Kansas Football 2022 Season

[twocoach]

Prime Pooka or Devin?

In their freshman seasons, Pooka had 415 more rushing yards on just 3 more attempts so this seems like a pretty easy question.

[Cascadia]

Yeah, Pooka with a competent coach and program may have been a Heisman candidate.

[CrimsonNBlue]

For college, probably Pooka.

Neal for college+NFL career. Built better.

Plus, Neal could be All-America type by the time he's a senior. Pooka was never going to stick around long enough.

[Sparko]

Pooka was a lot like Gale Sayers in that first move and vision. But Sayers did not have the Riggin's career.

[NewtonHawk11]

Itching for football..

Let's do a little breakdown of the team..

QBs
Jalon Daniels has the keys and won't let them go with how Leipold and Kotelnicki do business. Barring injury, they don't switch QBs. Daniels has the confidence and the arm to do good things. Just has to keep making smart reads and beat defenses with his legs when that time comes. Threw for 800 yards and had 7 TDs to just 3 INTs over the last 4 games of the year.

Jason Bean was a guy who started well last year, just couldn't maintain the momentum. Has the speed, a decent arm, just not very accurate and a quiet type. 6 TDs to 6 INTs on 2021. Threw for 320 at Duke and rushed for at least 54 yards in the first 4 games of 2021. Played his tail off at home against Oklahoma too. Just has to be more accurate to get any chance.

Gone is the overhyped underachieving mess that is Miles Kendrick. Blah.

Other QBs on the roster..
Ben Easters, Jordan Preston and Jack Johnson. I think Preston and Johnson are walk-ons. Easters struggled to start the year and making early impressions, but has stuck around and has improved a bit from what I've read. Decent size, not the best mover, more of a pocket passer, but that's fine for this offense.


Grade of position: C+
Probably the 8th best QB room in the Big 12. Think they have better QB room than Iowa State and Baylor.

Still a ways to go, but closer to the middle of the pack than what Kansas has had in a while. They probably won't be the top reason Kansas loses any games.

[UnholyLivingDead]

Don't forget about Ethan Vasko. KU swooped in and picked him late. Everyone around Lawrence has apparently been extremely impressed with him since he got to campus, including Daniels. If everything goes right this year he'll obviously redshirt but he's certainly a name to watch.

[Sparko]

I think KU with their top two QBs is near the top third or better. I think Daniels is the real deal with pocket poise we haven't seen since #5. Bean in a running offense is really good. We tend to think too highly of other team's QBs who don't run for their lives all the time. Hoping for some blocking to prove me right this year.

[NewtonHawk11]

Don't forget about Ethan Vasko. KU swooped in and picked him late. Everyone around Lawrence has apparently been extremely impressed with him since he got to campus, including Daniels. If everything goes right this year he'll obviously redshirt but he's certainly a name to watch.

Did forget about him. He’ll battle Easters for #3. But will likely redshirt.

[UnholyLivingDead]

Don't forget about Ethan Vasko. KU swooped in and picked him late. Everyone around Lawrence has apparently been extremely impressed with him since he got to campus, including Daniels. If everything goes right this year he'll obviously redshirt but he's certainly a name to watch.

Did forget about him. He’ll battle Easters for #3. But will likely redshirt.

He certainly doesn't change the current grade of the group but he could pan out into a starter down the road.

[NewtonHawk11]

I think KU with their top two QBs is near the top third or better. I think Daniels is the real deal with pocket poise we haven't seen since #5. Bean in a running offense is really good. We tend to think too highly of other team's QBs who don't run for their lives all the time. Hoping for some blocking to prove me right this year.

In a down year for Big 12 QBs sure. But there's some talented kids in programs.

Oklahoma State has a solid starter in Sanders who has started every single year in Stillwater, I think.
OU got Gabriel from UCF
Duggan at TCU is better than Daniels
JT Daniels at West Va has played for SEC and Pac 12 schools.
Quinn Ewers moved from Ohio State to Texas.
I think Adrian Martinez is trash, but kstate has two really good backups in Howard and Rubley.

[Sparko]

I think KU is lucky to have some good QBs for once. Excited to see them compete this year.

[CrimsonNBlue]

We return our starting QB, our offensive coordinator, and our head coach.

How many times have we said that since 2008?

[CrimsonNBlue]

We return our starting QB, our offensive coordinator, and our head coach.

How many times have we said that since 2008?

I think you could argue this only happened once and even this example is pretty loose:

2016 team returned Montell Cozart, David Beaty, and Rob Likens. Cozart was the starting QB in 2015, but then was injured and eventually injured for rest of 2015.

The next best example of continuity would have been 2020 when Carter Stanley, Les Miles, and Brent Dearmon returned. But, of course, in 2019 Dearmon replaced Koenning as OC after like 3 games, and Carter Stanley only started one game in 2019.

We so badly need continuity.

[hartjack8]

After the last three games last year the offensive is going to be fine. OL should be better.
Defense is the big question. No way your safety can lead your team in tackles. We had three lb's transfer in as well as five other defensive players. If we can get the front seven to shut down the run without Logan it will change the dynamics on that side and Logan can concentrate on making plays in the passing game. Logan by far our best baller.

[NewtonHawk11]

RBs
The strength of the team and it's not close.

3 guys who have started or played significant snaps at the P5 level.

Devin Neal is a stud. Great balance, above average speed and a great leader for the team. Had 700 yards.
Ky Thomas showed out for Minnesota last year. Winning bowl game MVP and had over 800 yards in his freshman year. Similar to Neal. Probably a bit shiftier and could conceivably play in the slot a bit too when Neal is in the backfield.
Sevion Morrison played significant snaps for Nebraska. Bit more of a bruiser type. A really good backup option.
Daniel Hishaw was injured last year, but had a good 2020 season. Another bruiser type of back. Think he can be a solid goal line back who does have some decent speed if necessary.
Torry Locklin still hasn't found a position yet, but as he proved against Duke, if you can get the ball in his hands either on the ground or through the air, he can do some things with it.
Jack Codwell, who is a bigger back and DeAndre Thomas Jr, a smaller scat back type of RB round out the room.


Leipold and Kotelnicki are not shy in saying they want to run the ball. They proved it last year. They ran the ball a lot and their pass plays are based off the run. Not the other way around which used to happen in Lawrence. They will have a run/pass ration of probably close to 60/40.

Position Grade: A
A top 2 RB room in the Big 12. Just behind Texas and ahead of kstate. Think Devin Neal is #3 by himself, but when you add Ky Thomas, Morrison and Hishaw to the mix, it's an outstanding room. The best room in the program.

[UnholyLivingDead]

This is the position that has me the most excited for the season. With the RB position loaded with talent and so much continuity along the OL, KU stands a chance to be competitive in so many more games this year by controlling the clock.

[InfiniteJ]

Sounds like the coaching staff doesn't want Bean to move to a different position, which because of injuries and stuff I understand, but man, he's so fast that you'd like to see him out on the field in some capacity.

Great group of running backs...I'm a little worried there won't be enough carries to go around.

[Cascadia]

This is the position that has me the most excited for the season. With the RB position loaded with talent and so much continuity along the OL, KU stands a chance to be competitive in so many more games this year by controlling the clock.

Exactly

[CrimsonNBlue]

Great set of RB's, no doubt, but we've had some damn good ones since Mangino was fired.

I'm more excited about the experience and continuity of the OL. Second half of last season was the first good OL play we have seen since 2009ish.

[NewtonHawk11]

Great set of RB's, no doubt, but we've had some damn good ones since Mangino was fired.

I'm more excited about the experience and continuity of the OL. Second half of last season was the first good OL play we have seen since 2009ish.

The RB talent that has come through here has kind of been insanely good. Just nothing else was good.