Mark Mangino and his staff are working diligently to get ready for the home opener against Northern Colorado on September 5th, and the biggest area of concern based off of last years performance should be the defense. The defense ranked 7th in the Big XII in both scoring defense and total defense last season, which may be good enough to get you by this season. Unfortunately, the Jayhawks will will need to replace their entire starting linebacker corps as well as senior leadership on the defensive line. So what are some realistic expectations for the defense this season and who will step up and make a difference this year?
Coach Mangino is well aware of where improvements need to be made, and like any good coach he is well aware of the fact that success starts up front. The defensive line returns plenty of experience from a group that struggled to generate much of a pass rush. The lone bright spot last season was Jake Laptad, who returns for his junior year and led the defensive line group with 7 sacks and had 8.5 tackles for a loss. Mangino is proud of his group and how they have progressed from last year in this department.
“I like the way our defense is shaping up. I have to say that we have made some great strides in pressuring the quarterback, which is something we need to do.” Mangino told reporters. “The defensive line is starting to come on strong. Max Onyegbule and Jake Laptad have had outstanding camps. You look at the development of Quinton Woods, he is coming along pretty well. Jeff Wheeler has played his best football that he has ever played.”
Not only are veterans starting to mature, but some of younger players are starting to step up on the line as well. Sophomore Richard Johnson is slated to start at one defensive tackle and redshirt freshman Duane Zlatnik is making a push to see the field this year as well.
”(Zlatnik) He has worked hard. He is certainly not a finished product. He is a young guy.” Mangino explained about the Rossville KS native. ”You look at where he was at the end of the spring, and how far he has come during the summer, I am really pleased with him.”
The biggest area of strength for the Jayhawks last season on the defensive side of the ball was the surprising play of the defensive backs. With the near wholesale adoption of variant forms of the spread offense throughout the Big XII, Kansas was able to hold their own with veterans like Justin Thornton and Chris Harris, while having some newer faces like Daymond Patterson and Anthony Davis gain valuable experience. Last year the corners were a major concern, this year it can be considered a strength, especially with some of the incoming talent like Tyler Patmon. The young corners have looked so good, that Justin Thornton is being moved back to his natural position as a safety.
“The secondary has been strong. We need some fundamental work in that area, but going against that offense every day is only making our defense better.” said Mangino. “I am really pleased with the play of Tyler Patmon at corner as well. Tyler has come on strong. Justin Thornton has had a really good camp and we are working him at safety some now. We are doing that because he directs the traffic and is like an old hand back there. He has had a lot of big games in that position. We feel comfortable with him there because a lot of the kids are developing at corner.”
The biggest area of concern is without a doubt the linebacking corps. The Jayhawks lost all three starters from last season and it will be hard for any of this years group to replace the likes of Joe Mortensen, James Holt, and Mike Rivera. Mangino and the staff started by moving Angus Quigley from tailback to outside linebacker, and he looks to take one of the outside linebacker spots if he continues to progress and gain confidence. Confidence will actually be the key for all of the linebackers for Kansas.
“I like the way our linebackers are shaping up, they are really stepping up and developing a lot of confidence. That is something we need at that position.” said Mangino.
Inside linebacker was a major concern for Mangino, but it looks Juco All American transfer Vernon Brooks is looking to alleviate those concerns. He caused some stir with media and staff when he was gone for much of the beginning of training camp. Just Springer should also make a push to get the starting nod as well.
”I like the inside at linebacker, Vernon Brooks. He went home for a couple of days and had a family emergency, but Vernon Brooks has really come on strong and making a statement. He is a hard-nosed guy, he just needs to learn our defense.” said Mangino.
The other outside linebacker slot will be a hotly contested position between some experienced backups and some highly talented newcomers. Arist Wright is looking make an impact in his senior season. He stepped in and started 2 games last season for Mike Rivera. Jake Shermer has looked impressive in practice as well. The biggest surprise though has been Huldon Tharp. Tharp is a highly touted freshman from Mulvane, KS and has burst onto the scene in practice.
“Huldon is a very mature for his years. You will not believe the kind of football aptitude that he has for a freshman. He has come on strong, he is a tough, hard-nosed guy, he is smart. He brings it every play.” Mangino explained about Tharp’s intangibles. ”He is a talented young guy. He is just a freshman, so be mindful of that. He will play this year, there is no question. If he wins a starting job which is a possibility, then I think he will do a great job for us.”
There was one additional loss to the defense with the non report of incoming freshman middle linebacker Julian Jones. The Lawton, Oklahoma native was looking to compete for playing time, but had some second thoughts before enrolling at Kansas.
“Julian Jones did not report to training camp. We talked to him and he wanted to go to a college close to home. I think he made a good decision.” said Mangino.
There are still two weeks left until the season begins, but it is nice to see some of the progress that the defense has already made. If the pass rush continues to improve and the linebackers are able to ramp up quickly in the non conference schedule, it should make for a great season. If the linebackers fail to step up to the plate, it could make for a long season. Based on the reports thus far, there is hope for the first scenario to play out. Two more weeks of practice should give us a better idea.
