Superprep.com provided an in-depth rundown on the latest verbal for the Kansas football program:
The reasons Barlow excels in the red zone are the same reasons he excels as a deep threat and to top it off, he runs a 4.5 40 yard dash. His speed allows him to stretch the field and because he is so tall, even if he is covered, a QB can feel comfortable throwing him a jump ball; nine times out of ten he will win.
OFFENSE
Hdr/PS Player/Location/Ht/Wt/40/Signed
35.0-QB -- Christian Matthews/Arlington, TX -- 6-3/180/4.6 -- 6/20/2008
22.5-QB -- Jordan Webb/Union, MO -- 6-0/204 -- 4/12/2008
28.0-RB -- Deshaun Sands/Coconut Creek, FL -- 5-9/175/4.5 -- 4/10/2008
34.9-WR -- Neil Barlow/Little Rock, AR -- 6-6/190/5.55 -- 8/12/2008
21.5-OL -- Gavin Howard/Owasso, OK -- 6-5/260 -- 6/23/08
29.3-OL -- Riley Spencer/Hesston, KS -- 6-6/265/5.1 -- 6/22/08
21.5-OL -- Ty Cloud/Flower Mound, TX -- 6-4/285 -- 6/18/08
DEFENSE
Hdr/PS Player/Location/Ht/Wt/40/Signed
31.3-DE -- Kevin Young/Olathe, KS -- 6-4/227/4.78 -- 7/6/2008
28.8-DE -- Tyrone Sellers/McCook, NE -- 6-4/215/4.57 -- 7/2/2008
29.0-LB -- Ernest Norman/Euless, TX -- 5-11/220/4.58 -- 5/27/2008
36.6-DB -- Dexter Linton/Arlington,TX -- 6-0/180 -- 6/20/2008
34.9-DB -- Darian Kelly/Girard, KS -- 6-2/195/4.5 -- 6/5/2008
30.8-DB -- Prinz Kande/Euless, TS -- 5-11/182/4.5 -- 6/2/2008
14.5-DB --Tyler Patmon/Cedar Park,TX -- 5-11/180 -- 4/17/2008
Hdr = Hawk Digest Rating
The last area I have to cover from last Friday's practice is the special teams:
Okay, I've never seen the little yellow "lidz" they were wearing on their helmets before. It has to be hard to feel tough when you are wearing a yellow helmet.
Didn't get to see the placekickers as they worked out on the new practice fields. I won't be able to attend Friday's practice so maybe someone else can get a look this week and report in the forum or here.
I already pretty much laid out my thoughts on the punting battle between Alonso Rojas and Kerry Meier in my initial report. Basically, Meier seemed to be kicking 45-50 yards in the air while Rojas was getting 50-58 yards on some booming kicks with lots of hang time. Meier did snag a really high snap and still got off a 50-yard punt. We'll probably feel better after we see him during the FIU game, but I think KU fans are going to be just fine with Rojas. Punting could be a strength again this year and we'll see if maybe he can be more consistent than Kyle Tucker who could also really boom it at times.
There were four guys out there as punt returners -- Isiah Barfield, Daymond Patterson, Chris Harris and Dexton Fields. I don't remember Fields actually taking a turn. Harris muffed one and didn't make me feel real secure. I thought Barfield looked the most comfortable and showed some moves and speed. He also muffed one that he tried to catch on the run. Oddly, he hesitated before covering. Patterson looked good as well, but I still give Barfield the edge. Anyway, I'm thinking it's narrowing down to a two-man race between those two.
From a Rock M Nation preview of KU that is deeper than anything the big boys in print put out this year:
"Kansas ranked #63 overall in my special teams rankings last year. Marcus Herford was an oustanding kick returner, guaranteeing KU starting field position of at least the 30 or 35. He returns for 2008. I swear he's been at KU since at least 2001.
The rest of the unit, however, was average at best. They were #109 in net punting and #103 in punt returns, and as Mizzou fans can attest, Scott Webb wasn't the most reliable of kickers. He was better than he showed against Mizzou, but he was still only above average at best. Both Webb and punter Kyle Tucker are gone, and while neither is a tremendous loss, they still have to find capable replacements, and nobody on the roster has kicked/punted at the D1 level."
http://www.rockmnation.com/2008/8/12/591504/kansas-football-beyond-the
Never mind whether or not you agree with the assessment of Scott Webb or Kyle Tucker. The assumption is that due to inexperience -- the KU kicking game will not be as good in 2008. I'm already sold on Alonso Rojas so I'm feeling a lot better there. Is it conceivable that one of the three placekickers could actually be better than Scott Webb in year one? Pairing our defense up with a great punter is one thing, but adding something like an All-Big 12 type placekicker ... well that certainly could give us some room for error on the offensive side.
Here are my play-by-play notes from the 11v11 last Friday (accuracy is definitely not guaranteed):
From the 40-yard line
From the offensive 1-yard line (in other words, back up against a wall)
Today, we'll look at the defense:
First a little disclaimer. I wanted to focus on the defensive line during the practice, but I have to admit like the rest of the media I became a bit mesmerized by the skill players on offense. So overall, I don't have as much info on the front seven and I've covered the d-backs a little bit already since they work against the passing unit.
I did get to spend some time watching the defensive ends while they were doing unit drills. I thought Jeff Wheeler was showing good footwork for such a big guy (6-7). D.J. Marshall seemed to have quite a bit of upper body/arm strength.
I watched the linebackers work as well and the notable there was that Arist Wright was indeed working with the #1s. Steven Johnson was in the mix quite a bit as well. I agree with what Brian Hanni (more likely David Lawrence) on KLWN was saying. It's pretty impressive that of nine starters last year two of those guys are being challenged for positions (James Holt by Arist Wright, John Larson by Maxwell Onyegbule). It says quite a bit about the improving talent level on the team.
I think I mentioned that the offense had the upper hand in my initial report. I'll still stand by that but it wasn't like the defense was getting pushed around. The 11v11 started with Darrell Stuckey stealing a tipped ball from A.J. Steward, but the next few plays were all about offensive effiency. After a while the defense settled in and the battle started to even out. Chris Harris spent some time trying to get the D pumped up and one point and it seemed to have an effect.
***
Still have a couple more things to cover on the practice -- 11v11 play summary and special teams. Guess I better hurry before the next open practice comes around. Stay tuned.
DJ Goodwin
From the offensive standpoint, I was able to watch some wr/cb one-on-one action, a passing game drill (qbs/rbs/wrs vs lbs/dbs) and the 11-on-11. This is what I saw.
During drills it looked like the first four-wideout set included Rod Harris Jr., Tertavian Ingram, A.J. Steward and Dezmon Briscoe. I wouldn't take it as an indication though. I'm sure it gets mixed up quite a bit (Dexton Fields has a minor injury and Kerry Meier did not play wideout on this day).
It's old news at this point, but the o-line looked like this: Hatch - Mayes - Cantrell - Hartley - Wolfe
In the backfield, Todd Reesing with Jake Sharp and Jocques Crawford splitting the time at RB. Angus Quigley looked good when he played and needs to be utilized when we really want to punish teams. Steven Foster got a fair amount of reps and ripped a 10 yard + run at one point during 11 v 11. Rell Lewis looked good as well. Like a fifth wide reciever, but you've got to honor the draw.
Jesse Newell commented that he thought Kerry Meier didn't look as comfortable as Reesing in the 11 on 11. It seemed to me that he got blitzed early on, but I really thought Kerry did some nice things out there while working with the 2s. When he wasn't harrassed he looked pretty efficient in my opinion.
One-on-One Drills
Chris Harris went one-on-one with Marcus Herford and MH just could not shake him. Obviously, we've had a few good corners under Mangino but I just haven't seen a guy that can cover like Harris. No knock on the other guys, but I really feel confident in #16.
Ryan Murphy covered Dezmon Briscoe in the one-on-one. Murphy really battled and does look skilled but Briscoe was able to find separation on the majority of the reps. Not every one, but he won more than he lost. Actually seemed unfair to have Murphy go against him.
Johnathan Wilson had a nice over the head catch against Corrigan Powell.
Raymond Brown made nice deep route catch over Anthony Davis. Je'Ney Jackson was giving a lot of instruction to AD.
Passing Drill Summary:
From the 40 yard line
16 near INT of 5
5 to 80 in traffic between 25 and 29
10 to 86 | 44 in coverage
10 good coverage throws late on the run to 81 | 29 coverage
10 rollout 81 catches over 7
5 to 3 in flat
5 to 3 in flat
5 to 80 pass broken up by 30
19 overthrow open 13
19 good coverage no throw
19 to 81 late
10 to 85 on the sideline
10 to 11 in the middle
10 to 89 | 46 coverage
17 to 2 (dropped)
17 to 2 nice catch and run
17 to 22 in the flat
5 to 3 inside short
5 to 11 deep middle TD (40yds est) | 26 coverage
5 throws late 20 yards to 11 on sideline (looked past line of scrimmage)
19 overthrow 13
19 to 28 over the middle TD
19 to 13 a little behind on short sideline and no catch made
From the 10-yard Line
5 to 85 late
5 to 1 in the flat TD
5 to 80 TD
17 to 2 TD
17 to 9 TD late
17 to 9
5 to 87 TD (nice look off)
5 to 3 (dropped)
5 coverage
We'll try to get into the defense tomorrow and provide a summary of the 11 v 11.
This is the speed edition notes. Plenty more coming tomorrow:
Surprise Player = #28. Eric Tyler Daymond Patterson has switched from safety to wide receiver and saw heavy action all over the field. The kid can catch and is everything that was advertised.
(special thanks to moyae84 for the correction)
Jeff Spikes Jeremiah Hatch was playing at the left tackle position. Ian Wolfe had the other side.
(ed. note -- I had the numbers mixed up)
Didn't see Kendrick Harper today. Isiah Barfield played that spot.
(On KH, KLWN said that he had to attend a family funeral)
Justin Thornton and Chris Harris are great coverage guys.
Dez is looking cool and confident.
Chris Harris very talkative on "D." Todd Reesing lead the players in numerous "chants."
Jocques Crawford saw a lot of action. He caught the ball a lot and really can glide. Finishes with power. Did fumble once and bobble another exchange.
Alonso Rojas will get the job. Punted 50-58 yards each time. Kerry Meier has pretty good distance as well punting more around 45-50 yards each time.
Overall, I'd say the offense won the day. Much more to come later.
You don't need to see another list with Chase Daniels, Sam Bradford and Graham Harrell listed ahead of Todd Reesing, right? Can't we look a little deeper? Absolutely. Here's your unchallenged ranking of the Big 12 backup quarterbacks:
1) Kerry Meier-JR/Kansas - I don't think this is even debatable. Real Big 12 experience in 2006 though he played 70% of the season on one wing. Besides making the cover of SI, he also completed 25 of 29 passes last year.
2) Austin Arnaud-SO/Iowa State - Obviously, he is disqualified if he earns the starting job, but all of my sources say Philip Bates gets the job. Otherwise, put Bates in this slot.
3) Carson Coffman-SO/Kansas State - His dad played in the NFL, so he's good, right? Probably should be downgraded for not figuring out a way to earn the job over Josh Freeman. I'd be thinking transfer.
4) Taylor Potts-SO/Texas Tech - Never heard of him right? Doesn't matter, if GH were to go down Leach can plug in the next guy and he'll throw for 6,000 yards. Texas Tech - pioneering the field of quarterback cloning.
5) Blake Szymanski-JR/Baylor - He's listed as #3, but he did throw for 2,844 yards and 22 TDs last year (18 ints). Experience has got to count for something, right?
6) Chase Patton-SR/Missouri - Was supposed to be a big deal. Again, I would have transferred. Mizzou fans will say that Blaine Gabbert should be at the top of the list, but I think Gary will do everything he can to redshirt him.
7) Joey Halze-SR/Oklahoma - Gets points for just being at OU.
8) Jerrod Johnson-SO/Texas A&M - Athlon says he's got "a rifle arm and quick feet." That's really all I got to go on.
9) Alex Cate-SO/OSU - Drew this one out of a hat.
10) John Chiles-SO/Texas - Thought I'd rank him low to see if any Texas fans notice.
11) Nick Nelson-SR/Colorado - Loved him in "Thank You For Not Playing Me" and "I Didn't Know He Was the Coaches' Kid."
12) Patrick Witt-FR/Nebraska - Okay, I'll admit. The name doesn't even ring a bell.
There you go. I'm a little sketchy on 2-12, but I feel good about the #1 slot.
Too sweet not to have in the archive. Watch in high quality.
It's been like wandering through the desert this summer. Thankfully, KU's Media Day arrived yesterday and Doogie actually got some new info for us.
For Starters- A Mystery on the O-Line
“He’s going to find a spot to play. He’s an intense, tough guy. Really, one of the hardest-working lineman we have in the program. ... He’s not a 6-5, long-armed guy. But he’s so quick with his feet that he makes up for it. So he’s gonna show up at one of those spots"
--Mark Mangino on Jeremiah Hatch
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't see Hatch at one of the tackle spots. So does this mean somebody on the interior is going to lose a job? Hatch was a pretty big recruit that I figured would take over the center spot someday. I think Ryan Cantrell has lock on that this year though. Chet Hartley and Adrian Mayes are solid too. It's gotta be tackle, right? Which side? Somebody help me.
This Really Could Be A Good Thing
“We prefer if Kerry wasn’t the punter,” Mangino said. “But if he’s the best punter, he’ll be out there.”
I like the competition here for Alonso Rojas. Kerry Meier is an athlete. If he can truly provide FBS level distance, having a QB as your punter makes the punt cover team play it a little different. Rojas should be working hard to secure the job.
Now The Place Kicker Situation Is An Area To Watch
" ... special-teams coordinator Louie Matsakis, who said Stephen Hoge, Grady Fowler and Jacob Branstetter each have a chance to earn the spot."
This really is a big key for us. My thought is that surely somebody reliable can emerge from a three-man competition. Right?
On The Punt Returns
I'd really like to take Dexton Fields out of the equation. I think he can do a good job, but I feel like he's got bigger fish to fry this season. With his speed, it sure would stress other teams if Isiah Barfield can learn this skill.
DJ Goodwin
It looks like I just need to read the one publication that I actually pay for. The Kansas City Star had it down. Jeremiah Hatch is battling Jeff Spikes for the left tackle position.
See. Print is not dead.
Played an easy schedule in 2007, got lucky, can't compete in the Big 12, really Nebraska is still better than KU, probably won't even be able to have somebody line up at left tackle, Missouri wins the Super Bowl, etc.
http://overthepylon.blogspot.com/2008/08/prelude-to-season-17.html
Glad you sent the link though. I needed a topic for the day.
