Kansas football announces addition of 8 new players, including Topeka native Ky Thomas

LAWRENCE — Kansas football fans likely knew their names, but now eight prospects’ places with the program are official.

The Jayhawks announced Monday the addition of seven transfers from other Division I teams, as well as one high school recruit. All eight are spring enrollees who are on campus with their teammates already. They are defensive end Lonnie Phelps (Miami (Ohio)), cornerback Kalon Gervin (Michigan State), linebacker Eriq Gilyard (UCF), linebacker Craig Young (Ohio State), running back Ky Thomas (Minnesota), running back Sevion Morrison (Nebraska), offensive lineman Nolan Gorczyca (Buffalo) and tight end Max Dowling (high school).

“This is an exciting day for Kansas Football, adding a group of such versatile and accomplished players to our program,” Kansas head coach Lance Leipold said in a release. “Our staff did an excellent job identifying the types of players we want to build with both on and off the field. It’s a tremendous advantage to have these student-athletes already on campus with our returning players, working hard to prepare for the 2022 season.”

Here’s a look at each player, and what they bring to the program.

Kalon Gervin

Gervin is listed as a 5-foot-11, 190-pound cornerback and a redshirt junior. He joins the Jayhawks after 23 appearances for the Spartans with nine starts in four seasons. Across those games he had 44 tackles, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery that he returned for a score.

Out of high school, Gervin was a 247Sports Composite four-star talent out of Michigan. He was rated as a three-star prospect in the transfer portal.

Eriq Gilyard

Gilyard is listed as a 5-foot-11, 228-pound linebacker and a redshirt junior. He joins the Jayhawks after 38 appearances for the Knights with 23 starts in four seasons. Across those games he had 199 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, a couple of interceptions and a sack.

Out of high school, Gilyard was a 247Sports composite three-star talent out of Florida. He was rated as a three-star prospect in the transfer portal.

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Nolan Gorczyca

Gorczyca is listed as a 6-foot-6, 289-pound offensive lineman and a redshirt freshman. He joins the Jayhawks after spending the 2021 season with the Bulls. He made four appearances for Buffalo.

Out of high school, Gorczyca was a 247Sports composite three-star talent out of Nebraska. He was rated as a three-star prospect in the transfer portal.

Sevion Morrison

Morrison is listed as a 6-foot-0, 210-pound running back and a redshirt sophomore. He joins the Jayhawks after making seven appearances for the Huskers in two seasons. Across those games, he had 116 yards rushing and three touchdowns in 30 attempts.

Out of high school, Morrison was a 247Sports composite four-star talent out of Oklahoma. He was rated as a three-star prospect in the transfer portal.

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Lonnie Phelps

Phelps is listed as a 6-foot-3, 244-pound defensive end and a junior. He joins the Jayhawks after making 29 appearances for the RedHawks in three seasons. Across those games, he had 56 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 14 sacks.

Out of high school, Phelps was a 247Sports composite three-star talent out of Ohio. He was rated as a three-star prospect in the transfer portal.

Ky Thomas

Thomas is listed as a 5-foot-11, 205-pound running back and a sophomore. He joins the Jayhawks after making nine appearances with four starts for the Golden Gophers in two seasons. Across those games, he had 824 rushing yards and six scores in 166 attempts.

Out of high school, Thomas was a 247Sports composite three-star talent out of Topeka, Kansas. He was rated as a three-star prospect in the transfer portal.

Craig Young

Young is listed as a 6-foot-3, 223-pound linebacker and a redshirt junior. He joins the Jayhawks after 26 appearances with the Buckeyes in three seasons. His career there included an interception returned for a touchdown.

Out of high school, Young was a 247Sports composite three-star talent out of Indiana. He was rated as a three-star prospect in the transfer portal.

Max Dowling

Dowling is listed as a 6-foot-6, 225-pound tight end and freshman. He’s from Buffalo, New York, but spent the 2021 season at Palmetto Preparatory Academy in South Carolina after previously attending Canisius High School in New York. According to 247Sports, he is a walk-on.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas football announces seven transfers, one new high school recruit