The sun was shining bright on David Booth Memorial Stadium as the Kansas Jayhawks football team hosted friends, family, and fans for their spring preview. There was excitement in the air as the players and coaches took to the field to prepare for the blue and white scrimmage.
The two teams started as a unit going through stretches and calisthenics before they breaking off and work on drills. The final portion of the spring preview consisted of a scrimmage full of entertainment and even had walk-on basketball player Chris Teahan throw a touchdown.
Here are some of my takeaways from the event:
The Quarterbacks Played Well
Quarterback Jalon Daniels was a highlight of the spring preview. Daniels had been dealing with a lingering injury during spring practices, but that appeared behind him. Daniels commanded the huddle and connected on multiple throws downfield. His mobility was apparent as he rolled out of the pocket multiple times, even completing a pass throwing away from his body. Head coach Lance Leipold talked about Daniels after the scrimmage, saying, “I think he’s moving really well. We’ve utilized him probably in the last six (practices) or so; he’s done everything.” He said, “He’s not being held in any rotations.”
Quarterback Jason Bean also looked good running the run-pass-option. Bean faked a handoff to the running back and broke to the outside for a long run to the endzone. Coach Leipold spoke about both quarterbacks, saying you could see “command and confidence in what we’re doing and decision making.” He did talk about how Thursday’s practice was their first practice outside, saying, “You know they told me I guess I didn’t listen very well, but the wind does blow here a little bit.” He talked about going from being in a perfect environment inside their indoor practice facility to outside in the elements. “You get out here, and the ball hangs a little bit. I think we got hurt on that a little bit today.”
Growth and maturity for the wide receiver position
Red-shirt sophomore Lawrence Arnold led the wide receivers in the scrimmage. Arnold made multiple incredible catches throughout the spring preview with each quarterback that participated. He looked to be an intricate part of the offense and could be staged for a big year. Another standout was Luke Grimm, who had a highlight-reel catch over a defender from quarterback Jalon Daniels.
The defense showed potential
The defense had a tremendous opportunity to show fans what they have been working on since the end of the last season. This scrimmage allowed for numerous players to get in and play. While senior Kenny Logan Jr. sat out today’s spring preview, one player stood out was Miami of Ohio transfer Lonnie Phelps. Coach Leipold highlighted his performance afterwards, saying, ” I think he showed himself today that he’s going to be able to help this football team.” Another transfer that got some time was Kalon Gervin from Michigan State. His biggest highlight of the day was a deflected pass from quarterback Jack Jackson that could have led to a touchdown.
There were plenty of opportunities for some younger players to show out today, including sophomore safety OJ Burroughs. Coach Leipold said, “Burroughs is one that will continue to show up. He has excellent ball skills, anticipation, and anyway, we challenged him to gain weight and do some things. He’s really embraced it. He might be one of our most improved players.”
Head Coach Lance Leipold’s Takeaways
The overall day went well for the football program, and they were able to wrap up the spring session. Coach Leipold talked about getting the players in a game-like setting, “I think it’s always good to kind of test them in front of a crowd. It’s a different stimulus, and what we’re looking for and how do you handle different things. Where’s your focus, your concentration. You trust your training all those things, and I think we did well in that today.”
Coach Leipold was asked about his comfort with the program as a whole, and with a smirk, he said, “I never want to be comfortable, okay, that’s one thing is I don’t like it.” He continued saying, “Where do we have to, you know, be better? What can we tweak, and what we’re doing. How do we get there? I’ll never be comfortable as long as I am the head coach.”
The next step for the football program is to begin weight training and for the coaching staff to conduct player evaluations. Coach Leipold talked about the players meeting with their individual coaches and then in bigger groups. He also mentioned recruiting, which is projected to pick up again towards the end of May.
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