4-star DE Steven Parker commits to Kansas

Part of the ripple effect of Texas Tech’s decision to part ways with Coach Kliff Kingsbury came on the recruiting trail. Days after the firing, the Red Raiders lost a commitment from 4-star defensive end Steven Parker.

A top-20 weakside edge-rusher in the Class of 2019, Parker has since turned his attention to likes of Nebraska and Kansas, though Texas Tech was able to lure him back to Lubbock days after reopening his recruitment for an official visit. He made official stops at Nebraska (Jan. 11) and Kansas (Feb. 1) right before National Signing Day.

As Les Miles looks to assemble a roster in the same mold as his championship LSU squads, it will begin in bulking up in the trenches, most notably along the defensive line. After the Early Signing Period, the Jayhawks had one defensive end on board and a need to stock up on pass rushers. Parker gives Kansas a 6-foot-6, 220-pound sack artist off the edge, built very similarly to the one he had in Baton Rouge named Arden Key.

Parker is lean and will need to add some muscle to his frame, but he possesses great speed and quickness off the edge, and has a knack for stripping the football. He should be an enforcer in due time for the Jayhawks and Miles as they look to counter high-powered Big 12 offenses with a dangerous edge-rusher.

Texas Tech signed a pair of defensive linemen in December, but neither project as true pass-rushers and needed give Matt Wells’ team a legitimate threat off the edge. Even after Parker’s decommitment, he made his way back to Lubbock and continued to give the Red Raiders serious consideration, largely due to family ties to the area. However, falling short on the in-state product will hurt Tech’s chances of establishing a formidable defense to cling to in the Big 12.

Nebraska signed four defensive linemen in December, including a trio of 4-stars, so the cupboard is not bare after missing out on Parker. Adding the Dallas-area edge-rusher would have been a luxury for the Huskers as Scott Frost tried to make his mark in the Lone Star State and further concoct a dangerous pass rush. The Huskers, however, should be fine.