SB Nation - Steven Johnson

Linebackers Early Season Report Card

Denverjhawk — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:36:40 -0000

Perhaps the biggest question mark headed into the season was the Kansas Jayhawk linebacker group. The candidates were numerous but unknown and how effectively they could replace last years group also caused some concern.

This group has also been probably the most difficult to grade out at this point as well. With different player combination's to go with up and down performances this area has probably given the most incomplete picture through three games of the season.

However, with lower than normal expectations for the group and a switch to a 4-2-5 defense the pressure was not nearly as great and perhaps the grading not nearly as harsh as it could be in other areas.

Arist Wright OLB - B+

Arist was likely the only player headed into the season that could have felt even remotely secure with a chance to start. Wright saw the field fairly regularly in 2008 and took that experience into the spring, separating himself from most of the others.

Against most spread teams the undersized Wright will be in a position of coverage against a running back. Through three games this season it's clear he's been keying on the backs, and when they remain in as a blocker he's expected to play football and make plays.

In that role Wright has been pretty good. When his key has become the ball carrier he's done a solid job of attacking the line of scrimmage with the primary exception being some of the UNoCo game early. He's also done a good job playing the free linebacker in a QB spy type role.

As he get's more comfortable during the year Wright has a chance to be very good for Kansas. His play against the run has been good, his pass covering skills have been decent and he has also managed to get in the face of the QB from time to time in the varying blitz packages.

B+ for Wright through three games. 14 tackles on the year, 1 for a loss and a pass breakup. The stats don't tell the whole story and I certainly hope his injury from last week was but a precaution as Wright is well positioned to be a factor for much of the season.

Drew Dudley MLB - A

Drew Dudley? I thought he was a fullback? Oh wait, wasn't he a Linebacker before that? Dudley was grouped in with the top linebackers in the state of Texas coming out of high school and he's finally getting a chance to show it.

18 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss and three sacks for a guy that as off April wasn't even expected on the defensive side of the ball. Dudley has attacked the line of scrimmage, made plays and pressured the quarterback when he's been asked to do so.

Not much more to say for Dudley as this guy deserves an A so far. Very solid play, shows great aggresiveness against the run and is a huge part of why the Jayhawks have pressured the quarterback early this year.

Huldon Tharp OLB - A-

Huldon is going to be a very good linebacker in the Big 12 and should be a welcome sign for Kansas fans worried about defense.

During the first two games Tharp was active but not necessarily up to speed. Basically when the guy was in, he was near the play but maybe a step behind. No problem, this is completely understandable for a true freshman at one of the most physically demanding positions on the field.

Game three though Tharp took advantage of the departure of Arist Wright to show the Kansas fans what Coach Mangino had been raving about. Tharp recorded 10 tackles against Duke and also put the quarterback on the ground twice. Not only was he active but Tharp was making the plays and looked great.

A- for Tharp, since he was a freshman I wasn't expecting to recieve a huge contribution but through three games he's proven that may be a bit premature. The bar has been raised for Tharp, I don't see him cracking the lineup as a starter but he'll be a valuable part of the rotation.

Justin Springer OLB/MLB - C+

The temptation was there to go with an incomplete on this one. Headed into last season the expectation was that Springer would likely fill the role of departing senior Joe Mortensen. Two injuries later that isn't the case.

Springer's knee injury is obviously well documented, but what's been discussed a little bit less is a pulled hamstring which nagged at him for much of the preseason. It's never fair to fault a player who's fighting through injuries but based on expectations alone I think Springer is probably performing a little lower than his full potential.

Springer is in the rotations, he's made a few nice plays but I'd tend to believe he might not be at 100%.

C+ for Justin although I really hesitate because it's hard to say how far "back" he really is. However, if you are out there as an athlete and a competitor excuses aren't an option. All in all this was a tough one, might be premature and a little harsh but I'm a big believer in Springer's potential as a player.

Steven Johnson MLB - B

Steven Johnson's story has been well documented and he's a player that has quietly caused a stir in terms of his potential. A sophomore that is much older due to a variety of circumstances Johnson is one of those players that at this point expectations are huge but the potential is high.

If Johnson were a stock, he'd be a buy. Low risk with a potential for a very high reward. Through three games Johnson has been solid in the backup role in the middle. Most of his minutes have come late in games but he's done an admirable job filling in and making plays where he can.

It's tough to get a great look at our defensive backups late in the game as the whole complection changes. When Kansas is up big they churn the clock while the opponents are pass happy and throwing it quick, early and often. That doesn't exactly lend itself to huge plays for linebackers. Still though Johnson is on the board with 8 tackles and a sack this season which is solid for his role at the moment.

B for Johnson as I think he's performed well with what he's had the opportunity to show. It's not enough to go bonkers with optimism but he's progressing and I could see him becoming an eventual program player at the linebacker spot in the future.

Vernon Brooks OLB - C

Brooks had some pretty high expectations coming in but a late arrival on campus and a family emergency during camp has slowed his progress down a bit. Certainly things have not been at the fault of Brooks in terms of how they've played out and he deserves a little more time.

However, based on what the expectation was through three games and what we've seen, Jayhawk fans are certainly left wondering about Kansas' latest JUCO acquisition.

Brooks at times has shown the ability to be a very aggressive attacking linebacker, but a few times he's over run plays, put himself in bad position and other minor mistakes that come with the adjustment to the next level. Combine that with what I'm sure has been a steep hill to climb in terms of conditioning and perhaps expectations just need to be tempered a little bit in terms of what we expect from our JUCO transfers. Especially in the instance here where Brooks was a very late arrival.

C for Brooks so far because the hype machine that rolled into town with him was running at full strength. After three games I'm ready to step back, adjust those and watch him with a different mindset. Vernon has the potential to make a big jump through the season and I'm looking forward to watching that progress with the full understanding that he has to become good before he can get to great.

Bill Miller LB Coach - A

Coaches weren't initially included in the early season report cards but Bill Miller deserves special mention. Kansas had a complete turnover in the linebacking ranks and slim if any experience with the players at camp.

Miller has found combinations that work, used players in ways where they can be successful and in because of that we've seen a generally more aggressive defensive scheme this season versus last.

Granted the competition level always has to be taken into account but right now when we blitz a linebacker, they are disrupting the play. Sometimes that's a sack, sometimes it's a tip and sometimes it's just putting the QB on the ground after the throw is made. Regardless Bill Miller has effectively worked with this group and made our defense more productive because of it.

Yes the defensive line and the secondary have more experience and higher expectations, but the linebackers do deserve credit early because it hasn't looked like as big a dropoff as some expected.

Overall the linebacking corps has been a pleasent surprise. It get's much more difficult in the weeks to come, but it's probably safe to feel a little bit of relief at this point as the group has been playing at a decent level through three.

The fact of the matter is that this was a major area of concern even within the program headed into the year. However, today Bill Miller and his linebackers have given everyone a little bit of a reason to exhale and remain optimistic...albeit cautiously optimistic.

Kansas Football Depth Chart Is Out

Denverjhawk — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:20:36 -0000

One week out and we've got an official word from the athletic department on what things will look like when we take the field on Saturday the 5th. For the better part of three weeks we've been trying to piece together what this thing might look like from the eyes in the sky, but it's always fun to see the official look from the staff.

Let the speculation end because this is the Jayhawks story and for now their sticking to it. We'll see come next Saturday.

Offense:

LT 72 Tanner Hawkinson 6-6 270 Fr. RS
63 Ian Wolfe 6-5 295 Jr. 1L

LG 76 Brad Thorson 6-3 290 Jr. 1L
71 John Williams 6-4 309 Fr. RS

OC 77 Jeremiah Hatch 6-3 311 So. 1L
76 Brad Thorson 6-3 290 Jr. 1L

RG 59 Sal Capra 6-3 295 Jr. 1L
69 Trevor Marrongelli 6-4 285 Fr. RS

RT 74 Jeff Spikes 6-6 314 So. 1L
55 Darius Parish 6-4 314 So. 1L

TE 86 Tim Biere 6-4 250 So. 1L
43 Ted McNulty 6-5 231 So. SQ

WR 81 Johnathan Wilson 6-3 189 Jr. 2L
29 Isiah Barfi eld 6-0 184 So. 1L

WR 10 Kerry Meier 6-3 221 Sr. 3L
24 Bradley McDougald 6-2 195 Fr. HS

WR 80 Dezmon Briscoe 6-3 202 Jr. 2L
89 Tertavian Ingram 6-0 200 Jr. SQ

RB 1 Jake Sharp 5-10 195 Sr. 3L
35 Toben Opurum 6-2 235 Fr. HS
or 6 Rell Lewis 5-10 201 So. SQ

QB 5 Todd Reesing 5-11 200 Sr. 3L
19 Kale Pick 6-2 200 Fr. RS

Defense:

LE 90 Maxwell Onyegbule 6-5 258 Sr. 2L
84 Jeff Wheeler 6-7 260 Sr. 3L

LT 97 Richard Johnson 6-2 281 So. 1L
99 Jamal Greene 6-4 304 Jr. 1L

RT 94 Caleb Blakesley 6-5 298 Sr. 3L
98 Duane Zlatnik 6-4 303 Fr. RS
or 92 Patrick Dorsey 6-0 275 So. SQ

RE 91 Jake Laptad 6-5 258 Jr. 2L
93 Quintin Woods 6-5 230 Jr. JC

SLB 45 Justin Springer 6-4 242 Jr. 2L
9 Vernon Brooks 5-11 230 Jr. JC

MLB 49 Drew Dudley 6-2 232 Jr. 2L
52 Steven Johnson 6-2 229 So. 1L

WLB 41 Arist Wright 6-0 226 Sr. 3L
34 Huldon Tharp 6-1 215 Fr. HS

LC 15 Daymond Patterson 5-9 175 So. 1L
27 Greg Brown 5-11 177 Fr. RS

SS 25 Darrell Stuckey 6-1 205 Sr. 3L
13 Lubbock Smith 5-11 192 Fr. RS

FS 46 Justin Thornton 6-1 213 Sr. 3L
26 Phillip Strozier 6-1 201 Jr. 2L

RC 30 Anthony Davis 6-0 192 So. 1L
17 Calvin Rubles 6-3 203 Jr. JC

Kansas Positional Preview: Linebackers

Denverjhawk — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:00:13 -0000

Arist Wright might be one piece to the puzzle at linebacker in 2009.

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2004 was the last year we really had to even think about the linebacker situation in Lawrence. A lot has changed in the time being. In '04 linebackers were recruited to be big physical guys that could stuff the running lanes and maybe pick up your run of the mill tight end or running back out of the backfield in coverage.

Nick Reid, Kevin Kane, Banks Floodman, Gabe Toomey, Mike Rivera and Jo e Mortensen were your classic workhorses. They weren't the fastest, most athletic but they were bruisers who would stick their nose in a hole, shed a block here or there and blow up running plays wherever they could.

Fast forward to 2009 and we're looking at five receiver sets, tight ends who play like oversized receivers, running backs catching screens, runs out of the shotgun and players being spread this way and that all over the field.

Much has been made of the loss of the three Jayhawk linebackers from last year and while Rivera, Mortensen and Holt did great work in their time at Kansas, it was clear near the end that maybe the type of linebackers they were, was not necessarily the same as the type of linebacker that would excel in today's Big 12.

Now does that mean we'll be better off, maybe not? What it does mean though is that we're starting to see a little bit of a change in the type of guys we're recruiting for this role. In '09 the makeup of the position is such that the Jayhawks will have a few guys in the mix from the old style, while also trying to fit several players of the new mold into the system. They'll be growing pains no doubt, but it was bound to happen and the candidates are plenty for the linebacker position in 2009.

Full Positional Breakdown After the Jump...

Kicking off the preview there is likely one player who has set himself in a position to be a starter and that is the lone player that has any form of substantial experience in Arist Wright. Late in the '08 season Wright began seeing increased action with the move of James Holt to a more pass rushing focus. At 6' 226 pounds Wright is a smaller more compact backer that once earned mention by ESPN.com as a workout warrior in college football. In the course of his three years to date he has amassed 77 total tackles on the year while filling in as primarily a backup player to the three that graduated a season ago. Wright showed a fairly solid ability to play against today's spread offenses last season and as a senior this year he'll likely be looked to as a leader for a unit that is experiencing tremendous change.

Another senior on the linebacking corps this year is a player who is jumping from one side of the ball to another. Angus Quigley has bounced around a whole lot in his time at Kansas but seems to be making one last move to the defensive side of the ball. At 6'2" 229 pounds the former running back has good size and great athleticism for the linebacker spot; it's just a matter of how quickly he can pick it up. Many will remember James Holt performing pass rushing duties last year rather effectively and the thinking is that Quigley might have that same advantage off the edge. While there are no doubt questions swirling around Quigley's potential at the position one thing to keep in mind is that if he does have a light go off, there is still one more year of eligibility that he has been granted and can use should he choose. At times Mangino's compliments of Quigley's switch have been few and far between but sometimes I wonder if that's his way of keeping Angus hungry amidst a position change that has a tremendous amount of urgency.

Next up on the preview is junior Justin Springer. A year ago he was the heir apparent to take the middle for Joe Mortensen in the Kansas linebacking rotation. An injury, a long recovery and a change of philosophy mean that one year later that isn't so certain. Springer is in the mold of old if you will, he's a big guy standing 6'4" 242 pounds and reportedly lives in the weight room. Over the course of his two seasons playing primarily special teams Spring has recorded 38 tackles after coming in and exciting some folks as a true freshman. Personally, I'm still a believer in the guy and again despite Mangino's comments to the contrary I think he'll be in the mix. I've spoken to him on several occasions during his recovery from rehab; he has every expectation to be competing for the starting job and has been putting in every ounce of effort to make that happen. It's impossible to say how this pans out with Springer but I can't imagine this is a guy that fades away into the background without a fight.

A newcomer to the position that also figures to factor in is junior college transfer Vernon Brooks. Brooks is now officially on the roster and from what I've gathered from players in camp, once he gets his legs under him, he'll factor into the conversation without a doubt. Brooks is a shade under 6' and a solidly built backer that was known to blow up a few screens in his JUCO days. After it looked like he wasn't going to qualify and had decided on the division II route he received late word that he was good to go for a division one transfer. Kansas landed him but he was also heavily sought after by Oklahoma and Auburn along with a few other SEC schools. I'm excited for this one as Kansas has had great success with JUCO linebackers in the past, again though recent history has not been so kind.

There are still other upperclassmen involved in the conversation and the good thing about the position is despite a major turnover there are a good number of options that are juniors or seniors. Ultimately that's where you want your program at. People may not know the names on paper but they've been at the grind for a few years now and may be far more prepared to step up than anyone imagined.

Starting things off there is Jake Shermer. Shermer is a 6'2 225 pound senior out of Nixa, Missouri. Is he a world beater? No he isn't, but Shermer did have a solid spring and has earned mention by the coaches as an upperclassman that is making a play at a position that is wide open. Shermer has seen action in 30 games over his career and recorded 38 tackles with a career best 6 against Missouri in 2006.

The next name on the experienced and competing list is junior Drew Dudley. Dudley like Quigley has bounced around a bit primarily from backer to fullback. At 6'2" 232 Dudley who was once ranked the 19th best middle linebacker in the nation as a high school player is back in a familiar role on defense. In his 2 seasons of action he has played in every single game and again this could very well be a situation where a player sat behind some very solid upperclassman but is more than capable of stepping in when his time comes. Dudley has earned specific mention for his fall camp performances and he is a very real option when it comes to the inside linebacker spot.

There are also a couple of wild cards in the mix this year starting with sophomore Steven Johnson. Johnson came out of nowhere joining the Kansas team as a walk on following a year in prep school and some time out of the game. Johnson was an all state linebacker in the state of Pennsylvania which has no shortage of history when it comes to turning out good ones. Johnson stands 6'2" 229 and by the end of last fall was running second team behind Joe Mort. Honestly Johnson should probably be a little further up this list, but despite the concern at the position if there is one thing the staff has its options.

The other wild card is true freshman Huldon Tharp. Tharp joins Kansas after sitting out his senior season at Mulvane high in Mulvane Kansas. After tearing his ACL prior to his senior season Tharp committed to the Jayhawks over Miami and Standford although it's been said had he been healthy we might not have him in the Jayhawk uniform because others would have come calling. Well apparently the freshman took his rehab very seriously and if Mangino's comments are any indication he could very well be starting at linebacker from day one. At 6' 215 he appears a bit small but by the same token he's perfect if you are running the base 4-3 but wanting better coverage out of your OLB's. Tharp has been said to be very quick and athletic and if you envision him and Chris Harris rotating in and out as either a nickel back that can tackle or a linebacker that can cover you've got a pretty good combination there. Obviously that's all a theory at this point but regardless it sounds like Tharp is making some waves and should be another guy that factors in to the conversation early.

That makes seven and we're not even close to finished here so I'll give a very quick rundown of the remaining guys on the roster.

Upperclassman Dakota Lewis enters his third season. Standing 6'1" 213 Lewis played a backup role in 2008 and has recorded a total of 25 tackles on his career.

Chea Peterman is a 6'2" 220 pound sophomore who joined Kansas as a walk on in '06. He's seen limited action to date but was the Arkansas defensive player of the year as a senior.

Josh Richardson is a 6'4" 220 pound redshirt freshman out of the same high school as Bradley McDougald. Josh's brother is an NFL defensive end who reportedly went to college a project and came out a player. Richardson was one the staff was fairly high on when they recruited him and maybe the hope is down the line he'll have a similar story.

Another true freshman on the squad is Jacoby Thomas out of Texarkana Texas where he played defensive end. At 6'2" 212 he moves to outside linebacker and could be a viable option down the line for the Jayhawks.

Walk ons added to the most recent roster at the position include; Ryan Nelson and Jordan Fee.

Julian Jones who signed with the Jayhawks in February and joined the team this summer has left the team.

As you can see while there is some turnover at the position there is no shortage of bodies to attempt to address it. It's easy to say how is Kansas ever going to replace Joe Mortenson, Mike Rivera and James Holt, but at the same time that's what people were saying when they got their first starts.

Poll

Who's the one linebacker you are most confident in going into 2009?

Arist Wright

52 votes

Justin Springer

23 votes

Angus Quigley

2 votes

Vernon Brooks

16 votes

Huldon Tharp

8 votes

Jake Shermer

4 votes

Drew Dudley

3 votes

108 votes | Poll has closed

Kansas: Beyond the Box Score Preseason Defensive Preview

Bill C. — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:00:11 -0000

Yesterday we looked at an offense that actually improved from 2007 to 2008. How about the defense? Was the biggest difference between 2007 and 2008 simply the schedule? Was the 2007 schedule really that easy (or the 2008 schedule that hard)?

Defense

Overall Stats

S&P+: 111.9 (#30)
Success Rate+: 113.9 (#19)
PPP+: 109.7 (#45)

Standard Downs S&P+: 107.2 (#41)
Passing Downs S&P+: 113.5 (#35)

Redzone S&P+: 106.4 (#46)

Q1 S&P+: 108.9 (#40)
Q2 S&P+: 126.2 (#15)
Q3 S&P+: 100.0 (#54)
Q4 S&P+: 10.42 (#49)

1st Down S&P+: 108.0 (#43)
2nd Down S&P+: 109.7 (#38)
3rd Down S&P+: 112.3 (#40)

Rushing Stats

Rushing S&P+: 111.1 (#38)
Rushing SR+: 118.7 (#18)
Rushing PPP+: 102.0 (#61)

Standard Downs: 107.5 (#42)
Passing Downs: 95.7 (#68)

Redzone: 110.0 (#39)

Line Yards+: 109.2 (#31)

Passing Stats

Passing S&P+: 113.3 (#27)
Passing SR+: 110.8 (#21)
Passing PPP+: 116.0 (#26)

Standard Downs: 109.4 (#30)
Passing Downs: 119.5 (#24)

Redzone: 107.5 (#41)

Sack Rate+: 88.7 (#77)

So let's play the same game we played yesterday--the 2007 vs 2008 game.

S&P+: #12 in 2007, #30 in 2008
Success Rate+: #13 in 2007, #19 in 2008
PPP+: #14 in 2007, #45 in 2008
Rushing S&P+: #8 in 2007, #38 in 2008
Passing S&P+: #20 in 2007, #27 in 2008
Standard Downs S&P+: #12 in 2007, #41 in 2008
Passing Downs S&P+: #6 in 2007, #35 in 2008
Line Yards+: #12 in 2007, #31 in 2008

Ahh, so it wasn't just the schedule that made a four-game difference in the loss column. While the offense actually got better, the defense got measurably worse despite nine returning starters (sound familiar, Mizzou fans?). They lost a second-team All-American in James McClinton at defensive tackle--the only loss other than Aqib Talib--and it seems to have made a difference.

Kansas was a bit worse defending the pass, a lot worse at defending the run, and in particular they gave up a ton more big plays (PPP+). This year, they return their entire secondary and three of four starters on the defensive line (losing only end Russell Brorsen)...but lose all three starting linebackers. So the passing numbers improve and the rushing numbers regress, maybe?

Meanwhile, with so much returning experience in 2008 and a seemingly rock solid secondary, I can't really explain the significant regression in PPP+. KU allowed a ton more big plays, particularly in the running game, so we'll pin the blame mostly on the D-line and a linebacker corps that didn't achieve nearly as much as it should have with three solid players in Joe Mortensen, Mike Rivera, and James Holt. We'll also point out that Defensive Coordinator Bill Young left for Miami after 2007, and that might have made a bigger difference than anything else.

Defensive Line

2008 Unit Ranking: #49 in the nation (#5 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
DT Caleb Blakesley (6'5, 292, Sr.)
DE Jake Laptad (6'4, 258, Jr.)
DT Jamal Greene (6'4, 303, Jr.)
DE Jeff Wheeler (6'7, 260, Sr.)
DT Richard Johnson (6'2, 280, So.)
DE Quintin Woods (6'5, 230, Jr.)
DE Maxwell Onyegbule (6'5, 257, Sr.)
DT Darius Parish (6'4, 341, So.)

So if KU felt the absence of James McClinton more than any other in 2008, then it's up to either Jamal Greene (21 tackles, 7 TFL/sacks) to become a much more consistent force or Jeff City's own Richard Johnson (14 tackles, 2.5 TFL/sacks) to overtake him if KU's run defense is to improve. If not them, then who? Man-beast Darius Parish moved to OL. Somehow, someway, there needs to be a better push up the middle.

And on the outside too. Solid-not-spectacular end Jake Laptad (8.5 TFL/sacks) offers hope for a pass rush, but he'll need help. The lack of a pass rush was bad enough last year that LB James Holt moved to end toward the end of the year, and KU fans seem to have hope that 4-star JUCO transfer Quintin Woods will thrive pretty quickly. The other options (Jeff Wheeler, Maxwell Onyegbule, or some younger guy) don't seem ready or capable, so all eyes are on Woods. If Woods doesn't catch on, KU fans start getting worried.

Linebackers

2008 Unit Ranking: #57 in the nation (#9 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
Arist Wright (6'0, 226, Sr.)
Dakota Lewis (6'1, 209, Jr.)
Jake Schermer (6'2, 222, Sr.)
Angus Quigley (6'2, 226, Sr.)
Justin Springer (6'4, 242, Jr.)
Drew Dudley (6'2, 232, Jr.)
Steven Johnson (6'2, 225, So.)

When we say that KU lost all three starting linebackers from 2008, that's a smidge of an exaggeration. When Holt was moved around to generate a pass rush, Arist Wright stepped in. Still, though, Wright was only 10th on the team in tackles and managed only ten "successful" tackles (i.e. tackles that prevented a successful play) all year, two against the pass and eight against the run. The other three LBs with any experience at all combined for just 5.5 successful tackles (two against the pass, 3.5 against the run).

While the RB situation isn't in wonderful shape right now, it's still no surprise that Angus Quigley was moved from RB to LB. There's clearly a major void in terms of proven playmakers, so really at this point Kansas just needs as many warm bodies as possible to throw out there and see what they've got. Never say never, but it's hard to see this unit gelling into a solid unit quickly. Whether they call it this or not, you do have to figure that with an experienced secondary, KU will be playing a lot of 4-2-5 or nickel coverage.

Of course, Missouri doesn't play them for quite a while, so the team we're talking about now will change significantly, for better or worse, between now and then. Probably shouldn't spend a ton of time figuring everything out, eh?

Secondary

2008 Unit Ranking: #23 in the nation (#5 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
S Darrell Stuckey (6'1, 205, Sr.)
CB Justin Thornton (6'1, 213, Sr.)
S Phillip Strozier (6'0, 200, Jr.)
CB Daymond Patterson (5'9, 175, So.)
S Chris Harris (6'0, 185, Jr.)
CB Anthony Davis (6'0, 192, So.)
CB Corrigan Powell (5'10, 171, So.)
S Olaitan Oguntodu (6'0, 220, Jr.)

As devoid of experience that the KU linebacker corps is, the secondary is the polar opposite. Five players with solid starting experience return, led by Mizzou killer Darrell Stuckey, who almost single-handedly fended off the Tiger offense for the entire first half last November at Arrowhead. He is an all-conference favorite heading into the season, and with good reason. In 2008, he put together 4.5 TFL, 5 INT, 7 passes broken-up, 2 FF, 1 FR. Plus, he managed a very healthy 23.5 successful tackles against the run, one of the highest run-support totals in the country (13th overall). He's a stud.

Beyond that, Mark Mangino has some interesting ingredients, and he's not afraid to shuffle things around. Justin Thornton's been around forever (seems like just yesterday that he was getting decapitated by Tony Temple at Faurot Field), and while he's a proven commodity, he's also in Mangino's doghouse. If he doesn't end up starting (I assume he will, but...well, Mangino's got an angry side), then it looks like Anthony Davis will be the man opposite Daymond Patterson at CB. Both are sophomores. Meanwhile, junior safety Chris Harris was a star freshman in 2007 before losing his starting spot last year. He still managed the second-most successful tackles in the secondary in 2008, however, and I'm going to figure he'll still play a role opposite Phil Strozier and Stuckey.

Special Teams

2008 Unit Ranking: #81 Net Punting, #26 Punt Returns, #118 Kickoff Returns

Projected Starters
K Jacob Branstetter (5'10, 182, Jr.) - 51-for-52 PAT, 9-for-12 FG (Long: 34)
P Alonso Rojas (6'3, 220, Jr.) - 58 Punts, 33.9 Net
KR Dezmon Briscoe (6'3, 200, Jr.) - 8 returns, 27.4 Avg
PR Daymond Patterson (5'9, 175, So.) - 22 Returns, 11.0 Avg, 1 TD

Rarely is there a more stark regression than what Kansas suffered in the kick return game last year. KU ranked 7th in the country in kick returns in 2007, then fell 111 spots to 118th in 2008. What made it strange was that, it was the same main return man (Marcus Herford) both years. KU was decent in the kicking and punt return games, but kick returns produced eight yards fewer in 2008, and that really can make a pretty big difference. It might help explain how KU's Offensive S&P+ actually improved in 2008, yet KU scored 10 fewer points per game. Dez Briscoe was outstanding in limited opportunities, but it seems KU is making a concerted effort not to wear him out (Jeremy Maclin managed to do it all, ahem...just sayin'...), and early indications (according to Rock Chalk Talk) are that sophomore Isiah Barfield might take over the duties, at least to start.

If KU gets anything from the kick return game, this is a decent special teams unit, not as good as Nebraska's (NU really does seem to have the best special teams unit in the North at this point), but solid. Alonso Rojas leaves something to be desired punting, but this is an offensive conference--kicks matter a hair more than punts, right?

Summary

After seeing a pretty solid across-the-board drop in 2008, it's hard to see where KU's baseline is with a potentially great secondary and serious question marks among the front seven. The linebacker corps returns almost no quality experience, and while experience isn't a problem on the defensive line, playmaking is. KU needs to be able to limit the big run plays and generate a pass rush if they're going to fully utilize the strong secondary, and it's not a given that they can do that. Everybody in the North has question marks, so while KU's no different in that regard...KU's no different in that regard. With a South schedule that screams 0-3, they really do need to be better than everybody else in the North if they want to win the division this year, and with the holes at offensive line and in the defensive front seven, it's hard to claim they are at this moment. I've been talking up KU all offseason (not in a "Hey, gosh, you're alright, KU!" kind of way, but in a "We better start accepting that they're probably going to win the North" kind of way), but the more I read and talk about them, the less sure of them I am.

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Projections on Friday.