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KANSAN.COM
SPORTS
FRANK WEIRICH/KANSAN
Kansas fans carry off a piece of the goalpost after the Jayhawks knocked off Iowa State in Lawrence on Nov. 8, 2014.
SHANE JACKSON
@jacksonshane3
You have to earn it.
You have to earn it.
That's the phrase that Kansas football coach David Beaty has found himself saying over and over again. Telling his players they have to earn playing time. No roster spots are given, no matter how old someone is.
I don't know if I have "Earned It" by Beaty standards, or the people upstairs just felt sorry for me. But I am very pleased to welcome you to the inaugural Kansas football mailbag.
Basically we, The Kansan,
want to give you a voice, and
we want to hear what you have
to say. I can type 500 words
about the latest information in
Kansas football, but if it's not
what you want to hear, is it
really important?
Your job is simple: Just tweet me your questions every week and I will try my best to answer as many as possible. Tell me what you want to know about Kansas football, and I will be happy to answer.
I was very impressed with the turnout for the first mail-bag. Despite the low bar for Kansas this year, there does seem to be a level of energy and optimism about this program. Maybe it's Beaty's enthusiasm, maybe it's just not having Charlie Weis, or maybe it's just you all being awesome fans. (Let's go with the latter.)
So without further ado, I bring you the first edition of the Kansas football mailbag.
Football go to a bowl game before or after the 2018 season?
Sam Davis: Does KU
That's the question isn't it?
I must reiterate, Kansas does not have high expectations this year. Losing about two dozen seniors from last year's 3-8 team does not bode well for a rookie head coach.
That being said, I do like the direction this program is going. This may sound like a broken record for Jayhawk fans, but this team is going to be pretty good in a few years.
Beaty understood the tall task he had as a first time head coach, so he surrounded himself with very good assistants. In football, if a team has good coaches, in time that will translate into success.
Call me foolish, but I believe in this coaching staff, and I would choose to bet this team is bow eligible by 2018. Feel free to hold this over my head in a few years if I am wrong.
Amie Just: What's your season prediction? 0-12?
1-11? 2-10? Why?
First of all, let's admire the hashtag. I petitioned my editors to make this a thing, but alas, I was denied. Something about a much better column with a similar hashtag by a lady named Anissa. Seriously, check it out, it's good.
I digress. In the season predictions in our fall preview, I picked 1-11. My fellow football beat writers Evan Riggs and Kirsten Peterson agreed with me. However Christian Hardy, another football writer, predicted the dreaded 0-12.
thing; This will be a tough year. However, I choose to believe that in front of a presumably full stadium with so much energy, Kansas will be able to knock off Football Championship Subdivision opponent South Dakota State. Granted, crazier things have happened, and the Jayhawks struggled in the opener last year. I stand by 1-11.
We all seem to agree on one
John Morgan: Do you believe we will get our first road game win this year?
No. I predict 1-11 and that one win coming in the opener at home. It would seem that a road losing streak will last for another year. The jayhawks are not a good football team, and there are just not any cupcakes on the schedule. Rutgers is a very competitive team, and Iowa State is the next best chance and they have a returning senior quarterback, something only one other team in the Big 12 can say.
Farzin Vousoughian: Will #kufball fans storm the field for beating another terrible Big 12 team?!
Well, for one, I don't foresee a conference victory. However, if Kansas is able to knock off a Big 12 team, I tend to have faith that the fans would not storm the field. The only exception would be a ranked team or Kansas State.
The real question is, if this team goes 0-12 this year, do the fans storm the field when they knock off an FCS team in the 2016 opener? Again I choose to believe fans won't
do something that silly, but it's a serious debate. Kansas was favored last year against Iowa State and fans still stormed the field.
Derek Skillett: Biggest breakout player. Offense & defense?
On the offensive side of the ball, it will be junior running back Ke'aun Kinner. Kinner, a 5-foot-9 back out of Navarro Junior College and the reigning National Junior College Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year.
Even with a crowded backfield, Kinner has stormed onto the scene and is expected to be the starting running back. Running backs coach Reggie Mitchell says Kinner has the ability to go to the NFL, something Kansas hasn't had in a running back in quite some time.
On the defensive side of the ball it's a little trickier. Ben Goodinan could be a candidate despite being a returning starter. However, I'm going to go with junior defensive end Damani Mosby.
Mosby redshirted last year in his first season at Kansas after transferring from Mesa Community College. As a sophomore at Mesa he finished with 35 tackles and 7.5 sacks. Similar to the running back position, the defensive line has a lot of depth and is arguably the strongest group on that side of the ball. With so many pass rushers creating pressure; expect less double teams and Mosby will be able to thrive.
Scott Chasen: Which freshman has the biggest NFL draft potential?
If you are asking about a newcomer, I'd take the junior college transfers Ke'aun Kinner and defensive back Brandon Stewart. But you're asking about freshmen, which makes it much tougher, since they are so hard to project
a star by any means, but he certainly has the chance to be a backup. Jake Heaps was recently the third-string for the New York Jets, and I fully believe Willis will be better than Heaps.
You can obviously tell by the video that he is freakishly athletic — arguably more athletic than anyone else on the team. I am curious to find out if he chose not to join the team or if Beaty cut him at some point
Quick story: Wilson tried out for the team in the spring as a walk-on and was even on the roster at the end of the spring. When I checked the roster in the middle of the summer he was not on the roster.
Andrew Joseph: Was DeVonte Wilson's plan all along to leverage his athleticism to get people excited about #KUfball then not be on the team?
Beaty has admitted that in college football it's much easier for freshmen to come in and play right away at positions like receiver or defensive than the quarterback. This is part because the quarterback has so much to learn in just a short amount of time.
I'm choosing to go with Willis because I think he has a chance to be a three-year starter in a very favorable offensive scheme. This doesn't mean I think he's going to be
The reason I say that is because I am going with a quarterback Ryan Willis out of Bishop Miege. I really like what I see out of Willis; he stands at 6-foot-4 and has a strong arm. It would be easy to go with a defensive back because Kansas has the track record of sending corners to the pros.
Have a question about KUfball? Tweet it to Shane at @jacksonshane3.
- Edited by Amber
Vandegrift
News from the U
Union Welcome Desk, Kansas Union, Level 4: New home of the SUA Box Office and Union Social Media Outpost. When you stop, bring the coupon from the front cover of the KU Visitors Guide and net some free KU swag!
Reflection Room, Kansas Union, Level 3: A place on campus where students, faculty and staff of all faiths and beliefs can find a peaceful space for quiet reflection, meditation and prayer.
Welcome back, Jayhawk Nation - We Missed You!
We changed some things at the U this summer that we know you won't want to miss:
Crimson Corner, KU Bookstore, all locations: Featuring everyday values for every Jayhawk—a new line of sensibly priced apparel, gear, gifts and more.
Daily Happy Hour: ANY size Coke fountain beverage just a buck between 2-3p daily! At all campus operations offering fountain service. KU and Coke--#PerfectPair.
99¢ Bottled Coke Beverages: When you show the blue cell phone sleeve that we left in your dorm room! You'll save about .80 every time you purchase a bottled Coke beverage at all KU Dining and KU Bookstore locations offering bottled soft drinks!.
The Jay, Kansas Union, Level 1: An awesome new reservable meeting/event space open to all student groups. SUA has several events scheduled there as well this fall. Check it out at SUAEvents.com. To reserve, call 785.864.2419.
These are just a few of the new things we've got ramped up Stop by and see what else awaits you at the U!
see you at the U
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