Okay fall camp has officially ended. After conducting interviews with every coach, several players, and watching practices here are the players I think
Dorance Armstrong- DE... The Jayhawks actually have a decent group of defensive ends. When the Jayhawks went to what they call a quick start where the offense and defense go head to head Armstrong may have had the fastest step off the edge. He's got a legit D1 frame and he's only going to get better. Right now Mosby is running with the ones. But my mid season Armstrong could push some of the returning players for their jobs. Over the next four years he could turn into a legit Big 12 pass rusher.
Taylor Martin- RB... With Taylor Cox still coming back off an injury and DeAndre Mann still with limited carries in fall camp Martin is going to get a serious look at running back. He's bigger and stronger than I thought he would be. He's got a good balance of speed and deceptive power. The last week he's been getting a lot of reps with the two's and some with the one unit.
Clyde McCauley- OT... To be honest didn't pay attention to him much the first week of camp. Didn't really stand out. But in pass rush drills he looked good earlier in the week. Then OL coach Zach Yenser mentioned him as one of the linemen having a good camp. On Wednesday he got snaps with the one unit and held his own against Damani Mosby. McCauley is also another players that looks bigger than I thought he would be. I expected a leaner player that needed to put on weight. He's listed at 275 but looks bigger.
Tyrone Miller- CB... Miller looks the part and plays the part. Over the last week he's been the starting corner opposite. He looks as good physically as some of the older corners in the program. Last week he got beat by Josh Stanford on a deep ball and turned and recovered. He knocked the ball away at the last minute. It was a really good play against a good receiver.
Osaze Ogbebor- LB... Might be the biggest surprise in camp. He was a player I had pegged all the way as someone who would redshirt. He still might. But he's been getting in snaps and looks to get in before Watson and Miles in several position groupings. He's explosive and plays with a high motor. He's got good speed for a linebacker. This one could go either way but I think he will lose his redshirt.
Steven Sims- WR... He's been in the first group a lot. Both David Beaty and Klint Kubiak have talked about him being one of the young players that have had a good fall camp. He's a precise route runner and has some quickness in the open field. He's not a big guy. From everything I can tell he will play early judging on where he is playing in practice and what the coaches have said.
Jace Sternberger- TE (added 8/21)... Sternberger got reps with the ones and twos a lot at the open practice I got to attend. Now Ben Johnson didn't take any snaps. Earlier in camp I know Taylor was hobbled here and there. Sternberger has every bit the burst and athleticism of the other TE. Also what caught my attention when he went out on deep route is he found ways to get open and then quarterbacks looked for him. These are things I couldn't see at the normal drills they give us. But today I watched 1.5 hours. You get to see different things. I was going to have him "On the bubble" but decided to move him to him to "will play." My money says he gets on the field.
On the bubble
Ryan Willis- QB... It sure looks like the plan is to try and go with Cozart and Ford. Early on there were whispers Willis was throwing the ball well. But things have cooled. That doesn't mean Willis game has cooled just the staff may try to redshirt him or keep him developing as long as they can. Earlier in camp Willis got snaps with the ones but in most of the drills he's running behind Ford and Cozart.
Jeremiah Booker- WR... Booker was another one who stood out at receiver. But he got injured and missed a lot of camp. He's got D1 size and also heard he had a great summer after arriving in June. The question now is how fast can he make up for camp. The receiver group is fairly deep so redshirting him might be a plus.
The Sleeper
Larry Hughes- OT... He kind of came out nowhere. You notice his body and size but he didn't get a lot of snaps early. Jordan Shelley-Smith sat out of team play one day and Hughes slipped in as the number two tackle on the right side. Today it looks like they held Shelley-Smith and Mazyck out for precaution and Hughes ran with the ones at right tackle. So right now it is tough to tell where he really stands.
Dorance Armstrong- DE... The Jayhawks actually have a decent group of defensive ends. When the Jayhawks went to what they call a quick start where the offense and defense go head to head Armstrong may have had the fastest step off the edge. He's got a legit D1 frame and he's only going to get better. Right now Mosby is running with the ones. But my mid season Armstrong could push some of the returning players for their jobs. Over the next four years he could turn into a legit Big 12 pass rusher.
Taylor Martin- RB... With Taylor Cox still coming back off an injury and DeAndre Mann still with limited carries in fall camp Martin is going to get a serious look at running back. He's bigger and stronger than I thought he would be. He's got a good balance of speed and deceptive power. The last week he's been getting a lot of reps with the two's and some with the one unit.
Clyde McCauley- OT... To be honest didn't pay attention to him much the first week of camp. Didn't really stand out. But in pass rush drills he looked good earlier in the week. Then OL coach Zach Yenser mentioned him as one of the linemen having a good camp. On Wednesday he got snaps with the one unit and held his own against Damani Mosby. McCauley is also another players that looks bigger than I thought he would be. I expected a leaner player that needed to put on weight. He's listed at 275 but looks bigger.
Tyrone Miller- CB... Miller looks the part and plays the part. Over the last week he's been the starting corner opposite. He looks as good physically as some of the older corners in the program. Last week he got beat by Josh Stanford on a deep ball and turned and recovered. He knocked the ball away at the last minute. It was a really good play against a good receiver.
Osaze Ogbebor- LB... Might be the biggest surprise in camp. He was a player I had pegged all the way as someone who would redshirt. He still might. But he's been getting in snaps and looks to get in before Watson and Miles in several position groupings. He's explosive and plays with a high motor. He's got good speed for a linebacker. This one could go either way but I think he will lose his redshirt.
Steven Sims- WR... He's been in the first group a lot. Both David Beaty and Klint Kubiak have talked about him being one of the young players that have had a good fall camp. He's a precise route runner and has some quickness in the open field. He's not a big guy. From everything I can tell he will play early judging on where he is playing in practice and what the coaches have said.
Jace Sternberger- TE (added 8/21)... Sternberger got reps with the ones and twos a lot at the open practice I got to attend. Now Ben Johnson didn't take any snaps. Earlier in camp I know Taylor was hobbled here and there. Sternberger has every bit the burst and athleticism of the other TE. Also what caught my attention when he went out on deep route is he found ways to get open and then quarterbacks looked for him. These are things I couldn't see at the normal drills they give us. But today I watched 1.5 hours. You get to see different things. I was going to have him "On the bubble" but decided to move him to him to "will play." My money says he gets on the field.
On the bubble
Ryan Willis- QB... It sure looks like the plan is to try and go with Cozart and Ford. Early on there were whispers Willis was throwing the ball well. But things have cooled. That doesn't mean Willis game has cooled just the staff may try to redshirt him or keep him developing as long as they can. Earlier in camp Willis got snaps with the ones but in most of the drills he's running behind Ford and Cozart.
Jeremiah Booker- WR... Booker was another one who stood out at receiver. But he got injured and missed a lot of camp. He's got D1 size and also heard he had a great summer after arriving in June. The question now is how fast can he make up for camp. The receiver group is fairly deep so redshirting him might be a plus.
The Sleeper
Larry Hughes- OT... He kind of came out nowhere. You notice his body and size but he didn't get a lot of snaps early. Jordan Shelley-Smith sat out of team play one day and Hughes slipped in as the number two tackle on the right side. Today it looks like they held Shelley-Smith and Mazyck out for precaution and Hughes ran with the ones at right tackle. So right now it is tough to tell where he really stands.
