KANSAS

Kansas Offers Two More Illinois High School Recruits: What It Means

Kansas offered two more Illinois High School recruits over the weekend in running back TJ Hill (Bolingbrook) and defensive back Darrell Mattison (Morgan Park).
Jared Shlensky|
Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold watches the scoreboard during the game between Fresno State and Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Aug. 23, 2025.
Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold watches the scoreboard during the game between Fresno State and Kansas at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Aug. 23, 2025. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Kansas Jayhawks

Lance Leipold hasn't taken his foot off the gas in terms of recruiting the state of Illinois. Leipold and his staff offered three-star defensive lineman David Hill out of Homewood-Flossmoor High School on Thursday, and on Friday, Leipold and his staff offered running back TJ Hill (Bolingbrook) and defensive back Darrell Mattison (Morgan Park).

Darrell Mattison's background and scouting report

Mattison is a junior defensive back at Morgan Park High School in Chicago and helped lead the Mustangs to a 9-5 record and the postseason for the fifth consecutive season. The Chicago native is a little light for a safety at 160 pounds, but has good height at 6-foot-2, which gives him the flexibility to play either corner or safety.

In 13 games as a junior, Mattison finished with 47 tackles, three pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and a team-high five interceptions. Mattison also made an impact as a returner, too, recording 278 yards on 11 combined returns.

What other schools is Kansas competing with for Darrell Mattison?

Quite a few, and probably not by coincidence, most of Maddison's offers came right after he made SportsCenter following this incredible interception.

Mattison has seven total offers, including one out of the Big Ten in his home state in Northwestern, plus two more out of the Big 12 in Iowa State and Kansas State. Mattison's biggest offer is from Ole Miss, and his last two offers are from the MAC: Miami of Ohio and Toledo.

Morgan Park is full of star athletes, including Illinois-bound basketball/football star Nasir Rankin, so even if Kansas doesn't land Mattison, it might be wise for Leipold and his staff to continue to recruit MPHS.

TJ Lewis's background and scouting report

Bolingbrook High School has produced many division one football players over the years, and Lewis is potentially the next big one. The six-foot, 215-pound running back was named the SouthWest Prairie Conference Player of the Year and First Team All State after recording 22 touchdowns and over 1,800 all-purpose yards as a junior.

Lewis has a solid burst for someone his size and rarely goes down on initial contact. It might take Lewis a couple of years to develop as a No. 1 running back, but his speed and vision put him in a position to see the field right away as a returner.

What other schools is Kansas competing with for TJ Lewis?

Nine to be exact, including undefeated Indiana. Lewis also has two more Big Ten offers in Wisconsin and Purdue, and another Big 12 offer out of Kansas State. Lewis's other offers are from Howard, UConn, and Miami of Ohio.

Kansas struggled to run the ball at times last year, and Lewis could potentially develop into a starting running back in two or three years. However, Lewis is only a junior, and after dominating this fall, don't be surprised if he gets five or six more offers before next school year.

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Jared Shlensky
JARED SHLENSKY

Jared Shlensky is a contributing writer for On SI and a freelance play-by-play broadcaster. Jared was previously a sports betting writer for Yardbarker, an On-Air YouTube Personality for the Sports Geek and a minor league play-by-play broadcaster

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