Nogales Offensive Lineman Derek Gonzalez on Life as a Recruit & Committing to Kansas

By Simon Carroll

Simon Carroll sits down with Nogales Offensive Lineman Derek Gonzalez to get a first-hand perspective on college football recruiting and discuss his decision to become a Jayhawk:

Navigating College Football Recruiting

Despite the rise of the transfer portal as one of the most defining shifts in college football history, recruiting is still a key component of on-field success. Developing players amidst an established culture is a more robust and consistent way to build a football team rather than hiring ‘one-year rentals’, without disregarding the impact of adding veteran talent.

But what is the process like for the high school kids courted by college football teams? For some, merely getting the attention of just one school can be a difficult task. For others, the sheer volume of offers can be a different kind of pressure for young adults making a life-altering decision. In the case of Nogales offensive lineman Derek Gonzalez, the recruiting interest began early:

“The recruiting process started my freshman year for me. I was previously at Los Angeles Salesian, a division six school, which is pretty good. And the bigger football schools, kids get recruiting attention earlier than others. You’d get pulled out of class to go down to the Dean’s office and you’d meet a coach from UNLV or Sacramento State or Portland State. Initially it will be opening communication, building a relationship; they’ll let you know that you’re on their radar. You can’t commit until June or July of your junior year, but they put a lot of work in before that.”

For many high school football stars, playing the sport at the collegiate level opens the door to an education that not everyone could otherwise afford. The value, therefore, of a scholarship offer is quite significant – and nobody forgets their first offer, Derek included:

“I remember my first offer vividly. I was in my sophomore year; it was January, late at night maybe 10pm. I was a teenager so of course I’m playing video games with some of my friends when my head coach calls me. I immediately wonder what I’ve done wrong! He asked me what I was up to and I said something like yoga – I couldn’t let him know I was doing something unproductive! Anyway, he tells me he’s going to transfer the call, and puts on Coach CJ Pollard who was with Sac State at the time. He told me there was a lot to like about my film the past season and they were going to go ahead and offer me. It was an amazing feeling.”

Sacramento State was the first school to offer Gonzalez an education, but not the last. And as special as the first scholarship offer was, subsequent ones came in different shapes and sizes – some much more understated than others:

“Not all offers are like that! I was once called down to the coach’s office and Akeem Davis, the linebackers coach for UNLV was there. We started talking for a while, discussing the kind of schemes I preferred, and then he quickly said we’re gonna offer you a scholarship before immediately changing the subject. Started telling me he wanted me to work with a guy in the offseason to develop a little more, then we parted ways and I went back to class. I did kind of a double take and started doubting myself; at lunch I had to go back downstairs to check with my coach that UNLV had actually offered me! He just started laughing and said yes. Not every offer is like an episode of All American or out of the movies!”

People Culture Leads Gonzalez to Lawrence

Regardless of how the offers came or were received, every single one was appreciated and carefully considered by Gonzalez. The scholarships were tested against a rigorous criteria – and two schools stood out from the rest:

“I got twelve offers in total, from all different kinds of schools. SEC, Big 12, FBS or FCS. And I spent the last 12 to 18 months working through each offer and deciding what I want from a college. I managed to get it down to two schools; Kansas and Vanderbilt. I just started going through the pro’s and con’s of going to Lawrence or Nashville. Both are big schools, but that didn’t faze me. Starting immediately was never really an issue to me, I’m a big believer in development and wanted a coaching staff that believed in that. Both schools have a great resume when it comes to coaching young players up – that was really my priority.”

Sitting across from me on a conference call, it’s easy to forget that this 6’7″, 315 pound behemoth is still technically a child. But having a focus on the bigger picture for a student not yet even eighteen years of age shows remarkable prioritisation; with offers on the table from college heavyweights like Georgia, Tennessee and Texas Tech, Gonzalez wasn’t swayed by the bright lights. Instead, the perfect environment was about the people – and the local barbecue didn’t hurt either:

“I took a visit to Kansas in November. What really drew me to KU was my relationship with the staff. I had a connection with [Head] Coach Leipold immediately – he does everything the right way. Same with Coach Bonneau [Billy Bonneau, Director of Scouting] and Coach Agpalsa [Daryl Agpalsa, O-Line] – everyone was so united. Then the atmosphere at the game was incredible; I wanted to experience that on the field myself. And I have to say this – after the game, we went to Q39 and I think they were the best wings I’ve had in my life! Kansas was the full package.”

Recruits are often told not to get too attached to people through the process. This is usually sensible advice – job security as a football coach is unstable to say the least, and there’s no guarantee those you commit to will be there when you enrol, let alone graduate. But Kansas feels different. Known as a program builder, Lance Leipold has helped KU Football turn the corner – and the school is committed to him, his staff and his culture. It’s the same culture that appealed to Derek and helped him make his final decision:

“Coach Leipold isn’t just trying to build a team by developing football players. He develops people too. He’s a genuine person whose leadership helps you grow as an adult. His players, coaches, staff – they’re all a reflection of him, his values and his standards. You see it when you step onto campus or when you head into the facility. Everyone is so welcoming. I want to be a part of that and learn from him, because as fun and as important as we all think it is, life isn’t always about football. If you let it, this game can give you lessons to use for the rest of your life.”

Early Commitment & Long-Term Aspirations

Recruiting is never over until national signing day. Committing to a school verbally isn’t necessarily worth the paper it’s written on, and some high school football stars enjoy being courted and the attention the process brings them. Committing in February of his junior year is fairly early, but Derek Gonzalez’ decision appears as rock solid as the limestone on campus that gives Kansas its famous war cry:

“Quite honestly, I know when my mind is made up. I intend to be an early grad right after my senior football season, so I’ll be at Kansas by late December, early January. So I wanted to make my decision now and be settled with it. I’m confident and comfortable with it – and as much as they’ve made a commitment to me, deciding early shows them that I’ve bought into the program and I’m ready to go.”

Another weapon in the arsenal of college football recruiting in the modern game is Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) opportunities that allow student athletes the opportunity to make money during their time at university. The resource levels of NIL and how they are distributed varies from one college football outpost to another, and depending on the recruits’ priorities can be the difference between securing the next star of the future or not. Gonzalez focused on the long-term playbook when making his decision:

“I’ve had a good amount of agents reaching out to me to represent me in terms of NIL. And I understand the appeal. But to me, personally, that didn’t really play a big factor in my decision making. The goal is the NFL, not NIL. and I know that if I work hard enough, prove myself, the money will come eventually. Right now, college is about being in the right environment to have the college experience, earn a degree, and have fun helping my team on the field.”

This past season, Kansas had two players drafted to the NFL, including offensive lineman Enrique Cruz Jr. A further seven signed with teams as UDFA’s, showing an established pipeline of talent from Lawrence to the pro’s. The Jayhawks are amongst good company in that regard, with the Big 12 having 38 players taken by the league in total – a fact not lost on Gonzalez:

“The Big 12 is a good conference. You’ve got a lot of talent in that conference getting guys drafted in the first round, second round. Again, it wasn’t the main priority, but Kansas playing at that level is a huge deal – learning from my teammates and playing against all those guys; iron sharpens iron and I believe it will make me the best version of myself.”

Jayhawk Football: The Future

Derek Gonzalez commits to Kansas at an exciting time for the Jayhawks. The school is making a huge investment in their football program in the hope of matching the success that their other sports have achieved, notably their basketball team that routinely challenges for national honors. The development of the stadium and the infrastructure around it shows that the administration is committed to Coach Leipold as they seek to keep up with the rest of college football in an era where cash is king.

KU goes international in 2026, heading to London for the first ever Union Jack Classic at Wembley Stadium. The Jayhawks face off against the Arizona State Sun Devils on September 19th, bringing a slice of Americana across the pond for fans in the UK to enjoy. As a member of the 2027 recruiting class, Gonzalez sadly won’t be on the plane when the rest of them head over. But he’s excited for markets across the world to be able to see for themselves why everyone back home is obsessed with college football:

“It’s going to be a brawl! Obviously football is such a huge thing over here in the United States. And if they can bring a little bit of that culture over to London then the fans are in for a great occasion. I’m a football guy, so it’s a shame I’m a year late! But Wembley Stadium is special, and if you can replicate a Kansas gameday in an arena that size, it will be an incredible moment.”

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

Lead Writer, Head of Content

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST AND COVERS THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION.

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