporting that Cris will visit Kansas and meet with Weis tomorrow.

Crist was once considered the quarterback of the future for the Irish under Weis and his successor Brian Kelley, but was benched in Notre Dame's season opening loss to South Florida. Since that time he's slid to third on the depth chart behind Tommy Rees, who Crist previously beat out in spring practice for the starting job, and Andrew Hendrix.

Crist has played in 17 games for the Irish, completing 199 of 338 passes for 2,327 yards with 16 touchdown passes and nine INTs. He threw for only 164 yards and one interception in the 2011 season.

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