Derby’s Kenyon Tabor chooses KU football over K-State

The University of Kansas football coaching staff had visions for Kenyon Tabor, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior tight end at Derby, in their newly-installed Air Raid offense.

Imagine lining up out wide as a receiver, they told him. Think about what it would be like to be the guy who takes reverses. Shoot, they said, we’ll even line you up in the backfield and maybe even give you handoffs.

With these visions in his mind, Tabor said Tuesday afternoon he had chosen KU over Kansas State, the program that was recruiting him to be primarily a tight end.

“One of the most important things to me was what position I would play and what role I would be in the offense,” Tabor said. “I think it’s going to be exciting once I get into a college weights program and get more explosive. They’re going to put me in a position to get out in space and make some plays and I like that.”

Tabor took visits to both schools and struggled this summer trying to determine which would ultimately be a better fit. It wasn’t until this past week when Tabor began to feel like KU was separating itself. He liked the campus, found head coach David Beaty to be genuine, and was impressed by the facilities.

Ultimately, though, it was KU’s intention to feature him in the offense that swayed Tabor.

“You got the feeling with KU that they really did see him like he was something special,” said Deb Tabor, his mother.

Kenyon said he woke up Tuesday morning still unsure about a final decision, but after weighing the pros and cons one last time made up his mind. When he announced the decision via Twitter at 4 p.m., his phone wouldn’t stop vibrating.

“It pretty much exploded,” Tabor said. “My phone actually stopped working there for a little bit, so I had to restart it. It’s been nothing but support so far, so that makes you feel good.”

Deb Tabor said outsiders seemed to assume that since Kenyon’s high school coach, Brandon Clark, played for K-State, he would be influenced to play for the Wildcats. But that was never the case.

“Players know that I’m a K-State fan,” Clark said. “But when it comes to being a high school football coach, I want to talk about the pro’s and the con’s and weigh your options and figure out the best fit for you, not the best fit for everyone else. As a head coach, you’ve got to play that role. You can’t try to talk a kid into going to a certain school just because you like that school or those coaches. You have to find the best fit for the kid, and KU is a really good fit for Kenyon.”

And with a decision made, Tabor, who caught 41 passes for 713 yards and seven touchdowns last season, is prepared to help Derby, the defending Class 6A champions, chase its third state championship in four seasons.

“Now I get to focus on my high school season, “Tabor said. “Hopefully I can go get this third ring with my guys.”

This story was originally published August 2, 2016 at 6:44 PM with the headline "Derby’s Kenyon Tabor chooses KU football over K-State."