Coming off of the success the 2022 team experienced last fall, Kansas football coach Lance Leipold and his coaching staff knew it would be critical to raise the expectations this spring.
So, they did.
There was still time to feel good about the trip to Liberty Bowl last December, and Leipold and company firmly believed that part of moving the program forward was making sure that they celebrated the victories along the way.
But Leipold did not come to Lawrence for one good season. He came to change the culture and to create an environment where success can be sustained.
In many ways, it’s still early in the process, but the third-year KU coach said last week that KU’s recently-wrapped 15 spring practices were the best sign yet of the progress that the program is making.
“Oh, night and day,” Leipold said following last Friday’s Spring Showcase. “Night and day where we’ve been, and we’re not quite at that two-year period yet of being here. In so many ways we’ve taken big steps, positive steps. We’re nowhere near where it needs to be for the big picture, for longevity and consistency, but I’m very proud of this group.”
There were three key aspects of Leipold’s second spring with the Jayhawks — more physicality, empowering the KU players as leaders and an emphasis on retention so the team can be further along at the end of spring than it was at the end of the 2022 season.
There were moments when thing didn’t run perfectly, but, for the most part, Leipold’s team received high marks in all three areas.
“We’re becoming a more experienced team,” the KU coach said. “I think you can see everyone’s understanding and embracing the daily routines and it’s being passed within the locker room. We’re a more confident team and understanding team of the process and I think we’ve taken a huge step in being the player-led program that we need to be.
“I’m really proud of the guys that have really been through all of this since we arrived and how much our culture and attitude has changed.”
As the KU program shifts to the offseason and the rapidly approaching summer workouts, here’s a quick breakdown of how the Jayhawks stand at each position group.
Quarterback — This is arguably the strongest position on the team. The Jayhawks have a clear-cut starter with big talent and an even bigger personality in Jalon Daniels and are in good shape behind him with the experience and versatility of Jason Bean and the steady improvement of Ethan Vasko. All three are confident and hungry and have established a great deal of trust with the coaching staff, opening up the playbook in a wild and complex offense.
Running Back – Injuries to the top four players at the position made this a challenging spring for KU’s running backs, but none of them are expected to linger and they’ll enter the season with a strong one-two punch in Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr., with newcomer Dylan McDuffie and returner Sevion Morrison serving as quality depth pieces behind them.
Wide Receiver — It’s a lot of the same names and faces that you remember from last season, and each one of them has become a little more consistent, a little better before and after the catch and a little stronger and faster. LJ Arnold, Luke Grimm and Quentin Skinner are the headliners, but there’s good depth here with Tanaka Scott, Doug Emilien, Trevor Wilson, Kevin Terry and freshman Surahz Buncom, as well.
Tight End – There’s so much to like about this group. Mason Fairchild returns with first-team all-Big 12 aspirations. Jared Casey is a year older, wiser and more experienced and Trevor Kardell is no longer playing baseball and able to focus entirely on football. All three can play any of the roles required at the position and it shouldn’t be a shock if you see all three of them on the field at the same time.
Offensive Line — The guys up front were so solid a season ago, and most of them are back and with better depth behind them than ever. Training most of KU’s linemen at multiple positions throughout the spring should make this unit even stronger this fall, and Leipold and O-Line coach Scott Fuchs’ ability to put their sixth best lineman on the field in the event of an injury or fatigue rather than being forced to go with a specific backup should keep the KU offense humming. Newcomers Logan Brown and Spencer Lovell are big bodies that will play big roles, and the return of guys like Mike Novitsky, Dominick Puni, Bryce Cabledue, Michael Ford, Kobe Baynes and others make this a talented, deep and experienced offensive line.
Defensive line — The Jayhawks remain in search of a replacement for Lonnie Phelps Jr., the team’s top pass rusher from a year ago, and there are options there. But finding a player to consistently provide that kind of production will be a big challenge this fall. The line features top returners Jereme Robinson, D.J. Withers, Tommy Dunn Jr. and Hayden Hatcher and newcomers Patrick Joyner Jr., Gage Keys, Devin Phillips and Austin Booker proved this spring that they were the exact players the KU coaching staff thought and hoped they were getting.
Linebacker — The middle of the KU defense is short on proven experience but not on potential. Rich Miller, Craig Miller and Taiwan Berryhill Jr. all have a bunch of snaps under their belts. And if they’re aided by strong play from newcomer JB Brown — a popular name and hard hitter this spring — along with returners Jayson Gilliom, Tristian Fletcher and Cornell Wheeler, this group could move from big question mark to productive unit in a hurry. Depth remains a big question here, though. And it will be that way until those other names show they can deliver.
Secondary — It’s pretty clear that KU feels great about its starters in the secondary, with corners Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson, along with safeties Kenny Logan Jr. and O.J. Burroughs all bringing big time talent and experience to the defense next season. The most notable development of the spring, however, came in the supporting roles behind those players. Sophomore Jalen Dye might have had the biggest spring of any player on the roster, and cornerbacks Damarius McGhee, Brian Dilworth and Kalon Gervin also give the KU defense strong options behind the starters.
Special teams – The biggest headline on special teams this spring came when KU announced the hiring of former Kansas State special teams guru Sean Snyder to join the team. But by far the biggest news in this phase of the game so far this offseason was the addition of transfer place kicker Seth Keller and the development of the roster to the point where there’s enough talent to significantly upgrade all of KU’s special teams units. Those guys mentioned above who may not be starters — and others like them — can take ownership in their roles on special teams, knowing that the KU coaching staff’s emphasis on winning in that area is just as critical as any other aspect of the program.
