Kansas football addressed one of its biggest needs via a Big Ten transfer, as Michigan’s Cornell Wheeler announced Monday he had committed to KU.
Wheeler, a 6-foot, 231-pound inside linebacker from West Bloomfield, Michigan, should compete for a starting job right away. The former Rivals four-star prospect did not see the field for Michigan as a freshman last season.
New KU coach Lance Leipold previously added another Michigan native to his linebacker group earlier this summer when Buffalo transfer Rich Miller joined the team. Wheeler told Jon Kirby of JayhawkSlant.com that both Miller and KU linebackers coach Chris Simpson had played a part in him choosing the Jayhawks, as Simpson had previously recruited him to Buffalo out of high school.
“I feel like they need depth at linebacker,” Wheeler told JayhawkSlant, referring to KU, “and I feel like I can get on the field quick and just make a change there.”
Wheeler posted 130 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss and three sacks as a senior at West Bloomfield. He was ranked the 246th-best player by Rivals on Signing Day 2020 while also rated as the 16th-best inside linebacker.
“What’s going on in my mind right now is that this a new beginning,” Wheeler told JayhawkSlant. “It’s actually a blessing just to actually get into another school and being in Kansas. This is very new to me but it’s definitely a blessing. I came to do good things, and really just make a name for myself out there.”