Elite Tight End Prospect Jevyn Severson Visiting Kansas for Opener

Severson, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end from Madrid High School in Iowa, is one of the best tight ends among the nation's rising sophomores.

247 Sports rankings list him as the No. 62 player and No. 2 tight end in his class. On3 lists him similarly at the No. 81 spot and No. 3 tight end in the nation.

Severson has reeled in offers from top Big 12 programs like Iowa State and Kansas State and Big Ten schools like Wisconsin and Iowa. He is set to make gameday visits to all those schools, including Nebraska.

He is a multi-sport athlete at his high school and excelled as a defensive end for Madrid, but he projects as a tight end at the college level. Severson was selected as an all-conference player in basketball as a freshman and competes with Iowa United on the AAU circuit, as well as throwing for his track and field team.

Severson will be one of the several recruits in attendance to witness one of the most highly anticipated games in recent history as The Booth opens to everyone.

He joins 2027 offensive line prospects Gus Corsair and Dewey Young, as well as 2027 quarterback standout Dane Weber and others as KU recruiting targets attending the contest.

Kansas Looking To Make Strong Impression in Week 0

The season-opening game will not only be important to make a pitch to recruits, but it is also vital that the Jayhawks start the season on a good note following a disappointing 2024 campaign where they finished 5-7.

While there are a lot of new faces to learn on the roster, head coach Lance Leipold added several pieces from the tran sfer portal to refurbish a roster that lost many key players to graduation.

MORE: Kansas Football 2025 Opponent Preview: Fresno State Bulldogs

Returning players include sixth-year quarterback Jalon Daniels to finish his collegiate career under center with the Jayhawks. Defensive end Dean Miller also returns after leading the team in sacks last year.

Kansas struggled in close games a season ago, opening the year with a 1-5 record and leading in the fourth quarter of four of those losses.

The program cannot afford to start off the season with a loss to Fresno State, especially with a massive nonconference road matchup against Missouri looming on Sept. 6.