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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20.2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FOOTBALL
JAYHAWK DEPTH CHART
Get to know Kansas' roster from the inside out
BLAIR SHEADE
@realblairsheade
DEFENSE
SECONDARY
Seniors Dexter McDonald And JaCorey Shepherd are both returning cornerbacks, and senior free safety Cassius Sendish is the voice of the entire secondary because he's a natural leader. Weis said. The lone junior in the
secondary is strong safety Isaiah Johnson. Johnson is a returning starter, 2014 Big 12 defensive newcomers of the year and 2014 Big 12 honorable mention. Johnson led the Jayhawks last season with five interceptions. Due to the amount of passing the Big 12 conference does, the Jayhawks will be forced to play a nickel back for the majority of games. As of the moment, sophomore
Greg Allen will be the starter, but Weis said that Kevin Short has played well in the summer and could see playing time at the nickel.
LINEBACKERS
This position has the most upside among any defensive positions because of the talent and experience it brings to the field. Senior Ben Heeney is the leader of the linebacker core,
and he's reached numerous watch lists including the Bednarik watch list, which is the award for college's best linebacker. Junior Jake Love, who started eight games last season, will be playing alongside Heeney as the will linebacker. Senior Michael Reynolds led the Jayhawks with 6.5 sacks last season, and he will return to the buck (outside) linebacker this season.
DEFENSIVE LINE
There are still a lot of questions along the defensive front. Who will start at the two defensive end? Right now juniors Ben Goodman and Andrew Bolton have those spots locked up, but that can change. Goodman will be the returning starter, and he was second on the Kansas team with three sacks in 2013. On the other hand, Bolton
hasn't proven anything while he redshirted last season after joining Kansas from junior college. Watch out for junior T.J. Semke to challenge Bolton for playing time, and maybe to start. The rock of the defensive line has to be senior and two-year starter Keon Stowers. The whole Kansas team voted Stowers one of the permanent team captains.
DEFENSE
Isaiah Johnson
Michael Reynolds
Cassius Sendish
Ben Heeney
JaCorey Shepherd
Jake Love
Ben Goodman
Keon Stowers
Andrew Bolton
Greg Allen
Dexter McDonald
50
Nick Harwell
50
Tony Pierson
Lewandowski
Ngalu Fusimalohi
Keyon Haughton
Mike Smithburg
Montell Cozart
Damon Martin
Brandon Bourbon
Justin McCay
Jimmay Mundine
OFFENSE:
QUARTERBACK
The Jayhawks will have a new quarterback under center this season. Sophomore Montell Cozart, who is their third quarterback in the last three years, won the starting job after the spring game. Senior wide receiver Nick Harwell said Cozart has shown great leadership, especially for a true sophomore. Weis said that he's glad Cozart played the last three games last season because it has helped him grow as a leader and a player.
RUNNING BACK
The current starting running back is senior Brandon Bourbon, but the two former junior college running backs, senior Taylor Cox and junior DeAndre Mann, will hold the backfield this season, as well. Mann has the best chance to become the starting running back because Charlie Weis said Mann didn't come to the University to sit on the bench and he'll get his chance to become the starter.
TIGHT END
Kansas has its first Mackey Award (college best tight end) watch list tight end in Jimmay Mundine, but the senior tight end, who led the Jayhawks with five touchdown receptions last season, could miss the opening week as he will be recovering from a minor knee surgery. If Mundine does miss game time, senior Trent Smiley, who competed with Mundine for the starting spot last season, will get his shot as the starter. Smiley started two games last season, but caught only two balls for 21 yards.
WIDE RECEIVERS
This position went from the weakest to the strongest since the start of the summer. Senior Nick Harwell, who sat out last season after transferring from Miami-Ohio, will start in the slot. Harwell has been named to the Bletnikoff Award watch list, and he says he wants to become the first KANSAS receiver since Kerry Meier to catch more than 80 balls. Senior Justin McCay will start at wide receiver and Tony Pierson will be the other starting receiver split out wide. Weis said that McCay barely beat out junior
Rodriguez Coleman this summer, and Weis said that Pierson has become a solid receiver after converting from running back. Behind Pierson on the depth is Nigel King, who transferred from Maryland this summer after graduating. King is 6-foot-3, which gives the Jayhawks more size on the outside.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The linemen are the most experienced position on the offensive side. The offensive line is returning left tackle Pat Lewandowski, left guard Ngalu
Fusimalohi, right guard Mike Smithburg and right tackle Damon Martin. Fusimalohi is the only lineman to gain recognition this offseason as he's placed on the Polynesian player of the year watch list. Junior Keyon Haughton, a junior college recruit, is the current starting center, but freshman Jacob Bragg could end up there when the dust is settled. Bragg is a former Under Armour All-American center, and Weis said he has potential to start as a true freshman.
Edited by Paige Lytle
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