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Not a lot of time to update today, but if you haven't stumbled on this one yet, check out the Official KU Football Spring Football Website.
The Recycler | tagged Spring Football, Videos, ku football | Print Article | Permalink Email Article The 2009 season is firing up and Mark Mangino took to the microphone yesterday. What did we learn?
Jeremiah Hatch will move to center which makes a lot of sense in the long range plan. That's his natural position and why we wanted him at KU. However, he played left tackle last year and that means we'll be training a new left tackle. The KC Star reports that Tanner Hawkinson (6-6/266) will move from d-line to left tackle. He started out as a tight end, but Mangino seems really sold on Hawkinson:
“Tanner Hawkinson is a big, quick, athletic guy. We think he has a chance to develop into one of the best left tackles we’ve had here.”
Okay, but I would have expected someone with more experience, like Jeff Spikes, who was also described as a natural left tackle to get a crack at the position. I think we've all learned not to question Mangino on these things, but I'm hoping we don't have a steep learning curve along the front line.
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Speaking of left tackle talk -- it didn't work out for another highly-touted o-line prospect. Nate D'Cunha will be transferring to a new school. That also helps explain the Hawkinson move.
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Also from the same KC Star article, there is an official indication of the plan to move Kerry Meier to full-time wideout status. Not that he isn't already, but the fact that Meier still spends practice time as the #2 QB isn't really a closely-guarded secret. Mangino did cover himself by stating that it will depend on how comfortable they feel with either Kale Pick or Jordan Webb as the number two QB. Christian Mathews will be on deck this summer as well. Since 2010 is just around the corner, I would really like to see Mangino feel comfortable with one of those guys this year.
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Oh, and just in case there is someone who isn't really aware of this ... all of this stuff really comes from the KU website. In this case, specifically it comes from here. Of course, for the real media, it's always nice to take a drive over to Lawrence.
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You'll want to get these times into your Outlook calendar:
Monday, March 9 – Practice starts
Wednesday, March 11 – Practice open to public (3:30 p.m.)
Friday, March 27 – Practice open to public (3:30 p.m.)
Saturday, April 11 – Spring Game (2 p.m.)
Looks like I have plans on March 11, but I'll try to make March 27 practice. The spring game is mandatory for anyone that likes to be considered a KU fan.
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In the category of super-fantastic news, Mangino indicated that Angus Quigley can petition for a medical hardship year after the upcoming season. Yep, that means Angus could still be with us in 2010. I think moving Angus to LB is a two-year project, so I love this. However, we are not the University of Texas, so it seems like we never get these requests through. We'll see.
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Isiah Barfield will move to wide receiver. I like this move. I don't think we are real settled at CB once you get past Justin Thornton and Daymond Patterson, but we have a lot of talent on the roster and coming in. All reports indicate that Barfield is one of the fastest guys on the team. I like putting that threat out on the field. Mangino put it this way:
"Isiah Barfield will move to wide receiver to help us develop some quality depth there. Isiah’s got great hands. We looked at it this way—in the fall we will have 10 corners on scholarship."
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Back on the linebacker front, it looks like Justin Springer won't be practicing until August. Mangino indicated that the rehab is going well though. We definitely want to see Justin out there in the mix.
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Dugan says that Todd Reesing was mean to the press at the Insight Bowl post game conference:
During a bizarre post-game press conference at last December’s Insight Bowl, Reesing sarcastically answered a question from a reporter and declined to answer another. Talking among themselves in the press box later that night, bowl representatives expressed distaste at the junior quarterback’s patronizing press conference demeanor.
Did I totally miss this? Someone help me out here.
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In case you are confused about the offensive line, here is Mangino's take:
“Well, we’ve got Sal Capra who played a substantial amount of time for us last year. We’ve got Trevor Marrongelli who’s competing for a position; John Williams who had surgery and missed all of last year and we redshirted him. He will be a big factor in there. Now that he’s gotten going, he really looks good. Carl Wilson is in there competing. I think we’re going to be okay. I think the biggest key, is that we solidify the tackle spots. I think Jeremiah Hatch will be fine, center is his natural position, I think the guard positions will fall into place.”
Jeff Spikes will play right tackle.
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If you've made it this far, you might as well grab yourself a Lowenbrau and make some comments or share this on Facebook,* because you are definitely hardcore. And for the hardcore, I leave you with this clearly stated goal by Todd Reesing:
"Just like the rest of the team, I want to win the Big 12 North. I want to win the Big 12 Championship. We have two bowl wins and that’s a great feeling, but we want a chance to play for a championship. We are looking forward to the challenge.”
*real men don't have Facebook pages
Missouri fans are upset that KU fans have trotted out John Brown as a heroic symbol for Kansas during this decade. Listen, we all understand what John Brown was, but after years of watching Mizzou fans come to Lawrence touting the virtues of William Quantrill with their "Burn KU" or Burn Lawrence" signs, well there's going to be a backlash. You set the terms and unfortunately we have to step down to that level. One thing that is certain, yes you don't get it. Also, it may be time to brush up on your left and right skills.
As for the poster itself, I thought it was awesome ... but I still put it as a runner-up to John Brown-gino.
Watched a little of the Insight Bowl over the weekend. In the first half, Jocques Crawford and Angus Quigley teamed up for a pretty big hit on a Gophers' kick return. One of the most interesting aspects of spring practice will be watching AQ at linebacker. Oh yeah, that play gave me a vision of Angus (6-2, 222) as a pass rush specialist -- you know the role Brandon Perkins (6-1, 235) played back in 2005.
Speaking of Perkins, here's a good link on KU players in the pros I'd never seen before.
The battle for the north just became a little more intriguing as Nebraska QB Patrick Witt is leaving the Huskers. There's a poll on that Corn Nation link that indicates NU fans like Zac Lee as the starter which still means it's a complete mystery as what kind of performance the Huskers will get out of that position. I guess I'll be watching more NU football in September than I normally would, trying to figure out if they're going to have someone decent or not. Speaking of which ... we need some blowouts in the non-con, so Kale Pick can get some live action to prep for 2010.
Last week there was news that WR Xavier Rambo was transferring to Delta State. The UDK had the official story in case you don't feel like the Gridiron is a true source.
I also mentioned last week that there is a new KU blog on the block -- Jayhawksnest.com. That makes eight blogs actively covering KU sports. When I started, it was Phog Blog and Jayhawk Nation. Here's the rundown.
Hawk Digest - The worldwide leader in unofficial websites dedicated strictly to KU football.
Rock Chalk Talk - SBNation blog provides the best all-around KU sports coverage.
Oread Boom Kings - Formerly, KJ-IBT/KF-IBT. All-around coverage with more of an edge. Part of a building network.
The Shiver - Comprehensive with a cool WordPress "magazine" layout.
Jayhawks Nest - All KU-Sports with a weekly video feature and YouTube channel.
Phog Blog - Used to be the big one. Definitely geared toward Kansas basketball, but they'll comment on the other sports as well.
Jayhawk Nation - Emphasis on basketball.
Rock Chalk Jay-Blog - All KU sports.
DJ's Stories, The Recycler | tagged KU blogs, Nebraska football, ku football, xavier rambo | Print Article | Permalink Email Article WARINNER AND BLANEY
The big news last week was the promotion of two KU assistant coaches last week. Offensive coordinator Ed Warriner now has the title of associate head coach, while Brandon Blaney (tight ends and recruiting coordinator) added the new responsibility of assisting with the offensive line. Let's hope both of them received nice raises as well as they've both been getting the job done. We all know the instant success of Warinner, but don't forget to factor in Blaney's recruiting. He was the assistant recruiting coordinator from 2003-2005 before taking over the head job in 2006. Anyone following the Hawks is aware of the upward curve we've enjoyed in recruiting.
The Warinner move is interesting as well as it indicates that he is clearly Mark Mangino's top assistant. I still feel like Mangino has focused on building a legacy with this program and will complete his career at KU; however, it's always a good idea to have a succession plan in place.
RAMBO MOVING ON
There's no official report out yet, but a thread on the Gridiron board indicates that wide receiver Xavier Rambo will be transferring out of KU. Probably due to his unique name, I think a lot of Jayhawk fans had kept an eye on Rambo and were hoping to see him playing more last year, but sometimes these things just don't work out. All of the sudden KU has a lot of receivers on deck and you could hardly blame a young guy for wanting to move somewhere with a better chance for playing time. Here's a look at the KU wideouts:
ON THE ROSTER
10-Kerry Meier (SR) 6-3/220
80-Dezmon Briscoe (JR) 6-3/200
81-Jonathan Wilson (JR) 6-3/190
85-Roderick Harris, Jr. (JR or SO?) 6-2/200
09-Raimond Pendleton (SR) 5-11/190
89-Tertavian Ingram (JR) 6-0/195
18-Xavier Rambo (JR) 6-0/195
47-Matt Bouwie (JR) 5-11/170
27-Willie O'Quinn (SO) 6-0/190
19-Reece Petty (JR) 6-2/195
INCOMING
Bradley McDougald | 6-0/181/4.5 - ****
D.J. Beshears | 5-9/185 - ***
Erick McGriff | 6-4/190/4.6 - ***
Chris Omigie | 6-5/185 - ***
GRADUATING
88-Dexton Fields 6-0/210
13-Marcus Herford 6-3/210
02-Raymond Brown 6-3/205
04-Gary Green 5-9/175
37-Micah Brown 6-0/185
The Recycler | tagged ed warinner, ku football news, xavier rambo | Print Article | Permalink Email Article Well, it ended up being spectacular day yesterday as Mark Mangino got the ink on his most talented class to date. The class ranked fifth in the Big 12 by Rivals and 31st overall (at one point in the morning KU was at 29). The Jayhawks finished just behind NU (#28), but essentially the two classes are pretty equal. The Huskers had five four-star players and 15 three-stars, while KU had four four-stars and 18 three-star players. The North rankings:
28 -- Nebraska
31 -- Kansas
41 -- Missouri
56 -- Colorado
72 -- Iowa State
95 -- Kansas State
In other news, we have three departures for the program. Tyler Lawrence will graduate this year and has decided to end his football career. Even though he didn't play much, Lawrence seemed to be a pretty big contributor on the sidelines.
The NCAA is at it again, according to the KC Star. After approving a fall class for Sean Ransburg, they've now done an audit and rejected the class. Way to look out for the student athlete.. Seems like they hand out extra years all the time at certain other Big 12 schools. In the meantime, Sean has enrolled at Mid-America Nazarene. This is disappointing not so much from KU football perspective, but more from my declining perception of the bungling NCAA as an effective organization. Pair this situation with the Eric Butler eligibility issue and I have no idea what they are trying to do.
And for the topper, Dugan at KUsports.com reports that our new d-line coach Kerry Locklin is already moving on. Quality. Looks like KU has Illinois d-line coach Tom Mims already lined out to take the position. Who wouldn't be excited about coaching this incoming group of d-linemen? I guess a guy who just took a job with the jets.
I've got a pretty good backlog of original content building up, but Kansas football news is dominating the scene right now. This has become a 365-day a year operation. Looks like I need to find some interns. Anyway, let's roll with the best news first.
BEST MANGINO CLASS EVER
Hey, print is not dead because I read this one in the print version of the KC Star. Four-star safety Bradley McDougald (6-0/181/4.5) out of Dublin, Ohio committed to KU yesterday and plans to play at wide receiver. Rivals is not listing him yet, but Scout has him on their list as a three star. I can't wait to see what kind of bump this gives us in the Rivals team rankings.
D.J. BESHEARS TALKS DB
The word over at Rock Chalk Talk is that D.J. Beshears will play at cornerback for KU. It makes sense for his size (5-9/185) and McDougald thinking receiver. I really like the depth we're building in the secondary with this class.
KANSAS FOOTBALL AWARDS JANUARY 31
This was in the forum yesterday, but I think it's worth another mention. It'll be 7: 30 p.m. on January 31 at the Lied Center in Lawrence. I attended last year and I would recommend the event for all fans. The video alone is worth the trip.
GALE SAYERS HONORED AGAIN
They say KU football history started in 2007. Wrong again, my dirtbag friends. Just so happens that the greatest running back to ever play the game is a Jayhawk. Gale Sayers will be in inducted into the John McClendon Minority Athletics Administrators Hall of Fame on June 19 in Orlando, Florida. Old-timers remember what Sayers did on the field. I always remember him for the post-Terry Allen coaching search. He was part of the committee and when word started to surface that Mark Mangino was the leading candidate, Sayers said, "This is the right guy for the job."
That was all I needed. On the field, off the field -- the guy knows football.
DJ Goodwin
Bradley McDougald officially came off the KU board for both sites yesterday. Essentially, he's not ready to announce a decision. There's a lot of chatter that this will still happen, but we'll see.
The Red Solo Cup Ole Miss blog is pushing an interesting rumor:
We're hearing rumors which would lead us to believe that the Rebels will be playing the Kansas Jayhawks in 2009. If this is indeed true, the matchup will be held in Dallas at the New Cowboys Stadium (is that really what they're calling it?) with a guaranteed payout of $6 million for each team.
Everyone on the Gridiron Board is all in except me. I like the gambler's attitude over there, but I don't see this as a good idea. Yeah, the money would be nice, but it's a 12-game schedule and the physical toll of matching up with an SEC team in the non-con is going to wear on us by mid-season, just like the USF game did last year. We have Texas, OU and Tech on our schedule and conference games count (non-cons are to prepare for Big 12 play). We need to focus on winning the division and championship game.
Also, consider that we need development time for the brand new interior line and the new linebackers. We will not be ready for top 10 competition in September.
JAMES HOLT vs THE NATION
Graduating senior James Holt will get in on one of the senior All-Star games. It's called the Nation vs Texas and will be played January 31 at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. The game starts at 2:00 p.m. and will be televised by CSTV.
THE NEW DL COACH
The Jayhawks announced their new defensive line coach earlier this week. Fresno State's DL coach Kerry Locklin take the position at KU after working with the FSU line since 2000. Here's a look at the Fresno State defensive stats during his tenure:
| Year | PA | Yds Allow/G | Rush/G | Pass/G | YPR |
| 2000 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 2001 | 25 | 381 | 117 | 264 | 3.2 |
| 2002 | 27 | 405 | 160 | 245 | 3.9 |
| 2003 | 23 | 381 | 175 | 206 | 4.6 |
| 2004 | 21 | 340 | 165 | 175 | 4.1 |
| 2005 | 22 | 347 | 149 | 198 | 4.2 |
| 2006 | 28 | 363 | 141 | 222 | 4.2 |
| 2007 | 27 | 407 | 181 | 226 | 5.0 |
| 2008 | 31 | 411 | 210 | 201 |
5.6 |
ESPN's Holly Rowe interviewed Todd Reesing at the basketball game last night. Holly, when Todd says we're a two-sport school, we're a two-sport school.
Looks like former KU defensive coordinator Bill Young is considering a move to Oklahoma State? That was quick. Sources (i.e. message boards) indicate the $700,000 annual salary is inflated.
Did you know that Nebraska fans refer to Iowa as the ChickenHawks?
KU has it's highest ranking overall that I can remeber on Rivals this late in the recruiting season at #32. A few days ago they were actually at #31. Leading the north is Nebraska at #24 and Missouri is just behind KU at #33. Full list of Rivals Big 12 Team Rankings. I don't like Scout's list so much. The have Nebraska #28, Mizzou #30 and KU at #44. Of course, Rivals is pretty much recognized as the source for football recruiting rankings.
Updated Scout Recruiting List with D.J. Beshears:
Nebraska will be travelling to play Washington in 2010 and according to the Seattle Times that game may take place at Qwest Field.
Former KSU strength and conditioning coordinator Rod Cole landed at Tarleton State. He was with K-State for 13 years. According to this page, it doesn't appear that the Wildcats have named a replacement.
The Shiver has another rundown on WR commit Erick McGriff today. In this piece, they speak directly to McGriff.
The most reliable Kevin Young is at KU report we have so far (from the Phog Gridiron forum).
And finally, KUsports.com columnist Bill Mayer promises everyone a postcard from hell in his latest religion and football post. Required reading.
The KU blogs are working hard this week. I found a couple of recruiting profiles/stories in the feed this morning:
Denverjhawk has spoke with WR commit Chris Omigie and has a good report on that encounter over at Rock Chalk Talk:
"... expectations for his time at Kansas he said he hopes to come in and play as soon as possible. His biggest goal however is to, 'Win the Big 12 as a team and individually help to accomplish that.' Chris particularly is looking forward to a matchup with Oklahoma although he said it seems that Kansas, 'doesn't like Missouri too much so it will be fun to play them too.'"
To bookend that perfectly, The Shiver put together a nice piece on WR commit Erick McGriff:
“Playmaker. He is a money player. If we needed something to happen, we put the ball in his hands."
--McGriff's high school coach John Ross
In the final analysis, the Big 12 did end up being the best conference in football for the 2008 season. Not at playing actual football of course. No, no, no ... the Big 12 is the best at entertaining. According to wizofodds.com, the Big 12 had the highest cumulative TV rating average during bowl season. The data is much easier to see on Tim Griffin's blog. Basically though, the Big 12 pulled a 6.13, followed by the Big 10 with 5.70 and the SEC with 5.65. Live with that Tim Tebow. Live with that and know it.
Question: Why can't the real media blogs have a blog roll?
