Kansas lands specialist Ben Shipley after camp showing
Kansas has added another player to the 2026 class. Punter/kicker Ben Shipley announced his decision on social media Monday evening. He attended the KU Specialist Camp in June and committed after working with the staff.
The coaching staff knew about Shipley after special teams analyst Kyle Deween watched his film. He reached out to him on social media and that started the process.
“Coach Deween found me through Twitter, and we were having a great conversation for a while leading up to him inviting me on a visit,” Shipley said.
Shipley made the trip from Cypress, Tex. after getting the invitation. He performed well and saw the campus on his unofficial visit. The camp gave him an opportunity to work with the coaching staff.
“I would say I did pretty well at camp,” he said. “I loved how after every rep you would get feedback from a coach, it makes it feel like they really want to see you improve. The campus stood out to me as soon as I got up there. It is absolutely amazing, and I loved everything about it.”
His skills include punting and kicker, and he also plays wide receiver. At 6-foot-5, 200 pounds he has the frame many college coaches look for.
“The staff likes my game because they and I feel like I can help the team in many ways other than one because I am very versatile while punting,” he said. “I would love to do both, but whatever the coaches feel is best for the team is what I will do.”
He recently attended the Kohl Professional Kicking Camp. This is what Jamie Kohl wrote about Shipley:
“His best ball traveled 70 yards with a 3.43-second hang time, highlighting his ability to strike the ball with power. Shipley can further refine his technique and continue to excel as a specialist. His greatest upside is as a punter. His frame and leg talent should attract college coaches. His score of 102.4 points in punting shows what he is capable of, and with refinement, that score will continue to get higher.”
Shipley said he played soccer since he was young. In seventh grade he started playing football and that is when he learned to punt.
“I decided I wanted to play football, kicking and punting became really fun for me,” he said. “As well as playing receiver, I have been doing all three since.”
His relationship with Deween combined with his camp visit gave him all the information needed to decide.
“I decided to commit is because it really felt like home,” he said. “As soon as I toured it to coming home, all of the coaches are amazing, and me and coach Deween have built up a great friendship.”
