Octavius Matthews to Kansas: Jayhawks Land 4-Star JUCO RB Prospect

Kansas bolstered its backfield for the 2017 season after securing the commitment of junior college running back Octavius Matthews.

Matthews announced Wednesday his intention to sign with the Jayhawks: 

The Itawamba Community College star is the ninth-best JUCO recruit in the country, according to Scout. In 19 games with Itawamba the last two years, he has rushed for a combined 1,453 yards and nine touchdowns.

Matthews will hope the third time is the charm after he selected the Jayhawks. He originally committed to the Louisville Cardinals last April before spurning them for the Auburn Tigers in June. On Jan. 26, Matthews backtracked on that decision and left the Tigers' 2017 class.

Their losses are Kansas' gain.

Matthews should have an immediate impact in Lawrence. He's a dynamic runner who boasts a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, per Hudl, and averaged 7.7 yards per carry at Itawamba. He has the speed and athleticism to be a big-play threat with the ball in his hands.

In addition to his abilities on the ground, Matthews is a solid receiver out of the backfield. He caught 28 passes for 367 yards and five touchdowns between 2015 and 2016.

Kansas has fallen on hard times since Mark Mangino left in 2009. The Jayhawks' win total in Mangino's final season (five) is nearly half their win total in the seven years since (12).

Kansas' overtime win over Texas in November gave fans some hope for the future, and Matthews' commitment is another sign the program may finally be headed in the right direction under head coach David Beaty.

Especially given his limited eligibility as a JUCO recruit, Matthews is showing a lot of confidence in Beaty.

His arrival will be a big boost for the Jayhawks offense. Kansas ranked 108th in offensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) and 119th in rush offense DVOA, per Football Outsiders. The team also has to replace leading rusher Ke'aun Kinner, who had 738 yards and three touchdowns in his senior year.

One player can't single-handedly turn Kansas into a bowl-eligible team, but Matthews' commitment could help open the floodgates for more talented recruits to join the Jayhawks in 2018 and beyond.