Commitment analysis: Louisiana DE Khari Coleman picks Kansas

Khari Coleman had drawn the attention of a large contingent of coaches over the past few months before Tennessee became his first Power 5 offers. Several other ACC and Big 12 schools followed suit before Coleman settled on a decision.

The three-star New Orleans-based defensive end committed to Kansas on Monday just days removed from an official visit to campus. Yet again, Les Miles made his presence felt in Louisiana landing a commitment from the talented lineman.

Coleman's stock shot up this spring after a fantastic junior season and an impressive showing at RCS New Orleans. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound weak-side pass-rusher has the frame and 4.5 speed, which translated to 15 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in 2018 and another 6.0 sacks.

Coleman is affectionately nicknamed "The Duke" and he wreaks havoc of the edge for Carver (La.) High School. At times, he has to play out of position, but that doesn't mean he still isn't a terror. He's explosive off the ball and can rush both inside and off the edge. He has great burst and he's agile. Coleman is disruptive in the backfield and often is able to make noise back there.

Kansas' ability to secure a commitment from Coleman should not be a surprise to anybody paying attention over the past three years. Area recruiter Tony Hull has been making a living off of recruiting The Boot. That began with players like Mike Lee and Corione Harris and it's continued with Coleman. Then, factor in Les Miles' ability to recruit the state and Kwahn Drake, who played high school football in New Orleans and was tabbed as Miles' defensive line coach shortly after accepting the head coaching job.

Tulane and SMU felt it could sneak away from a commitment from the talented three-star defensive end early on this process. Tulane felt Coleman could keep the New Orleans native in the city, while SMU was able to capitalize on some early unofficial visits and family in the Dallas area.

Tennessee was Coleman's first Power 5 offer and an SEC that grabbed his attention. Area recruiter David Johnson has a track record of recruiting Louisiana and Coleman was captivated by the idea of playing the LSUs and Alabamas of the world on Saturdays in the fall. Louisville also wanted to make some noise in The Boot and that offer carried some weight. Of course, high school standouts recognize Louisville because of what Lamar Jackson was able to do there and the new staff under Scott Satterfield was in touch early and often with the coaches at Carver about Coleman, who expressed a good bit of interest in playing in the ACC and was impressed by Louisville when they battled Clemson on primetime TV. It's a similar story for Virginia, which signed two players from Louisiana in 2019 and already holds verbal commitments two more in this recruiting cycle. The Cavs put themselves in a good spot early on with Coleman, but could not close in this one.