KU Fall Sports Preview

KU football’s offense eager to see if prep time can help Jayhawks

By Zac Boyer zboyer@ljworld.com

The Kansas football team remains optimistic that the strides it made on offense last season, especially in the final month, will translate to the second year under coach Lance Leipold.

Although the Jayhawks finished last or next to last in the Big 12 in the four major statistical categories — total offense, rushing offense, passing offense, points per game — players and coaches alike have professed throughout training camp that it has built the foundation for success.

“The staff that we have now came in last May and we had, basically, two or three months to get ready for a season,” said tight end Jared Casey. “Now, we have this whole entire year and it feels really good. We built a lot in spring and we’re building a lot right now.”

As such, here’s a position-by-position breakdown of where the Jayhawks stand heading into their Sept. 2 opener against Tennessee Tech.

QUARTERBACK

After an impressive finish to last season, one that led to the decision to forgo a planned redshirt, junior Jalon Daniels will continue as the Jayhawks’ starting quarterback. Daniels completed 69.2% of his passes across six games last season and threw for 860 yards and seven touchdowns with three interceptions. He also ran 33 times for 83 yards and three touchdowns and continued to show flashes of the speed and offschedule playmaking that he displayed in seven games as a freshman in 2020.

Daniels was limited in the early portion of spring practice after an offseason ankle surgery, and he entered the summer with the goal of focusing on fine-tuning his mechanics and addressing some of the more mental aspects of the game. Specifically, Daniels wanted to slow the game down, which he believes he will be able to do with a more in-depth understanding of the offense and additional time studying the defensive schemes of his opponents.

His backup, redshirt senior Jason Bean, should have a path to playing time as well this season — but perhaps not as a quarterback. Bean, who transferred from North Texas prior to last season, started the first nine games for the Jayhawks and completed 56% of his passes for 1,252 yards, six touchdowns and

GET SOME WINS

six interceptions. The self-proclaimed fastest player on the team, Bean was also productive on the ground by running 92 times for 400 yards and two touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has insisted that the additional year of installing the offense should lead to an ability to add complex wrinkles for their opponents. Bean lost his starting role to an injury before the Jayhawks’ surprising 57-56 overtime victory at Texas on Nov. 13, but he returned for the final two games and lined up as a running back and wide receiver. It’s possible he’ll be used that way again this season as the Jayhawks attempt to take advantage of his athleticism.

Behind Daniels and Bean will be redshirt freshman Ben Easters and freshman Ethan Vasko, who are competing to secure the No. 3 role. Vasko, in particular, has been praised by his teammates and coaches for his strong arm and his athleticism, though it seems unlikely he’ll step on the field much this season in an attempt to preserve his eligibility for the future.

RUNNING BACK

No aspect of the Jayhawks’ offense will look more different than its ground attack, thanks to the offseason additions of Topeka native Ky Thomas, who spent two seasons at Minnesota, and Sevion Morrison, who played his first two at Nebraska.

Thomas, who cited homesickness as the main reason for his transfer, made an impression last season for the Golden Gophers after their top two running backs suffered season-ending injuries. He finished the season with 824 yards and six touchdowns on 166 carries and was named the MVP of the Guaranteed

Rate Bowl, in which Minnesota de feated West Virginia. Morrison, mean while, played only a bit part at Nebras ka, though he was one of the top-rated high school seniors in the class of 2020 after rushing for more than 5,000 yards while in high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their additions don’t over shadow Devin Neal, the Law rence High grad who emerged as one of the best freshman running backs in the nation by running 158 times for 707 yards and eight touchdowns. Neal, who hopes to play at 215 pounds this sea son after finishing the last at 200, has said that his greater understanding of the zone-running offense in his sec ond year should allow him to continue to grow.

“It helps you visualize how things are going to work and helps you an ticipate more and what defenses are going to do against a wide zone and inside zone and stuff like that,” Neal said. “It’s nice to have that year under your belt.”

Kansas’ back field will also include redshirt sophomore Dan iel Hishaw Jr., who missed all of last season after displacing a hip dur ing training camp, and redshirt junior Torry Locklin, a versatile gadget-style player who ran 36 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns last season.

> WINS, 7C

Chance Parker/Journal-World Photo KANSAS REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER DOUGLAS EMILIEN

With last year’s standouts and a slew of reinforcements, Kansas defense aims to DOMINATE THE GRIDIRON

zboyer@ljworld.com

While the Kansas football team returns much of its offense from its first season under coach Lance Leipold, the defense has been significantly overhauled in an attempt to add experience, leadership and depth.

The Jayhawks added 20 transfers after last season. Thirteen of those players are on defense, with every position, except defensive tackle, benefiting from reinforcements.

“We all know that we’ve got nowhere to go but up from last year, so (we were) just being honest about it,” said defensive coordinator Brian Borland. “We had to get better, and I think that the players that have been in our program from the start have done a wonderful job of development in every way. And they’re better players now. But yeah, we knew we had to go find some (experienced players) and that’s just the nature of the business a little bit.”

Here’s a look at the Jayhawks’ defense by position ahead of the Sept. 2 opener against Tennessee Tech.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES

The only position that wasn’t affected by the addition of a transfer over the past eight months is defensive tackle — and it’s clear why. Kansas returns a cast of experienced upperclassmen, including sixth-year senior Sam Burt and redshirt senior Caleb Sampson, who will be competing for playing time. It will be up to the coaching staff to decide how to get them all involved.

Leipold joked that in his experience, defensive line

2022 Kansas Football Schedule

Sept. 3 - vs. Tennessee Tech (7 p.m.)

Sept. 10 - at West Virginia (5 p.m.)

Sept. 17 - at Houston (3 p.m.)

Sept. 24 - vs. Duke (TBA)

Oct. 1 - vs. Iowa State (TBA)

Oct. 8 - vs. TCU (TBA)

Oct. 15 - at Oklahoma (TBA)

Oct. 22 - at Baylor (TBA)

Nov. 5 - vs. Oklahoma State (TBA)

Nov. 12 - at Texas Tech (TBA)

Nov. 19 - vs. Texas (TBA)

Nov. 26 - at Kansas State (TBA)

coaches advocate for having as many defensive tackles rotate during games as possible. Defensive tackles coach Jim Panagos, asked minutes later about his preference, said just that and said he has played as many as 13 or 14 linemen in his past stops.

Burt returns for his sixth season after he broke his arm in the opener last season and qualified for a redshirt. Panagos, who was hired in January, has raved about Burt’s leadership and understanding of the defense and said his absence may have been one of the biggest reasons why Kansas struggled to stop the run a year ago. He and Sampson should be the starters, but they’ll rotate situationally and as the game continues with redshirt seniors Eddie Wilson and Ronald McGee, junior Kenean Caldwell and redshirt sophomore Caleb Taylor.

Taylor, in particular, is worth watching. He weighed 258 pounds when he started against Duke on Sept. 25 and, by the end of spring practice, had touched 300, which means he has added the required mass and strength needed to hold his own at the position. Beyond Taylor are two redshirt freshmen — D.J. Withers and Tommy Dunn Jr. — who Panagos also believes could play.

“They’re not where we need to be, but

> DEFENSE, 8C

Chance Parker/Journal-World Photo KANSAS SENIOR SAFETY KENNY LOGAN JR.

Expectations are high as KU volleyball tries

By Matt Tait mtait@ljworld.com

Each year, the Kansas volleyball team comes up with a motto that’s used to set the tone for the season ahead.

Last season, “grit and grace” was the mantra Ray Bechard’s Jayhawks used to guide their season, which ended in the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Tournament.

This year, the motto is even shorter.

“The word we’re using is ‘relevant,’” Bechard said in a recent interview with the Journal-World to preview the season. “And at the national level.”

After finishing the 2021 season at 18-12 and delivering one of the best postseason runs in school history, the Jayhawks lost two of their top point scorers — Jenny Mosser to graduation and Caroline Crawford to transfer.

Outside of that, however, the Jayhawks return virtually all of their key pieces from last year’s run and are thrilled about the newcomers they’ve added to join them.

None will be bigger than senior transfer Lauren Dooley, who will fill Crawford’s spot in the middle and, at 6-foot-6, is “the prototypical Big 12 middle (blocker) from a physical standpoint,” according to her head coach.

Add to that the return of AllAmerican Caroline Bien, now a savvy and experienced sophomore, setter Camryn Turner, who Bechard said could be “one of the premier setters in the country,” and impact veterans Rachel Langs and Anezka Szabo up front, and it’s easy to see why the expectations for a solid encore are so high for these Jayhawks.

“This team will create its own path,” Bechard said. “But we’ve talked about taking the baton from last year’s team. They ran their race, and now we’re going to run ours.”

Langs, who returns as a supersenior after getting into KU’s speech pathology graduate program, said she thought the 2022 Jayhawks have all the right parts to start fast and deliver another memorable season.

Rather than hoping for it, Langs said the team is united in

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT

its quest to live up to the standard that’s been set for Kansas volleyball.

“That is Kansas volleyball,” Langs said. “To be hanging those banners and making the tournament and making those runs. That’s the goal of every team every year.”

Joining the group above will be opposite London Davis, a sophomore who gained valuable experience last season, and outside hitter Ayah Elnady, a redshirt freshman, high-flier who missed most of 2021 because of injury.

Bechard said Elnady was back to at least where she was as a freshman and likely better. And both players could be huge in KU’s quest to replace the production of Mosser and Crawford.

“Priority No. 1 for us to replace some of that point scoring is finding a way to get kills from some other positions,” Bechard said, adding that Szabo could be primed for a big year and Dooley also could be an offensive weapon. “I think we’ve got good depth in all positions. I think we’ve got some kids in the best physical condition they’ve been in. And I do think we’re poised to be in a good position.”

In addition to the returning talent and an impact transfer like Dooley, KU brought in four freshmen who could find meaningful playing time early.

Outside hitter Rhian Swanson, a dynamic 6-foot-2 point scorer from McPherson High, and libero Molly McCarthy, from Rancho Mirage, California, joined the program in the spring and already have a good connection with the rest of the roster.

2022 Kansas Volleyball Schedule

$8.99

Returning cross country runners and new faces are all eager to be

year, when returning junior Chandler Gibbens placed first in the 5,000-meter race (14:22.23) at the Oral Roberts Invite. Gibbens led the KU men to a fifth-place finish in the Big 12 Championship, and

Redwine is looking for more new faces to grab pionship and carry over the momentum from the

“You always want to do well at the conference and NCAA level, and for us to do that, there has to be consistency in training and we must stay healthy,” Redwine said. “Those were some of the things, the health part specifically, that beat us last year. We must make sure we’re healthy enough to

The biggest obstacle, according to Redwine, is the extensive break runners receive during the

“When they come in, we have to build into it rather than just jump into it,” Redwine said. “That fitness decides the time of year they should really be ticking. The goal is to be at our fittest starting at the end of October; that’s when you really have your confidence because two weeks later you have

KU will open the 2022 season on Sept. 3 with its only home meet of the season, the Bob Timmons

Kansas Athletics Photo UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS CROSS COUNTRY COACH STANLEY REDWINE

losses weighed on young soccer team, but it’s back on the field and BUILDING ON EXPERIENCE

By Conner Becker Special to the Journal-World

Nearly three years removed from its 2019 Big 12 Championship title and third-round loss to South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament, the Kansas women’s soccer team continues along a path toward redemption.

The 2021 season was filled with obstacles, as the team lost goalkeeper Sarah Peters, who holds the program’s shutout record, and opened Big 12 play with four consecutive losses. Melania Pasar filled in for Peters and gained some valuable experience, which coach Mark Francis believes will have the Jayhawks better prepared for life after Pe-

“That made a massive difference,” Francis said of losing Peters in 2021. “The Big 12 had a lot of the better teams that had three or four super-seniors, and our team was young and we lost our starting keeper. You put all those things together, and now, all of a sudden, out of those one-goal games, you’re not getting that one play that ends up winning the game and we’re getting a loss instead of KU rebounded late in the season, scoring back-to-back wins over top-25 opponents Baylor and West Virginia and proving the program still had the pieces to compete. And Francis and his players hope memories of that stretch will provide confidence for the

“We were capable of beating top teams,” Francis said. “We just couldn’t do it consistently enough. I think the benefit for us from that season was that if we’d had superseniors, some of those freshmen and sophomores wouldn’t have been starting. That experience was massive for them.”

Francis returns three super-seniors — defenders Kaela Hansen and Grace Wiltgen and midfielder Rylan Childers. Francis will also depend on junior forward Brie Severns to shine bright this season after scoring a team-high six goals last year. When practice opened in early

2022 Kansas Soccer Schedule

Aug. 18 – Ohio State 1, KU 0

Aug. 21 – KU 1, Northwestern 0

Aug. 25 – KU 1, Iowa 0

Today – at Drake (1 p.m.)

Sept. 1 – vs. Purdue (7 p.m.)

Sept. 4 – at Missouri ( 2 p.m.)

Sept. 8 – vs. Kansas City (7 p.m.)

Sept. 11 – vs. Yale (1 p.m.)

Sept. 15 – at Florida Atlantic (6 p.m.)

Sept. 18 – at South Florida (12 p.m.)

Sept. 22 – vs. Oklahoma State (7 p.m.)

Sept. 25 – vs. TCU (3 p.m.)

Sept. 30 – at West Virginia (6 p.m.)

Oct. 6 – at Baylor (7 p.m.)

Oct. 9 – at Texas (1 p.m.)

Oct. 13 – vs. Oklahoma (7 p.m.)

Oct. 16 – vs. Texas Tech (1 p.m.)

Oct. 21 – at Kansas State (7 p.m.)

Oct. 27 – vs. Iowa State (7 p.m.)

Oct. 30 – Big 12 Quarterfinal (TBA)

Nov. 3 – Big 12 Semifinal (TBA)

Nov. 6 – Big 12 Championship (TBA)

August, Francis said the benefits of working with strength coach Janie Kearl throughout the summer were obvious.

“Janie did a phenomenal job,” Francis said.

“The kids look fit, they’ve all passed the fitness test for the most part, with the level that we set. You can’t get your players fit during preseason because you’re playing a game (one) week later. They have to come in fit and that was the main thing this summer.”

Severns was one of several Jayhawks who sharpened their game during the 2022 spring schedule that included wins over Missouri State, Nebraska, and Air Force. Severns scored a late, game-winning goal to beat Nebraska 2-1 in April.

“The performance of some of the players in the spring just went up a notch based on the experience from the fall,” Francis said. “We’ll definitely reap the benefits of that this season with those young players now being sophomores and juniors. It’s going to make a massive difference for us.”

TIGHT END

Leipold said the Jayhawks’ tight ends are “a great example” of the development of the program in Year 2, even though they remain unproven on the whole. Those at the position have been rotating in for snaps instead of having each one scripted for a certain player to build depth and wellroundedness. “They’re a lot more comfortable and understanding,” Leipold said. “We’re moving them around a lot, doing different things, using them different ways.”

Much will be expected of redshirt sophomore Trevor Kardell, who caught just five passes for 86 yards last season. Kardell, who is 6-foot-5 and 252 pounds, has the athleticism to be a target in the passing game but must continue to refine those skills in order to demonstrate his reliability.

“The difference between last year and this year is night and day,” Kardell said. “Also, having the same offense two years in a row is huge for us. We’re able to dig deep into the offense and understand it like the back of our hand. I think that’s been huge for us.”

Also returning are redshirt sophomore Jared Casey, the hero of the win against Texas who

Volleyball

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4C

Katie Dalton, a 6-foot-1 setter from Parker, Colorado, and Brynn Kirsch, a libero from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, first arrived

was rewarded for his strong play late last season with a scholarship; senior Mason Fairchild, who has played in all but one game since joining the Jayhawks as a freshman; and redshirt sophomore Will Huggins, who at 6-foot-7 is the tallest player at the position but missed all but three games last season with an unspecified injury.

Tevita Noa, a 6-foot-4, 256-pound junior from Snow, a junior college in Utah, was added to provide physicality and blocking. “He can be a mauler in the run game and he can be a quick guy in the passing game, but he can also lean his shoulder down and truck someone over,” Fairchild said. “He’s a freak, just to put it simply. He’s strong and he’s fast and he’s learning the playbook,

on campus this summer and already have meshed well with the rest of the roster.

“I think we have a very good core, and we already have that really good team chemistry,” Langs said.

Langs listed chemistry and first-contact skills as the team’s top strengths. And, with 19 players on the

and once he does, once he masters that playbook, he’s going to be really, really good.”

WIDE RECEIVER

The departure of Kwamie Lassiter II, who was a sixth-year senior last season, means plenty of questions hover over the wide receivers. Nearly everyone, including Leipold, Kotelnicki, Daniels, wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel and several of the players at the position, has said that the Jayhawks don’t need a primary target to emerge for their passing offense to be threatening, but that doesn’t mean one won’t try — or end up doing so.

That conversation starts with redshirt sophomore Lawrence “LJ” Arnold, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound target who is

roster, Bechard said there should be enough daily competition at all positions to keep everyone hungry and sharp. Of that group, he said as many as 14 or 15 could be “in the mix” for regular playing time any given week.

“I think we’ll be good defensively,” Bechard said.

not just a big target but also someone who can stretch the field. Arnold, who considered leaving in the spring, has rededicated himself to his teammates to a point where he said during training camp that he wants to help push the standard of the unit’s excellence.

“We can’t stop,” Arnold said. “We can’t feel like mediocrity is acceptable. We don’t accept being mediocre in our receiver room. Whatever we’ve got to do, we get it done. It doesn’t matter if it’s the dirty work in there or if we’ve got to go up and make a play.”

One player who could do just that is Doug Emilien, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Minnesota. Emilien, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound speedster from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, described his style of

“And if we can be the type of team we want to be offensively, I think that’s one key area.” One area that’s not a problem is confidence. This team — returners and newcomers alike — has set the bar high for the 2022 season, and the Jayhawks believe that anything is

play as “grimy” because he likes to block and do the less glorious aspects of the job. He considered himself overlooked at Minnesota — he rarely played in either season — and is hoping to rediscover the attributes that made him a highly coveted high school prospect.

Also returning to the Jayhawks are junior Luke Grimm, whom Samuel called the “leader” of the wide receivers, and junior Steven McBride. Redshirt sophomore Quentin Skinner and redshirt freshman Kelan Robinson are also among the receivers who are pushing for playing time.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Kansas lost only one starter — left guard Malik Clark, who was a sixthyear senior last season — and that should lead to a measure of continuity that will improve the productivity of Daniels and the running game. But don’t discount the idea that significant changes could still be made along the line as the Jayhawks find the right players who will fit their zone rushing scheme.

Sixth-year senior Earl Bostick Jr., who is hoping to use this season to set up his NFL aspirations, returns to anchor the line at left tackle. Redshirt senior center Mike Novitsky and redshirt sophomore right tackle Bryce Cabeldue should return to their starting roles, and redshirt sophomore Michael Ford Jr. appears poised to move

possible if they stay together and keep the chemistry where it is today.

“I think you have to be careful that you create expectations that are appropriate for this group,” Bechard said. “But there is a little buzz around this group.”

KU opened the regular

from right guard to left guard. He’ll do so to make way for redshirt sophomore Armaj Reed-Adams, who began the spring at left guard before settling in at right guard. Reed-Adams’ primary challenge this season, however, will be controlling his weight; he enrolled at Kansas in 2020 weighing 410 pounds, was 365 pounds when Leipold was hired and bottomed out at 305 pounds before realizing that he should try to play this season at 325 pounds.

And while Leipold has said he wants to identify three primary backups entering the season — a tackle, a guard and a center — in an attempt to reinforce the line, he’s still searching for those three players. Dominick Puni, a redshirt senior transfer from Central Missouri, lined up at left guard and right tackle during training camp. Deondre Doiron, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Buffalo, started 10 games last season at right tackle but has been taking snaps as Novitsky’s backup. Redshirt freshmen De’Kedrick Sterns and Nolan Gorczyca, also a Buffalo transfer, are in the mix, as are freshman tackle James Livingston and freshman guard Joey Baker.

Above all, the coaches want players who are versatile, strong and fleet of foot. As offensive line coach Scott Fuchs said, “If you’re good enough to help us win, you’re going to play.”

season Aug. 26 at the Utah Classic. Next up, it will travel to West Point, New York, for the Black Knights Classic Sept. 2 and 3 before returning for a road match at Kansas City on Sept. 7 and the home opener against Wichita State on Sept. 8 at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.

Chance Parker/Journal-World Photo KANSAS REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE RUNNING BACK KY THOMAS runs the ball during practice at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Aug. 20.

they’re getting better every day,” Panagos said. “That’s the key — as long as they show progress. But they have some ability you can’t teach. They can bend. They can get off blocks. They can just move their body around. They’re flexible, so they’re moving in the right direction.”

DEFENSIVE ENDS

Much will be expected of redshirt junior Lonnie Phelps Jr., who had more sacks than any other player who transferred from one FBS school to another after last season. Phelps, who is 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, has the coaching staff and his teammates excited about his burst and quickness. (Senior safety Kenny Logan Jr. called him “a freak of nature.”) He had 9.5 sacks last season, which ranked third in the MAC and tied for 22nd in the FBS.

Phelps should adequately replace Kyron Johnson, the converted outside linebacker who had 5.5 sacks last season and was drafted in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Eagles.

“We know what Kyron gave us last year, but we also have to be honest: He was undersized and really played his tail off in tough situations,” Leipold said. “Lonnie gives us a little more size there and he’s going to be good against the run as well. I like that about him. He mixes things up. He works at it. He takes coaching, all those things. It’s exciting.”

Redshirt senior Malcolm Lee should resume starting — he did so in 11 of 12 games last season — but he has missed portions of training camp with an unspecified injury. He showed an ability to get upfield and pressure the quarterback last season

even though that wasn’t his primary responsibility.

Leipold has also been quick to praise junior Jereme Robinson, who played in nine games last season and started the one Lee didn’t. Robinson called last season a “learning experience” and said he felt inspired by an offseason conversation with the coaches in which they told him they believe in him.

Sixth-year senior Zion DeBose, redshirt senior Hayden Hatcher and redshirt freshman D’Marion Alexander will also rotate in, and Kansas has two promising junior college transfers — junior Davion Westmoreland and sophomore Dean Miller — who are expected to redshirt.

LINEBACKERS No position group has undergone a more radical transformation since last season than the linebackers. “We have five guys in the room on scholarship that weren’t with us a year ago and one guy that played significantly that isn’t, so when you look at that, it’s a way different picture this year than it was last year,” linebackers coach Chris Simpson said. What Simpson said he has is “five or six”

starting-quality players and how the staff determines each one’s role and snaps will be an everchanging conundrum. What’s clear is that those who transferred to Kansas from four-year institutions will be counted upon heavily; it’s even plausible that the Jayhawks could settle on three starters who played elsewhere last season.

Perhaps the biggest impact will be made by redshirt junior Craig Young, who played 26 games across three seasons at Ohio State. Young, who was recruited by the Buckeyes to play wide receiver before he was moved to safety and began learning how to play linebacker, has already emerged as a leader with the Jayhawks. He is 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds and has elite speed; he said he ran a 4.46-second 40yard dash upon arriving at Ohio State. He also has the length and range that allow him to “fit in really well” as the hawk linebacker, a strong safety/strongside linebacker hybrid, according to Simpson.

Though a bit undersized at 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, redshirt senior Eriq Gilyard is an old-school middle linebacker from UCF

who said he loves stopping the run — again, a deficiency for Kansas last season. “Probably one of the best we have just in terms of being square the line of scrimmage,” Simpson said. Similar in size, stature and responsibility is Lorenzo McCaskill, the Jayhawks’ marquee late-summer pickup who transferred from Louisiana after being named a second-team AllSun Belt player. McCaskill, who got a late start to camp because his transfer had not been finalized, is a physical player who has already been active in teaching some of his younger teammates the techniques that made him successful. Their acquisitions should not overshadow the emergence of senior Rich Miller, who emerged as a reliable tackler and team leader as last season wore on, and junior Taiwan Berryhill, who Simpson said is far and away the most improved player in the unit. Senior Gavin Potter started all but one game last season and finished with 78 tackles, one fewer than Miller for the lead among linebackers, and one interception.

CORNERBACKS

Redshirt senior Kalon Gervin, who transferred

to Kansas from Michigan State in January, shores up the position with the experience that it was lacking last season. Considered the best high school senior in Michigan in the class of 2018, Gervin went from being a starter to a rotational player with the Spartans before deciding to leave early last season. He’ll be the top option outside but, depending on the performance of others in the defensive backfield, could rotate to nickelback in subpackages as he has the quickness and instincts necessary to cover slot receivers.

Who starts alongside Gervin will come down to seventh-year senior Monte McGary, a transfer from Utah State, and a trio of holdovers — redshirt sophomore Ra’Mello Dotson and sophomores Jacobee Bryant and Cam’Ron “Shaad” Dabney, each of whom started games last season. When Gervin moves to the slot, Bryant and Dotson should be the first options outside. Dotson, in particular, seems much more comfortable pressing receivers than he did a year ago, and Dabney may be more of an option inside.

“Last year it was kind of like, ‘OK, who can learn this defense but also handle it mentally?’” defensive backs coach Jordan Peterson said. “Well, now, we’re able to go, ‘OK, we have the time to make sure they know the defense. What skill set fits us the best in this situation?’ Now, we’re able to put pieces where we want to be based on the situation and that’s going to help us.”

SAFETIES

Much will again be expected from senior Kenny Logan Jr., who led all Power Five safeties with 113 tackles last season and wants to lead the FBS in interceptions in this one. It was he who made a statement to his teammates in

the winter by letting it be known that he believed in the coaching staff and wasn’t going to transfer, and many others have said that his declaration of support further helped them buy into what Leipold and his assistants are trying to do.

Logan was the boundary safety last season, though it’s unclear if he’ll remain in that role given who is joining him in the defensive backfield. Marvin Grant Jr., a redshirt junior, transferred to Kansas over the summer after he started all 13 games at Purdue last season. He’s a lengthy, physical, heavy hitter who has also been taking reps in the boundary role during training camp, essentially making him Logan’s backup as he learns the specifics of the defense. Logan, though, started to take additional snaps as the field safety, paving a way for the two to be the Jayhawks’ starting duo come the season opener. Like at cornerback, a trio of underclassmen with significant experience will try to earn opportunities this season. Sophomores O.J. Burroughs, Edwin White-Schultz and Jayson Gilliom were all competing for starting reps during the spring; Burroughs emerged as the leading candidate, especially as Gilliom, who started three games last season, picked up an unspecified longterm injury.

The position was also reinforced with the addition of two transfers — redshirt senior Jarrett Paul, who began at Rutgers before transferring to Eastern Michigan, and sophomore Jalen Dye, the son of former Kansas City Royals outfielder Jermaine Dye. Paul, in particular, will be worth watching as he has also taken snaps at hawk linebacker in camp. His versatility will be important to a defense that values positional flexibility in its secondary.

Chance Parker/Journal-World Photo

KANSAS SUPER SENIOR SAFETY ANDREW RUSSELL participates during practice at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Aug. 20.