THE UNIVERSITY OF DARLY KANSAN
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7; 2008
SPORTS
FOOTBALL
3B
An early look at the future
Three Jayhawks who could have an influence next year
Name: Jocques Crawford
Crawford
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 220 pounds
Hometown/previous school: Memphis, Tenn. / Cisco CC
pect by recruiting Web site Rivals.com, also considered TCU and Mississippi. He will be a or in the 2008 season.
Homeetem/previous school: Memphis, Tenn. / Cisco CC
Stats and info: Crawford tallied 1,935 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns at Cisco Community College last season and the NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year award.
He originally signed with Texas Tech in 2006 – his brother plays for the Red Raiders – but did not qualify academically, Crawford, who is listed as the 16th best junior college prospect by recruiting Web site Rivals.com, also considered TCU and Mississippi. He will be a
junior in the 2008 season.
Expert's take: "Crawford is a true pro-style running back. He's got good speed and he can block tremendously. He played at close to 230 pounds this year and carried the ball 35 or 40 times per game – he's an absolute workhorse."
Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jon Kirby
Name: Alonso Rojas
Position: Punter
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 220
Rojas
Homeetown/previous school: Miami, Fla. / Bowling Green
Stats and info: As a high school senior, Rojas averaged 46 yards per punt at Miami Killian high school. He played his freshman season at Bowling Green and averaged 36.5 yards per punt before returning home to Miami Dade community college for his sophomore season. Rojas did not play football at Miami Dade, but he continued working out and kept his eligibility intact. He also considered UNLV and Colorado State and will be a
in the 2008 season
sophmore in the 2005 season.
**Expert's take:** "If you talk to anyone who has followed kickers and punters, the one thing they'll tell you is they have to adjust in their freshman year – playing in front of crowds, those types of things. Rojas has already done that at Bowling Green. When he was at Bowling Green, they played Ohio State and Wisconsin, so Kansas is getting a punter that has already gone through the learning experience."
- Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jon Kirbv
Name: Nathan D'Cunha
D'Cunha
Name: Nathan D'Cunha
Position: Offensive tackle
height/weight: 6-foot-7, 307
Homeetown/previous school: Campbelltown, Australia / Santa Barbara CC
Stats and info: D'Cunha, an Australian native, played on the Australian team in the World Games and competed against teams made up of players from NFL Europe. D'Cunha is ranked as the No. 37 junior college player in the 2008 class. He originally committed to Baylor and considered Kansas State and Iowa State before signing with Kansas. He has already enrolled at Kansas and will be a junior in the 2008 season.
Expert's take:"He's definitely a tackle. He's tall, he has got that frame you look for and he has long arms. In the film we've seen of him, he's very athletic for a big kid. The best thing about him is his best football days are still in front of him."
— Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jon Kirby
A look around the Big 12 on national signing day
(School, Rivals.com National Recruiting
1. Oklahama
The Sooners still gained three commits from five-star players despite the nation's top prep wide receiver, Julio Jones, picking Alabama over Oklahoma.
2. Texas. 14
Coach Mack Brown continues
to excel at keeping homegrown talent in-state as his class contains 19 players from Texas
addressed the Aggies' needs by gaining commitments from six offensive linemen and six
3. Colorado, 15
The Buffaloes' national ranking plummeted after the top running back in the class, St. Bonaventure, California's Darrell Scott, picked Colorado on the final day over other schools like Florida, Texas and
Florida, Texas and USC.
New coach Mike Sherman
4. Texas A&M. 16
5. Missouri, 26
defensive linemen.
Coach Gary Pinkel's prized
recruit was 6 foot 5 quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who is likely to be current MU quarterback Chase Daniel's successor
6. Oklahoma State, 27
The Cowboys plucked a trio of commits out of Butler County Community College in El Dorado including speedy running back Maurice Gray.
7. Kansas State. 28
Coach Ron Prince continues to focus on junior college players over high school students as this class has 31,460.
New coach Bo Pellini went from coast to coast to put
8. Nebraska, 30
this class has 21 J transfers.
together this class as n includes players from California and Florida.
9. Kansas,40
The Jayhawks continue to finish near the bottom in the Big 12 as far as recruiting ranks
despite an Orange Bowl victory.
10. Texas Tech, 42
unable to enroll.
The Red Raider's rank took a hit after running back Jocques Crawford, who later committed to Kansas, was academically
11. Bavlor.51
For the first time in more than six years, Baylor's recruiting class isn't ranked last in the
—All information from rivals.com
-Case Keefer
The Cyclones' only four-star recruit is wide receiver Sedrick Johnson from Arp. Texas.
12. Iowa State, 63
The rest of the class
Name Position
Tim Biere TE
Greg Brown DB
Rod Harris WR
Tanner Hawkinson TE
Ben Lueken OL
Trevor Marrongelli OL
D.J. Marshall DE
Darius Parish DT
Daymond Patterson WR
Kale Pick QB
Nicholas Plato DE
Corrigan Powell DB
Sean Ransburg ATH
Josh Richardson LB
Alonso Rojas K
Lubbock Smith DB
John Williams OL
Duane Zlatnik DE
Hometown
Hometown
Omaha, Neb.
Cedar Hill, Texas
Brenham, Texas
McPherson, Kan.
St. Louis, Mo.
Red Rock, Texas
Mesquite, Texas
Wichita, Kan.
Mesquite, Texas
Dodge City, Kan.
Edwardsville, Ill.
Garland, Texas
Harrisonville, Mo.
Dublin, Ohio
Miami, Fla.
Dallas, Texas
Tulsa, Okla.
Rossville, Kan.
HEADER Jim Mora takes helm of Seattle Seahawks coaching
KIRKLAND, Wash. — Jim Mora will succeed Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, beginning with the 2009 season.
After serving as the assistant head coach and defensive backs coach for one more season, the 46-year-old Mora will begin a new, four-year contract as the head coach.
Seahawks president Tim Ruskell and chief executive officer Tod Leiwke both emphasized during a news conference Wednesday that the move gives the team stability and unity.
"What (Holmgren's) done here by announcing his retirement a year ahead of time, has afforded this organization to make a smooth transition, to be seamless, to be non-chaotic"Ruskell said."Which is kind of rare in the sports world—certainly in the NFL.
"We all know about the elongated processes and the back-stabbing, some of the ugly things that can go on. Well, we're not going to have that."
Holmgren pushed for the announcement now, so players who are poised to enter free agency next month can judge Seattle while knowing its coach will be beyond next season.
"This makes a lot of sense for the organization," Holmgren said in a team statement. "Jim is a talented coach who already had a measure of success in this league and has all the tools here needed to succeed."
Both Holmgren and Mora chose not to attend the news conference because Ruskell said they didn't want to "make a big splash" and overlook the team's mission for 2008: sending Holmgren out with the franchise's first Super Bowl title, after five consecutive playoff appearances.
"I am extremely excited about the future, but completely
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The 59-year-old Holmgren announced two weeks ago that he would fulfill only the final season of his contract in 2008 and then leave the team after 10 seasons. He is the team's all-time leader in coaching victories with 86. He has 170 in wins 16 seasons with Green Bay and Seattle, one behind former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs for 10th in NFL history.
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The former Atlanta coach took the Falcons to the NFC championship in 2004, his first season in Atlanta, and Ruskell's only season as player personnel director there before he became Seattle's president and general manager. The Falcons, 26-22 under Mora,
focused on the opportunity we have in front of us this season," Mora said in the statement.
fired Mora on New Year's Day, 2007.
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