Rock Chalk, Jayhawk! | Maize's Kansas Dynasty

[jpfine]

I wonder how the Jayhawks will handle the Indiana State Sycamores. Pretty well, I hope, because, in recent years, Indiana St. hasn't really been that good, excluding this year and 2014.

[Maize08]

Kansas Releases Salary Info., 'Increased Investment into Football'
When Jeff Long took over as Athletic Director, he knew there needed to be an increase in funds behind the football program. Basketball might always be king at KU, but football has a revenue opportunity that cannot be denied.

Last season, David Beaty made $1.7 million as Head Coach and his coaching staff made $3.2 million. The support staff and program administrators made another $2 million, but all of that pales in comparison to Les Miles' first staff in Lawrence.

Les Miles will make $2.85 million this season, while his first coaching staff will receive $3.5 million. It's a major increase, but Long defended the move believing that it makes Kansas more competitive among their conference peers.

In terms of staff salary, here is the breakdown for what all ten assistant coaches will make in 2019:
Todd Monken - $605,000 | Larry Porter - $525,000 | Jay Niemann - $480,000 | Kevin Kane - $455,000 | John Wozniak - $290,000 | Joe Robinson - $260,000 | Luke Meadows - $240,000 | Chevis Jackson - $220,000 | Brett Diersen - $220,000 | Cleo Lemon - $205,000

Then, there is the almost $3 million that Kansas will spend this season paying off buyouts for past coaches. Then, the increase in support staff and administrators, with the Athletic Department spending another $3 million.

The Athletic Department also announced new staff and graduate assistants for the program. Two former players, Darrell Stuckey and recently-graduated Quarterback Peyton Bender, have been added as Graduate Assistants. Stuckey retired from the NFL last year, after playing seven seasons.

Stuckey played his entire pro career with the Chargers, a mainstay with the franchise's special teams. He made the Pro Bowl in 2014 as a special teams player, the same year he was named the team's captain for the special teams unit. He will work with the defense and special teams.

The football program also announced that former Defensive Coordinator Clint Bowen has stayed on as Defensive Analyst. He will be paid $500,000 this season, the remainder of his previous salary. Bowen will work closely with Kevin Kane and the team's linebackers.

Les Miles also hired his former Offensive Coordinator and former BYU Head Coach Gary Crowton as an Offensive Analyst. Crowton spent last season coaching in the high schools ranks in his home state of Utah. Crowton, 62, has 36 years of coaching experience at multiple levels of football.

In total, Kansas has made a massive investment into the football program. As fall practice kicks off, it will be interesting to see if that major investment will pay off for Jeff Long and Les Miles.

[Maize08]

Season Preview posted tomorrow! Excited to start playing games.

[Maize08]

2019 Kansas Football Season Preview
The Kansas football program is hoping that ‘this time’ things will be different. Kansas hired Les Miles to lead the football program in November, just as the team was enduring another losing season. For new Athletic Director Jeff Long, the move was all about getting the program up to speed. It was proving the Kansas belonged in the Big XII conference.

Since joining the conference in 1996, Kansas is 40-152 in Big XII games. Winning one-fifth of their conference games, Les Miles knows he is fighting a history of losing. They’ve only had one season with a winning conference record: The star-crossed 2007 season in which the Jayhawks won a program-record 12 games including the 2008 Orange Bowl.

After 2007, things have only gotten worse. Les Miles is the fifth Head Coach since then, with his predecessors winning only 10 out of 96 conference games in that span. It’s been a decade of futility with multiple attempts to pull the program out of the ditch.

Previous Head Coach David Beaty started with the best of intentions. He was known as a strong recruiter with ties to Texas and the southeast. He did improve the recruiting, but he started to rely on Junior College players to fill out a depleted roster. That reliance created a roster imbalance that will plague the beginning or Les Miles’ time in Lawrence.

During the offseason, Les Miles said and did all of the right things. He brought in a talented coaching staff, including top recruiters and many coaches that he had worked with or coached previously. He was available to the media, to fans, alumni and boosters - helping to improve the image of the football program.

Now, after passing the offseason test, the tests on the field will start. Luckily, the 2019 schedule starts with two winnable games against Indiana State and Coastal Carolina. From there, the conference slate is front-loaded. Kansas will host West Virginia before three straight conference road games.

It’s expected the team will look quite different from how it did last season. Players have clearly bought in, but it’s unknown exactly how they’ll play. Kansas only returns 8 starters from last year, but they have 27 seniors out of the 66 scholarship players on the roster.

There’s a chance for a fast start under Miles. Kansas could surprise teams, but they’ll need some of The Mad Hatter’s luck if they want to compete for a winning season.

Offense
Returning Starters: 4
The Scheme: Les Miles brought in Todd Monken to run the offense. Monken comes to Kansas from the NFL, where his Bucs offenses were among the most prolific passing offenses in the league. Monken and Miles want to build a balanced, spread attack that will translate to the next level. Monken’ last college offense (Southern Miss. in 2015) was explosive, playing at a quick pace and getting a lot of skill position players involved.

Star Power: The offense starts and ends with Pooka Williams Jr.. The Big XII’s best freshman player last season, he wants to build off his 1,000+ all-purpose yards. After being away from the team for most of the offseason, it’s not known if he’s in game shape. The run game might rely more on a rotation with Khalil Herbert and Dom Williams. Herbert, a senior, is the north-south runner while Williams is the slasher. Pooka can break big plays, something the offense will need to create scoring opportunities.

Impact Newcomers: Even though the offense only returns four starters, they’ll be relying on a lot of familiar faces. Carter Stanley was named the starting Quarterback, beating out newcomer Thomas MacVittie from Mesa CC. Stanley has proven to be the most reliable passer, while MacVittie has a big arm. Stanley’s familiarity with the personnel helped, having played sparingly the last two seasons. Coach Monken said that the Quarterback evaluation will continue, with Miles Kendrick also in the mix. The coaching staff like what he brings as a rushing threat, but his arm has been inconsistent through fall camp. The QB battle might continue into the season, allowing for some newcomers to get a shot.

Keep an Eye On: Who emerges out of the receiving core. Stephon Robinson Jr. has been Stanley’s favorite target in practice, often playing in the slot and moving all across the field. The concern with the entire receiving core is the lack of a reliable pass-catcher. Robinson is the closest thing, with players like Daylon Charlot and Kwamie Lassiter II being big play threats that can stretch the field. Charlot is fully healed from a knee injury that reduced his explosiveness in the last two seasons. The former four-star recruit and one-time Alabama receiver believes he has something to prove in his final season. Jack Luavasa has played as both an in-line blocker and lined up in the slot. Luavasa is still developing as a receiver, but the staff believes he will compete for targets right away. Same with Evan Fairs, who could be a redzone target but has to improve his route running. There’s a lot of raw talent in the receiving core, but someone will have to emerge to balance the offense.

Strongest Area: While lacking proven depth, the offensive line looks to be a strength. Led by left tackle Hakeem Adeniji, the line needs to cut down on the sack rate from last season. Adeniji was named team captain, an intense player that wants to lead by example. He is projected to be an early pick in next year’s NFL Draft, but he has to show he can be a consistent pass blocker. Same goes for Kevin Feder, the former Ohio State Buckeye and one of the tallest lineman in college football (6’9”). The interior of the line allowed 30 sacks last season. That led to some changes for this year, with new O-Line Coach Luke Meadows looking for the right mix of starters inside. Andru Tovi will start at center, after starting at all three positions on the interior of the line last season. Tovi will anchor the line next to senior Malik Clark and junior Chris Hughes. Hughes started ten games in 2017, while Clark started most of last season at left guard. He was one of the few constants on the line last season. Both guards have to improve against the pass, and Api Mane could get some playing time on passing downs. It’s expected that Earl Bostick Jr. will also get snaps as a sixth blocker, having played previously as a tight end. Finding the right combination on the offensive line is key. The coaching staff will start the year with five upperclassmen starting, including three seniors and two other seniors likely part of the rotation. 2019 could improve on the past two years, but it could also leave the cupboard bare in 2020.

Biggest Problem: Last year, the offense tanked and was one of the worst in the country. They could not sustain drives or create scoring opportunities. The key this season for Todd Monken is “building an offensive identity.” It’s something that has been lacking at Kansas since Mark Mangino’s tenure ended. It’s not for a lack of talent, with potential NFL players on the roster. Kansas needs to find a way to keep pace with the Big XII, which features many of the best offenses in the country.


Defense
Returning Starters: 4
The Scheme: New Co-Coordinators Kevin Kane and Jay Niemann want to install an aggressive and attacking mentality. While it’s been described as a 4-3 defense, the defense often switches from three to four down lineman. However, there are usually mixing pressure and coverages to give offenses different looks. Last year at SMU, Kane used a large rotation and that’s expected at Kansas. They want to stay aggressive up front, while usually playing zone defense - primarily, Quarters or Cover 3.

Star Power: The new ‘Star’ position is a hybrid safety/linebacker, that will likely play like a safety but start plays closer to the line of scrimmage. The ‘Star’ is key to bringing versatility to the defense, which is why it was no surprise that Bryce Torneden was named the starter at the ‘Star’ position for the opener. Torneden topped 100 tackles last season, playing mostly at safety and nickel corner. He’s the team returning leader in tackles, and is one of the team’s best playmakers. Jeremiah McCullough and Ryan Malbrough are listed behind Torneden on the initial depth chart. Malbrough moves to the defense, redshirting last season and playing running back. Both Malbrough and McCullough are two of the best athletes on the defense - likely a requirement at the ‘Star’ position.

Impact Newcomers: Look for two JUCO players to make their way into the rotation. Sci Martin Jr., notably recruited by Les Miles to play at LSU, transferred from LSU to East Mississippi CC after Miles left. Now, he is a pass rush specialist that can play at linebacker and end. He will be eating into snaps for Azur Kamara and Najee McKenzie. McKenzie, who did not play often last season, has lapped Kamara on the depth chart. Both are seniors and JUCO transfers, looking to make an impact in their last season. Another newcomer from the JUCO ranks is Juwan Mitchell. Mitchell flipped his commitment from Rutgers to Kansas, and had a strong fall camp. He already factors on special teams, but could find playing time on defense after a strong season at Butler CC.

Keep an Eye On: The linebacker rotation. The coaching staff will lean on upperclassmen to start the season. Dru Prox and Denzel Feaster got the nod to start at linebacker, although they’re being pushed by Jay Dineen and Kenny Bastida. Bastida is better in coverage, but Feaster was quicker to pick up the defense. Prox is the better athlete, compared with Dineen, although Dineen has the instinct and has proven effective against the run. The defense has to do a better job of getting off the field on third down. Because of this, expect a rotation of linebackers to play to allow the defense to scheme for more situational football.

Strongest Area: The secondary, which returns four starters and likely the best four players on the defense. Kansas returns one of the most talented units in the Big XII, led by Mike Lee and Hasan Defense at safety. Lee has been great in run support, playing close to the line of scrimmage. He has struggled when matched up with talent receivers in the slot. The team’s use of the ‘Star’ and multiple defensive backs could free up Lee to play less one-on-one in pass coverage. Defense moved over to safety and excelled as the last line of defense. Kansas struggled last year on passing downs, usually selling out to pressure Quarterbacks and forcing their secondary into difficult spots. This year, that could change with a new scheme this year. The secondary also is the unit with depth, with players like Ricky Thomas and Robert Topps III pushing to find playing time on defense. Both players will play a major role on special teams. The biggest surprise last year might have been the immediate emergence of Corione Harris. He burst on the scene as a freshman and now has locked down the top corner spot. Elmore Hempstead and [b]Elijah Jones[b] battled for the other starting spot, with Hempstead getting the nod. Part of that was Jones’ ability in man coverage, allowing him to play more nickel corner. [b]DeAnte Ford[b] will also see playing time, proving to be the best open field tackler at the cornerback position.

Biggest Problem: Can the line create a push and stop the run? The entire defensive line will be led by former Junior College players, and all players that will be graduating after this season. Codey Cole III did not play often last season, in part because of a concern over his conditioning. He came into fall camp in better shape and was named the starter nose tackle. Jelani Brown will start next to Cole, and could see snaps as a defensive end in three-down lineman looks. Brown disappeared too often last season, allowing interior offensive lineman to shut him out. If Brown and Cole can contain the run and hold the line, ti frees up the pass rushing trio (McKenzie, Kamara and Martin Jr.) to attack. It will also allow Darrius Morange to make plays. Moragne, the Michigan native who came to Kansas from Arizona Western, is hoping that a strong senior season could aide his NFL aspirations. The line will lose five players to graduation after this season, so look for underclassmen to start earning snaps throughout the year.

Special Teams
Last year, the special teams unit was the most consistent part of the Jayhawks’ team. This year, new coordinator Joe Robinson wants to build on the success of the return units, hoping to find some big plays and also limit the mistakes that cost the team field position last season. New placekicker Liam Jones will continue to handle kickoffs. He has been known to miss on shorter kicks, and he will need to improve his accuracy for a team that expects to play in more close games this season. Punter Kyle Thompson was called on 77 time last season, averaging over 6 punts per game. He does a good job of limiting returns, although his punts tend to be shorter than the national average. Thompson was a placekicker in high school and could be called upon this season if Jones has troubles on kicks inside the 35. As for the return units, receivers Kwamie Lassiter II and Quan Hampton are splitting duties, hoping the playing time on special teams will earn extra snaps with the offense. Expect the special teams to again be one of the best parts of the Kansas football team.

Report Card: Offense: B- | Defense: B+ | Special Teams: B-

Roster By the Numbers:
Players by State: Texas (15), Kansas (9), Louisiana (9), California (8), Florida (6)
Offensive Roster Breakdown: 12 Seniors, 8 Juniors, 4 Sophomores, 7 Freshman
Defensive Roster Breakdown: 15 Seniors, 5 Juniors, 6 Sophomores, 7 Freshman
Total Roster Breakdown: 27 Seniors, 15 Juniors, 10 Sophomores, 14 Freshman

[Maize08]

2019 Kansas Football Roster
#	OFFENSE	POS	HT	WT	CLASS	HOMETOWN	RATING
9	Carter Stanley	QB	6'2"	199	SR. (RS)	Vero Beach, FL	76 OVR
8	Miles Kendrick	QB	5'10"	200	JR.	Moreno Valley, CA	74 OVR
15	Thomas MacVittie	QB	6'5"	224	JR. (RS)	Santa Clarita, CA	72 OVR
12	Peyton Thompson R	QB	6'2"	198	FR.	Marlow, OK	65 OVR
7	Pooka Williams Jr.* I	RB	5'10"	173	SO.	Marrero, LA	85 OVR
10	Khalil Herbert	RB	5'9"	211	SR.	Coral Springs, FL	80 OVR
25	Dom Williams	RB	5'10"	197	JR.	McKinney, TX	79 OVR
32	Cole Mueller	RB	6'0"	197	FR.	St. Ann, MO	68 OVR
49	Hudson Hall	FB	6'2"	232	SR. (RS)	Austin, TX	77 OVR
33	Jax Dineen	FB	5'10"	227	FR.	Lawrence, KS	62 OVR
5	Stephon Robinson Jr.	WR	5'10"	172	JR.	Los Angeles, CA	78 OVR
2	Daylon Charlot	WR	6'0"	202	SR. (RS)	Patterson, LA	78 OVR
3	Evan Fairs	WR	6'3"	211	SR.	Freeport, TX	74 OVR
83	Kwamie Lassiter II	WR	5'11"	171	JR. (RS)	Chandler, AZ	73 OVR
6	Quan Hampton	WR	5'8"	180	JR.	Texarkana, TX	72 OVR
89	Khatib Lyles	WR	6'2"	201	FR.	La Porte, TX	66 OVR
87	Jack Luavasa	TE	6'3"	252	JR.	San Francisco, CA	80 OVR
82	James Sosinski	TE	6'7"	261	SR. (RS)	Chandler, AZ	75 OVR
78	Hakeem Adeniji* C	LT	6'4"	300	SR.	Garland, TX	93 OVR
75	Antoine Frazier	LT	6'4"	300	SR.	Huntsville, TX	78 OVR
71	Cam Durley	LT	6'6"	315	JR. (RS)	Houston, TX	75 OVR
61	Malik Clark	LG	6'4"	325	JR. (RS)	New Orleans, LA	79 OVR
58	Api Mane	LG	6'6"	316	SR.	Palo Alto, CA	78 OVR
60	Dorian Hinton	LG	6'2"	305	FR.	Wellington, FL	65 OVR
77	Andru Tovi*	C	6'3"	322	SR.	Mililani, HI	80 OVR
79	Joseph Gilbertson	C	6'4"	294	SO. (RS)	Wichita, KS	73 OVR
72	Marc Rumpke R	C	6'2"	286	FR.	Flatwoods, KY	60 OVR
76	Chris Hughes	RG	6'3"	312	JR. (RS)	Harker Hts, TX	77 OVR
64	Jalan Robinson	RG	6'3"	289	FR. (RS)	Lawrence, KS	71 OVR
67	Kevin Feder*	RT	6'9"	300	SR. (RS)	Rahway, NJ	80 OVR
68	Earl Bostick Jr.	RT	6'6"	288	SO. (RS)	Barnwell, SC	75 OVR
74	Clyde McCauley III	RT	6'5"	306	SR. (RS)	Arlington, TX	72 OVR
#	DEFENSE	POS	HT	WT	CLASS	HOMETOWN	RATING
97	Darrius Moragne	LE	6'7"	267	SR.	Holland, MI	82 OVR
91	Christian Njoku	LE	6'2"	251	FR.	Rendon, TX	68 OVR
99	Najee McKenzie	RE	6'3"	227	SR.	Cleveland, OH	79 OVR
54	Azur Kamara	RE	6'4"	225	SR.	Glendale, AZ	79 OVR
45	Sci Martin Jr.	RE	6'4"	244	SO. (RS)	Monticello, LA	76 OVR
94	Codey Cole III	DT	6'3"	289	SR.	Ypsilanti, MI	75 OVR
90	Jelani Brown	DT	6'2"	299	SR.	San Jose, CA	75 OVR
93	Sam Burt	DT	6'4"	275	JR.	Abilene, KS	74 OVR
50	Spencer Roe	DT	6'4"	272	SO.	Lawrence, KS	73 OVR
98	Kendall Wilkerson	DT	6'5"	265	FR.	Baker, LA	66 OVR
40	Dru Prox	OLB	6'1"	217	JR. (RS)	Katy, TX	76 OVR
43	Jay Dineen	OLB	6'2"	235	SO. (RS)	Lawrence, KS	73 OVR
18	Denzel Feaster	MLB	6'3"	227	SR. (RS)	Austin, TX	77 OVR
37	Drew Harvey	MLB	6'1"	242	JR. (RS)	Crystal Lake, IL	75 OVR
19	Kenny Bastida	MLB	6'1"	234	FR. (RS)	Pompano Beach, FL	74 OVR
55	Juwan Mitchell	MLB	6'3"	229	SO.	Olathe, KS	69 OVR
1	Bryce Torneden* I	STAR	5'10"	200	SR.	Lawrence, KS	85 OVR
39	Ryan Malbrough	STAR	6'1"	182	FR. (RS)	Chalmette, LA	72 OVR
41	Jeremiah McCullough	STAR	6'0"	202	SR.	Baltimore, MD	72 OVR
2	Corione Harris*	CB	6'1"	180	SO.	New Orleans, LA	80 OVR
23	Elmore Hempstead Jr.	CB	5'11"	176	SR.	Springdale, AR	78 OVR
17	Elijah Jones	CB	6'1"	175	SR.	Cape Coral, FL	77 OVR
16	Kyle Mayberry	CB	5'10"	175	SR.	Tulsa, OK	76 OVR
27	DeAnte Ford	CB	5'10"	181	SR. (RS)	Houston, TX	73 OVR
29	Corey Williams	CB	5'11"	180	FR.	Rowlett, TX	68 OVR
14	Joshua Doyle R	CB	5'10"	166	FR.	Manhattan Beach, CA	67 OVR
13	Hasan Defense* I	FS	5'11"	189	SR.	Jacksonville, FL	86 OVR
24	Ricky Thomas	FS	5'10"	185	JR. (RS)	New Orleans, LA	79 OVR
22	Tyrone Miller Jr.	FS	6'0"	189	SR. (RS)	Ann Arbor, MI	78 OVR
11	Mike Lee* C	SS	5'11"	182	SR.	New Orleans, LA	90 OVR
26	Davon Ferguson	SS	5'10"	197	JR. (RS)	Baltimore, MD	75 OVR
28	Robert Topps III	SS	6'2"	207	SO. (RS)	Chicago, IL	75 OVR
21	Jayden Russell	SS	6'1"	184	FR.	Emporia, KS	70 OVR
#	SPECIAL TEAMS	POS	HT	WT	CLASS	HOMETOWN	RATING
46	Liam Jones	K	5'10"	179	JR.	Choctaw, OK	81 OVR
80	Kyle Thompson	P	6'4"	220	JR.	El Cajon, CA	80 OVR

Roster Key
Name Bold - Starter
* - Returning Starter
C - Team Captain
I - Impact Player
R - Redshirt

Football Coaching Staff
Head Coach - Les Miles
Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs Coach - Larry Porter
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach - Todd Monken
Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach - Kevin Kane
Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach - Jay Niemann
Special Teams Coordinator - Joe Robinson
Receivers Coach - Cleo Lemon
Tight Ends Coach/Ast. Special Teams Coach - John Wozniak
Offensive Line Coach - Luke Meadows
Defensive Line Coach - Brett Diersen
Cornerbacks Coach - Chevis Jackson
Offensive Analyst - Gary Crowton
Defensive Analyst - Clint Bowen
Director of Sports Performance - Ben Iannacchione
Director of Operations - Dean Dingman
Director of Player Personnel - Tony Hull

[Maize08]

2019 Kansas Football Schedule
Game One: Saturday, August 30 | vs. Indiana State | 12:00 PM Kickoff
Game Two: Saturday, September 6 | vs. Coastal Carolina (Family Weekend) | 12:30 Kickoff
Game Three: Saturday, September 20 | @ Boston College | 3:30 PM Kickoff
Game Four: Saturday, October 4 | vs. West Virginia (Homecoming) | 3:30 PM Kickoff
Game Five: Saturday, October 18 | @ Oklahoma | 7:00 PM Kickoff
Game Six: Saturday, October 25 | @ Texas Tech | 3:30 PM Kickoff
Game Seven: Saturday, November 1 | @ Oklahoma State | 1:00 PM Kickoff
Game Eight: Saturday, November 8 | vs. TCU | 12:30 PM Kickoff
Game Nine: Saturday, November 15 | @ Texas | 6:00 PM Kickoff
Game Ten: Saturday, November 22 | vs. Kansas State (Sunflower Showdown) | 1:00 PM Kickoff
Game Eleven: Saturday, November 29 | vs. Iowa State (Senior Day) | 3:30 PM Kickoff
Game Twelve: Saturday, December 6 | @ Baylor | 8:00 PM Kickoff

[jpfine]

nice out of conference schedule, good to get the jitters out with some easy FCS opponents

[Maize08]

2019 Big XII Media Day
Big XII Media Day returned to The Star in Frisco, Texas - kicked off by an optimistic press conference with Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. He believes the conference is in a strong position, ready to compete on a national level. Over the past few seasons, Oklahoma has been the star program. That is expected to continue in 2019.

Oklahoma was chosen to finish at the top of the standings for the fourth consecutive year in the Big 12 football preseason poll, voted on by 52 media representatives.

This year marks the seventh since 2011 in which the Sooners led the preseason rankings. They have captured a Big 12-record 11 league titles, including the last four.

There was only one new coach at media day, but he was a very familiar face in college football. Les Miles, new Head Coach at Kansas, took to the podium to discuss his expectations for 2019. He was optimistic himself, believing that the Jayhawks can compete right away.

In basketball, Kansas has won the regular season conference title 15 straight times. That streak dates back to 2005. Since 2005, Kansas football has been picked last in the Big XII Media Day Preseason Poll nine times. That includes the past nine straight seasons. That streak dates back to 2011; the first season the conference got rid of divisions after losing Nebraska and Colorado.

Thus, since the conference moved to ten members, Kansas has always been picked last. Further, they have been unanimously picked to finish last for the last four seasons (receiving every last-place vote).

Here are the results of the media preseason poll:
1. Texas (25)
2. Oklahoma (16)
3. West Virginia (11)
4. TCU
5. Baylor
6. Iowa State
7. Oklahoma State
8. Kansas State
9. Texas Tech
10. Kansas
*First Place votes in parentheses