New Kansas offensive line coach Darryl Agpalsa has a new guy to work with as the Jayhawks bolstered their offensive line with the addition of former Michigan offensive lineman Amir Herring. Herring, a former 4-star high school prospect in the class of 2023, had offers from Arkansas, Missouri, Ole Miss, Penn State, and others.
Who is Amir Herring?
Amir Herring hails from West Bloomfield, Michigan, where he played high school football for the West Bloomfield Lakers. Herring would start all four years in high school and play up and down the offensive line. He would be charged with just one sack his entire high school career, per his bio on mgoblue.com. At 6-foot-3-inches and 290 pounds, Herring is a bit on the lighter side but still versatile and physical with technical ability and good balance.
Herring would commit to Michigan in July of 2022 and would sign in December. He would be pegged as the next star Michigan offensive lineman by Maizenbrew.com but would redshirt for the 2023 season, appearing in just one game for the Wolverines against Indiana on October 14th at right guard. Even with a lack of depth at the offensive line for the Wolverines this upcoming year, Herring would still enter the transfer portal on April 25th, 2024, committing to the Kansas Jayhawks just under a week later.
Herring's Impact on the Jayhawks
Herring brings experience on a National Championship team with him, which will be huge for a Jayhawk offensive line that lost a decent amount of their core as well as offensive line coach Scott Fuchs. Herring also brings 4 years of eligibility with him, as he redshirted last year, making this a great pickup for the Jayhawks. He brings depth, Power 4 experience, and technical skill to provide an immediate boost. He will join Calvin Clements, Shane Bumgardner, Michael Ford, Jr., and others who will be competing for positions along that starting offensive line.
To add to that, Herring is a Michigan-born player who was enticed to come play for Kansas by freshman quarterback and fellow Michigan native Isaiah Marshall. Herring and Marshall will both have bright futures with the program and the Jayhawks may not be done recruiting out of Michigan, as they have their sights set on Michigan State transfer defensive end Bai Jobe.
Opening up the Michigan pipeline could be crucial for a team that opened up an Arizona pipeline this past year with recruits like Deshawn Warner and Dak Brinkley. The more connections the Jayhawks develop from outside states, the easier talent will come to a program that is on the cusp of starting an era of consistent excellence in football, talent with high chemistry at that.
Scouting Amir Herring
While there isn't a ton of college tape on Herring, given he only played one game, the high school statistics are very impressive. He was part of a state championship squad in 2020 that finished 11-1, helped lead his squad to a 39-7 record while being a starter for all 4 years, won 3 conference and district titles, helped his team score 39.7 points per game during that state title run and overall had a lot of team success.
Not only did he have team success though, there's a reason he was picked up by national powerhouse Michigan in the first place. Herring recorded 240 pancake blocks throughout his high school career, allowed just one sack, was dubbed the #4 player in the state, the 170th ranked player in the class of 2023 by ESPN300 and dominated Michigan high school football.
Unfortunately, there isn't much to go off of with his Indiana game tape considering it's a single game, however, the Wolverines would win that game 52-7 with the help of Herring. Overall, the Jayhawks needed an offensive lineman that had Power 4 experience and they got one with plenty of eligibility remaining and connections with Jayhawks already a part of the program. Herring will look to impress Agpalsa and the staff as well as vouch for a starting position along the line in the fall.
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