 #15 Kansas Jayhawks Preview Kansas caught everybody off guard last season although seeing the ascension to the top of the Big 12 wasn’t really surprising. Everyone had seen the job Mark Mangino had done in Kansas and they were predicted to have a breakout season but couldn’t seem to get more than 6 or 7 wins. DJ Boyer looks at the Jayhawks and what their chances are for more success in 2008. #15 Kansas Jayhawks
Head Coach – Mark Mangino
2007 Record – 12-1
2007 Review Kansas caught everybody off guard last season although seeing the ascension to the top of the Big 12 wasn’t really surprising. Everyone had seen the job Mark Mangino had done in Kansas and they were predicted to have a breakout season but couldn’t seem to get more than 6 or 7 wins. Last season nobody talks about them and Todd Reesing shows all the team was missing was a quarterback to operate the offense. Kansas went undefeated before losing to Missouri for the Big 12 Conference crown, they ended up 12-1 As they defeated Virginia Tech for the Orange Bowl title.
Team MVP
It would be a crime to consider anyone other than Reesing for this award. Reesing stepped in as an untested sophomore and took Kansas to new heights. While small in stature he has a big arm and a ton of poise and pocket presence, traits that cannot be taught. He doesn’t have superstars around him but he distributes the ball quickly, accurately and gets everyone involved. Reesing doesn’t try to do too much and stays within his limits, more of a game manager than a quarterback.
Offense
Quarterback
I’ve already sung the praises of Reesing and how his contributions go far beyond the stat sheet alone. If Reesing approaches the type of season he had a year ago and is able to carry once again then I think he deserves an invite to New York and we need to mention him as a Heisman candidate. With nearly 3,500 yards through the air and an impressive 33/7 TD-INT it’s easy to see why Coach Mangino is happy to have him back under center for two more full seasons. Reesing had less than 200 yards on the ground last year but he runs when he needs to and does a good job of feeling oncoming pressure. Reesing is one of gthe best in the nation when it comes to throwing on the run. He could have a larger rushing total but he is always looking to throw first when he is flushed from the pocket. Kerry Meier is one of Reesing’s favorite targets but if something happens to him Meier is listed as the #2 on the depth chart.
Running Back
Jake Sharp had over 800 yards as a backup to Brandon McAnderson last season and they were a perfect compliment to one another with contrasting styles. Sharp should be the main guy while Angus Quigley should be the tougher between the tackles runner who will provide him a lot of rest. Sharp is also good catching the ball out of the backfield and we could see more sets as the year goes on where he is split wide as a receiver and Quigley is used as the primary back. By the middle of the year we could be seeing more of Jocques Crawford who gained 1,935 yards and 19 touchdowns last season at Cisco C.C. in Texas. Crawford raised a lot of eyebrows when he spurned a number of Texas schools to join the up and coming Jayhawks. While quarterback is the best position for Kansas on offense running back is easily the deepest.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Kerry Meier is the key here because he can be used virtually anywhere on the football field. You will see him lined up in the backfield on a number of occasions as he can be an h-back, take direct snaps and play quarterback (25-29 for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2007) and he also lines up and is listed on the roster as a wide receiver. Meier gives Kansas an element of deception and often he creates mismatches weather he is going against a smaller corner or his presence and route running creates a mismatch elsewhere on the field. Dexton Fields and his 63 catches which led the team last season are back and he is a reliable possession and third down receiver who gets his chances in the red zone. Dezmon Briscoe is back and of his 43 receptions 7 went for touchdowns. Look for sophomore Johnathan Wilson to see more chances as a lanky speed burner who will go deep.
Offensive Line
This is a line that has good size and is solid but lacks a big name since Anthony Collins departed early for the NFL. Center Ryan Cantrell is very underrated and has turned into one of the better centers in the conference. Guards Adrian Mayes and Chet Hartley form a solid duo who move very well for a pair of guards. Looks for a lot of misdirections or pulling plays to get them into space. The departure of Collins was something the team was not ready for and there could be a noticeable dropoff in terms of play. This looks to be the weakest point of the offense but weak is a strong word. The Kansas line isn’t weak as much as they have a ton of talent at other places on the football field. Defense
Defensive Line So much focus and emphasis is put on the tremendous offense that Kansas has that the defense and especially the work along the line seems to get lost in the shuffle. Kansas was 8th in the nation stopping the run a year ago and only allowed two players to top 100 yards against them. In over half of the games Kansas played the leading opposing rusher failed to get 50 yards against them. While James McClinton is gone the other three starters remain and they have a rising star in newcomer Jamal Greene at defensive tackle. The focus this year will be to improve the pass rush and it looks like something Kansas will do with John Larson leading the charge along with pass-rushing reserve Maxwell Onyegbule.
Linebackers
While the defensive line was terrific at stopping the run the focus on defense remains the linebackers. It’s simple why when you look at the contributions of Joe Mortensen, James Holt and Mike Rivera….all are back for their senior seasons and it forms what is in my opinion the best trio of starting linebackers at the NCAA level. Mortensen is the quid essential middle linebacker who does everything you ask him to do. Mortensen will fill gaps he will take on double teams to let somebody else hit his gap and he will come on run blitzes and sack the quarterback. Mortensen could be an All-American by the end of the year and will get a of attention on Draft Day. Holy may be the most athletic of the bunch but what impresses me most is you rarely see solo tackles from this group. There always seems to be multiple people around the ball and often more than 1 linebacker. Put all their stats together as they were the top 3 tackles on the team a season ago and you get 301 tackles with 33 tackles for loss, very impressive numbers.
Secondary
Even with the loss of Aqib Talib this is still a strong secondary, almost as strong As the defensive line on paper. Chris Harris is the leader of the secondary after he made his mark as a freshman last season. Teams tried to avoid Talib and wound up running into a buzzsaw with Harris. Kendrick Harper is ready to step in and be a starter since he did it four games last season and performed well. Patrick Resby and Darrell Stuckey are back and starting at safety and Justin Thornton is the backup at both positions. Thornton had 5 interceptions as a reserve in 2007 so he knows how to make an impact when he is on the field. This is a good secondary but they will take their lumps and will likely be on the field a lot because the defensive line and linebackers are just too good to attack constantly.
Special Teams
This is an area of concern as Talib and his returns are gone as is the kicker Scott Webb and punter Kyle Tucker. I have no idea who the kicker and punter are going to be and I have no assurance that Mark Mangino does either. Kicking from distance has been a problem for the last three seasons in Kansas and despite the fact that they have a multitude of candidates nobody seems to have stepped up to fill the roles just yet. Marcus Herford should be the most consistent force on special teams as he will likely handle the kickoff and punt return duties.
2008 Outlook
With Reesing still under center and the corps of the defense still intact this could be another season where Kansas contends or evens wins the Big 12 this season. Kansas will have Oklahoma on the road this year and that should be the biggest test they have aside from the end of the year showdown they have with Missouri. Another game to pay attention to will be the Jayhawks third game of the year where they hit the road for the first time and go to South Florida. The winner of that game will have a lot of momentum going into conference play.
|
Print
E-mail
Del.icio.us
Digg
