Josiah Hammond brings rare upside and size to Kansas’s defensive front
In the 2024–25 recruiting cycle, Josiah Hammond arrived at Kansas as a three-star defensive tackle with a 6-4, 270-pound frame and a late-blooming background that jumps off the page; he reportedly didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school, yet still posted 44 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks as a junior at Union HS. Kansas lists him as a redshirt freshman in 2026 at 6-4, 293, which points to a developing interior lineman with real growth potential rather than a finished product. The fit is best for a team that values upside, length, and developmental traits over immediate polished production.
