WR Keon Coleman Chooses Kansas Over Oklahoma, Citing Desire To 'Change the Culture'

July 4 commitment date had led many to believe that the 6-foot-4 Louisiana wideout intended to pick Sooners

Count it one less Independence Day firework than Sooner fans expected to begin the week.

Four-star wideout Keon Coleman announced his commitment to Kansas via Instagram Live on Saturday night, ending speculation that he intended to rendezvous with Caleb Williams in Norman.

Coleman informed SI Sooners of his impending commitment to the Jayhawks on Thursday evening. At the time, 247Sports and Rivals experts were unanimous in predicting that he'd land with Oklahoma. However, within hours, many of those experts flipped their predictions to Kansas, effectively opening the box on a somewhat surprising decision from the Louisiana receiver.

"I've got a good connection with the [Kansas] coaching staff," Coleman told SI Sooners. "They're going to use me in the best way to get me to the NFL, and I feel like I can change the culture over there."

Coleman had previously narrowed his recruitment to Oklahoma, Kansas, and South Carolina, and announced last week that he'd commit on the Fourth of July. A multi-sport standout, Coleman stated that he also intends to play basketball for Bill Self's squad upon arriving in Lawrence. He's not focusing primarily on one sport over the other just yet, but said that once he matriculates, he'll likely prioritize either football or hoops.

"I could go for either one," he said. "Whichever [offers] the better chance."

Coleman said that his relationship with the Jayhawks football staff factored significantly into his decision. But ultimately, the opportunity to be the go-to guy for a rebuilding program was what tipped the scales in favor of KU.

"[They'll] get me the ball whenever and however they can, as many times as possible," Coleman said. "I'm the type of player that can go to a school like Kansas and make it a bigger [football] school. I'm gonna start the trend."

Coleman is Kansas' first four-star commit in the Les Miles era, and joins a 2021 class that already features three-star wideouts Jaddai Henry, Majik Rector and Kelan Robinson. Per 247Sports' rankings, Coleman is also the highest-rated add for the Jayhawks since defensive tackle Marquel Combs in 2013.

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