8B the university daily kansan
sports
tuesday, may 11, 2004
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IMPRESSION: First-year football players will have an impact on the Big 12 Conference
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and should be a leader on the defense for years to come.
Kansas State
Impact players: Surrell Davis, defensive back, Jesse
Martinez. wide receiver
Davis has the versatility and speed to play either cornerback or safety for a unit that has lost a couple of starters. Kansas State signed four junior college defensive backs, and Davis' ability to play multiple positions should help him fight for playing time. Martinez was a mid-year signee to replace departing James Terry. Martinez, at 6-6, 214 pounds, has the speed to stretch defenses down the field. He also is an above average punter.
Developmental prospect: Nick Patton, quarterback, Parrish Fisher, running back
Patton combines speed (4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash) with a strong arm and great instincts. A national top 100 recruit, Patton has all of the tools to run Kansas State's multifaceted offense. He will need a season or two to learn the offense and possibly get bigger, because he is 6-5, 190 pounds. Fisher should sit behind Darren Sproles this season, but he has All-America ability with good size, 200 pounds, and speed, 4.48.
Impact player:
Jerrill Humphrey,
wide recei
the receiver/defensive back Missouri has built considerable depth at all positions, so it is
difficult to find a player who will make an immediate impact. While the wide receivers are fast, they lack a proven playmaker, and Humphrey could find increased playing time with his size, 6-4, 210, and speed combination. He had more than 2,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the last two seasons.
Developmental prospects:
Chase Patton, quarterback, Van
Alexander, linebacker
Patton was one of the country's top quarterback prospects, and was invited to Nike's Elite 11 camp. Only the top 11 quarterbacks are invited to the camp. Patton won't make an immediate impact, as he will sit behind Brad Smith, but the Tigers will have the luxury of grooming him slowly. Alexander was one of the fastest linebackers in the Big 12 region and shows a great nose for the ball. He could stand to put on some
weight, so it could be a couple of years before his impact is felt. Both Patton and Alexander attended Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Mo.
Nebraska
Im pact player: Terrence Nunn, wide receiver, Jordan Adams, quarterback
Nunn has the ability to make plays downfield with great speed and could figure immediately into new Nebraska coach Bill Callahan's passing offense. Adams, a JUCO signee, has a live arm and should factor into the quarterback race if Joe Dailey slips up. Adams is the top passing quarterback on the Nebraska roster.
Developmental prospects:
Michael Keenan, linebacker,
Cortney Grixy, cornerback
Lydon Murtha, offensive line
Nebraska has three players who could figure prominently into Bill Callahan's attempt to revive the program. Keenan, who has 4.4 speed, makes plays all over the field and should help to give the Cornhuskers the playmaking ability they crave at the linebacker position. Grixby is an exceptional athlete who played quarterback in high school. His brother played for Nebraska, but his brother couldn't run like Cortney. 4.35. Grixby is undersized, 5-9,160,and will need to add weight to play in the Big 12. Adding weight shouldn't be a problem for huge Lydon Murtha, 6-8,325. He could be the next great Nebraska lineman. Both Murtha and Grixby were national top-100 recruits.
Edited by Collin LaJoie
STATE: Kansas football recruiters bring in 11 players from Texas for next season
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238, and has strong receiving skills. He is a sleeper in this class that could eventually make an impact.
Ryan Cantrell, Sugarland, has great speed for his size, 6-3, 275, and could develop at several of the offensive line positions. He has the speed to play defense, but will probably stay on the interior offensive line.
Jermail Ashley, Tyler defensive end, signed with the Jayhawks
through Tyler Community College. He is a pass rushing specialist who should see time on the field this season. Last season, despite fighting injuries, Ashley was able to amass 41 tackles, 14 quarterback hurries, four sacks and three forced fumbles.
James McClinton, Garland, was one of the top defensive tackles in Texas, and he could find a starting spot when he arrives in the fall. He has quick feet for a 6-1, 295-pound player, and his low center of gravity
makes him difficult to move against the run. He is an active player who should quickly help to upgrade the defensive tackle position.
Anthony Collins, Beaumont, is now a defensive end, but at 6-6, 250 pounds, he has the frame to put on the weight needed to play defensive tackle. Athletic for his size, Collins is also a standout basketball player.
At cornerback, Theo Baines, Tyler, attended the same school as Ashley. He started off the
spring season as one of the first team cornerbacks, and he shouldn't lose his job anytime soon. Baines has strong cover skills and is physical enough to make plays against bigger receivers.
Aqib Talib, Richardson, has the versatility to play both cornerback and safety. His speed would be a tremendous asset at the safety position, and with his height, 6-2, he could add weight to become a more physical player.
Kyle Tucker, Katy, is both a kicker and a punter and could wind up playing either position. He hit a 50-yard field goal as a kicker and hasn't missed an extra point since his freshman year of high school. He also placed first as a punter at the 2003 Lonestar Kicking Challenge.
If the Texas players develop as expected, Kansas could have a core group of players to build its next few teams around.
—Edited by Collin LaJoie
KANSAS: Jayhawks will need solid pitching to compete with the Golden Eagles
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"Anytime you get on a roll like this, your confidence is off the charts, and that's where they are at right now," Price said.
Once again the Jayhawks will have to master solid pitching as
including a perfect 14-0 in the Mid-Continent Conference. And Oral Roberts has won 12 of its last 13 games.
Oral Roberts, like Texas, have a team ERA below three. The Golden Eagle pitching staff is led by Sean Sorrow who is 8-1 with a 2.19 ERA.
"Their pitching obviously is their strength and they also play really good defense," Price said. "I was very impressed with the way they played defense and the way they executed."
Offensively, the Golden
Eagles are hitting .318 as a team, compared to the Jayhawks'. 317 batting average. Matt VanDerBosch is hitting .410 for Oral Roberts and has 41 RBI. Kansas will try to counter with senior first baseman Ryan Baty, who is in the midst of a 14-game hitting streak and has a team leading .361 batting average.
The Jayhawks will have a staff
day tomorrow on the mound, meaning that Price will use four or five pitchers for about two innings each.
This is a tune up for the team's most important two series of the year. The Jayhawks are 2-18 in conference play and six games behind 8th place Missouri with six conference games to play.
Kansas must win the remainder of its conference games in series against Missouri and Kansas State. But that alone isn't enough. In order for the Jayhawks to make the conference tournament, Missouri must lose its upcoming games to Oklahoma State.
Tonight's game begins at 6 p.m.at Hoglund Ballpark.
Edited by Stephanie Lovett