+
Volume 128 Issue 119
COMMENTARY Kansas recruiting needs to focus on quarterback
Five seasons have come and gone since Kansas football cracked the top 90 out of only 120 college football passing offenses.
You can chalk up the disappearance of a passing offense any way you want: inconsistent coaching, lack of playmakers, or empty stands. But the passing game deficiencies can all be traced back to one place: the dearth of success at the quarterback position.
Of course, the defense hasn't been perfect either — when you win only three games in one season, no facets of the game are perfect. But in recent history it's been better than the offense. The Jayhawks had three members of last year's defense drafted this weekend to prove that.
Last year, the quarterback was the main snag on the layhawks' squad.
All four of quarterback Montell Cozart's interceptions against Texas last season put the Longhorns within 30 yards of the end zone, dooming the defense each time. The Jayhawks would have easily won that game and coach Charlie Weis may have kept his job for one more week if not for Cozart's performance.
Weis may have even kept his job through the West Virginia game, too, if the quarterbacks
— Cozart, Michael Cummings and T.J. Milweard — hadn't combined for only four yards per attempt and 111 passing yards on the day. The worst part of this game was the time of possession for each team; West Virginia possessed it for almost two-thirds of the game, making it impossible for the Kansas defense to catch its breath.
Filling the quarterback position is what the Jay-hawks should be coveting as their coaches set out on their recruiting journeys over the coming weeks. It's been three years since Kansas recruited Cozart from Bishop Miege, and with new coach David Beaty eyeing a long stay at Kansas, it's of the utmost importance that he and offensive coordinator Rob Likens get their guy.
In this fast-paced, custom air-raid offense implemented by Likens, he's going to need an athletic quarterback who can make quick decisions, keep his energy level up, and make the easy throws.
Although stars and ratings aren't everything when it comes to recruits, the team hasn't had a four-star quarterback since it hit the top 90 college football passing offense in 2009 under Kansas legend Todd Reesing. That paid off pretty well, and it's probably not a coincidence.
Though this staff has been very animated about getting out there and recruiting, this spring, they need to be looking for one thing: the next player that will wear the crimson and blue under center.
Edited by Miranda Davis
"We're excited to be a p
ANNA WENNER/KANSAR III., to play Northwestern tonight.
ANNA WENNER/KANSAN
western
-0 alli-
ats and
their
home runs.
ing off
e they
tons to
chups,
games
ed a
e No.
m (in
shut
of the
nent,
ortu-
ainst,
beat-
three
The Jayhawks hope to shake off the weekend loss and gain some momentum as they prepare for their final stretch of the season.
"We need to prepare for [TCU's] pitching because they have the best pitching in the conference," Price said, "I hope it pays off because obviously we're going to have to score to win."
The first pitch of the series against Northwestern is scheduled for 3 p.m. today at Rocky Miller Park in Evanston, Ill.
Edited by Miranda Davis
lia shows e as goalie ting KC win
above the line of white and blue to punch the shot away, then he warded away a quick shot before diving on the rebound to save a goal.
And that was in the first 20 minutes.
Not only did he make tremendous saves on his line, he proved just as effective off of it. Several times he found himself 20, 25, even 30 yards away from his goal clearing long passes or saving potential breakaways. He played at center-back depth when KC was on offense, and was decisive and aggressive when his number was called.
His teammates weren't even bothered by it, with Roger Espinoza saying "he's my teammate," and he was never worried that Melia could make an error when he was so far out of his goal.
Decisiveness from your goalie is crucial as a field player. You know what he's going to do because he commits 100 percent, and you can adjust your game accordingly. A goalkeeper is like a tone setter — an emotional backbone — his calmness and collectivity sets the tone for the game. Melia certainly set the tone for a team that got its winning goal from the most unlikely of sources.
It would be easy to point to any one of Melia's saves as "The Play," but the hard part would be picking which one. In doing that, you lose what makes the game truly special: he did it all after not starting for 365 days.
Edited by Valerie Haag
---
+