Being excited for football season is still a new sensation for most Kansas football fans. Faced with a winning football culture for the first time in many of our lives, it’s sometimes difficult to rein in our optimism. And though the talking heads throughout the sports world seem to be picking Nebraska as Big 12 North champions this year, its hard to rule a veteran Kansas team out of the picture.
Returning many key players, the Jayhawks seem poised to take their shot at the conference title. With that said, here are five things that will determine the success of the Jayhawk football team this year:
1. The offensive line – Much maligned last season, the Jayhawk offensive line has a lot to prove this season. With the departure of all three interior linemen, quarterback Todd Reesing will rely heavily on converted end Tanner Hawkins at left tackle and center Jeremiah Hatch to provide stability to this inexperienced unit. Red shirt freshman Jeff Spikes has shown huge potential at right tackle, but will need to step up if the Jayhawks’ offense is going to fire on all cylinders this fall. Whereas all too often last year Reesing had to depend on his elusiveness and toughness to keep drives going, Mangino and company are clearly hoping that this year’s offensive line gives him more time in the pocket, as well as opening better holes for the running game. If they can do this, you can count on another big year from Reesing, Meier, Briscoe, Sharp and company. If not, it may be a long season for Jayhawk fans.
2. Linebackers – Losing an entire corps of linebackers to graduation is something no football team looks forward to, particularly when they’re established team leaders like Mike Rivera, Joe Mortenson and James Holt. Faced with the unhappy situation, Coach Mark Mangino did what he does best: converted talented athletes from other positions and bring in talented junior college players. Senior Angus Quigley has converted from running back to take on a role as linebacker, and will play alongside Arist Wright, Justin Springer and Juco All-American Vernon Brooks. While they all have speed and athleticism, none have significant experience as Big 12 starters. How quickly they adapt to the speed and requirements of the position at this level will play a big role in how the Jayhawk defense will play this year.
3. The 4-2-5 defensive scheme – Faced with plethora of talented scoring units in the Big 12, defensive coordinator Clint Bowen and co-coordinator Bill Miller have instituted a 4-2-5 to better cope with the spread offenses they’ll be facing on a weekly basis. While this seems like an excellent idea on paper, how it will work out on the field may be a different matter altogether. Most players come from more conventional defensive schemes and it may be a difficult transition. Additionally, with only two linebackers on the field, the Jayhawks may struggle to stop the run at times. Though there is a lot of speed on the defensive side of the ball, a lack of lock-down cornerbacks may have Kansas fans gnashing their teeth at this gimmicky defense. Then again, it may be the most brilliant scheme in the conference.
4. Health - Always a concern for any team, Kansas’s success relies heavily on its key players. While Kansas’s recent success has stocked their reserves with talent, an untested Kale Pick under center is a much riskier proposition than Reesing’s veteran leadership. And while Jayhawk nation may be excited about Deshaun Sands (the son of KU great Tony Sands), not many people are ready for him to take over for Jake Sharp just yet. In the past two years Kansas has been lucky to suffer no major injuries. If this run of luck continues, the sky is the limit. If not, the future becomes much more muddled.
5. Senior leadership - Strong safety Darrell Stuckey, Todd Reesing and Kerry Meier have all earned their reputations by coming up huge in big games. For perhaps the first time in the history of Kansas football there is a culture of winning, and these three players, more than anyone else, have played a huge role in this. Now, facing their swan song, at least at this level, the expectations are higher than they have ever been. Their leadership will carry the Jayhawks as far as they can go.
