The Kansas Jayhawks are on the market for a new head coach to replace the recently-fired David Beaty and if recent reports are accurate, former LSU head coach Les Miles appears to be the program's main target. The national championship winning coach has a well-documented history of success, both on the field and on the recruiting trail.
But recruiting in Lawrence, Kan. is a little different than recruiting to Baton Rouge, La., both because of location and program tradition. But Miles had a knack for finding and developing under-the-radar prospects, a trait that must be attractive to any AD looking for a new coach, especially at a school such as Kansas.
With that in mind, it’s worth taking a look back at some under-the-radar players that Miles recruiting and developed during his previous time in college football, to get an idea of what might be possible with the Jayhawks.
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As a recruit: A Louisiana native, Chark wasn’t heavily recruited as a three-star in the 2014 class. In fact, the Tigers were one of just two Power Five offers. He jumped on the chance to commit after picking up an offer following an impressive camp performance and never wavered.
What he did under Miles: It took a little while for Chark to see the field but by the time the 2016 season rolled around, he established himself as one of the most exciting players in the SEC. That year, he had 588 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. He only improved on that mark in 2017, after Miles had been fired, catching 40 passes for 874 yards and three touchdowns. He also emerged as a weapon in the return game, taking two punts back for touchdowns that season. He went on to be a second-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this year and is having a productive rookie season.
As a recruit: For the longest time, it looked like LSU was going to pass on Riley, who was weighing options from Minnesota, TCU and Tulane until a late offer came in from the Tigers. With an offer in hand, Riley jumped at the chance to play for his dream school and committed just before National Signing Day in 2013.
What he did under Miles: Just like his recruitment, Riley’s college career took time to take off as he patiently waited his turn to make a major impact. That finally happened during his senior season in 2016, when he had 93 tackles, nine of which were for loss. His senior season numbers nearly doubled his total career output from his freshman through junior seasons and led to him being drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He is one of the Falcons' best young defensive players, having accumulated 68 total tackles during the first 20 games of his career.
As a recruit: Blue was a late take for LSU in the 2010 class, choosing the Tigers over Colorado, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, his only other Power Five offers.
What he did under Miles: Blue’s career at LSU wasn’t exactly stellar, as he shared carries with a number of other talented backs and finished with no more than 539 yards rushing in any of his four seasons. But Blue’s career totals of 209 carries for 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns was enough to catch the eye of NFL scouts and he was drafted in the sixth round of the 2014 draft by the Houston Texas. He’s gone on to be a very productive member of the Texans and has surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards.
As a recruit: A high school quarterback, Claiborne wasn’t offered a scholarship by LSU until November of his senior year. Once the Tigers gave him a shot he jumped on board, committing to LSU over Nebraska and Texas A&M, his only other Power Five offers.
What he did under Miles: It didn’t take long for Claiborne to pick up defense in college as he was starting for the Tigers by his sophomore season and heading to the NFL Draft following his junior season in 2011. He finished his college career with 95 total tackles and 11 interceptions. He was selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and now plays for the New York Jets. In his seven-year NFL career, Claiborne has 222 total tackles and seven interceptions.
As a recruit: Heading into National Signing Day 2005, Holliday was deciding between a scholarship at Southern Miss and a grayshirt spot at LSU. He elected to go with the in-state Tigers, waiting until 2006 to join the program.
What he did under Miles: Despite being just 5-foot-5 and receiving no other Power Five offers, Holliday was a key part of LSU’s run to national championship in 2007. For his LSU career, Holliday accounted for 848 yards and four touchdowns from scrimmage, and was one of the most prolific return men in school history, accounting for more than 2,500 career kick and punt returns with four return touchdowns. Holliday continued to defy the odds at the next level after being selected in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. Holliday has a relatively short but very productive NFL career as a return specialist, totaling 2,224 career return yards and scoring four NFL touchdowns.
