5 Observations: Kansas Football

Observation #1: Kansas is slow, small and lacks depth.

Other than that, we’re just fine. From watching Kansas games this season, I’d say our biggest weakness is speed. Lack of speed killed us (besides all the injuries) against the Big XII South. Size and lack of depth hurt us in our loss to Nebraska. KU does have some decent speed coming up, though.

2009 Recruiting Class (as of 12/10/08)

Prinz Kande (HS) – Safety – 4.5
Darian Kelly (HS) – Safety – 4.5
Dexter Linton (HS) – Safety – 4.42
Calvin Rubles (JC) – Cornerback – 4.4
Deshaun Sands (HS) – Running back – 4.5
Tyrone Sellers (HS) – Defensive End – 4.57
Jacoby Thomas (HS) – Defensive End – 4.71

2008 Recruiting Class

Lubbock Smith – Cornerback – 4.4
Daymond Patterson – WR/DB – 4.43
Josh Richardson – Linebacker – 4.45
Rod Harris – Wide Reciever – 4.5
Corrigan Powell – Cornerback – 4.5
Sean Ransburg – Athlete – 4.5
Jocques Crawford – Running Back – 4.5
D.J. Marshall – Defensive End – 4.75

Angus Quigley (4.5-40) has been practicing at linebacker the last few days so that could be something we see next season.

Of course, none of these 40 times mean anything if they can’t play football (see: Jocques Crawford). But Kansas really needs to take these last few weeks of recruiting and land some guys with some speed. They do have some guys who are interested in Kansas who would be interesting. Ronnie Wingo, the second rated athlete in the class, is visiting Kansas next week (he’ also visiting MU and Illinois). I doubt he chooses KU, but you never know.

Another issue is Kansas doesn’t have anyone with “elite” speed. They do not have that Talib/Maclin-type (And Erik, I know Maclin is faster than Talib and should never be put in the same sentence – I’ll admit that if you will admit that Talib has an excellent shot at winning the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year). Speaking of Talib…

Observation #2: Kansas must have an elite athlete in order to compete for a Big XII title.

Kansas lacks top level talent. We are loaded with guys who could be drafted in round four through seven of the NFL draft, but we don’t have a single guy on this roster (as of now) who would be selected on day one of the draft. There is no way Kansas, or any Big XII team for that matter, can compete without at least one elite talent on their roster. We saw the difference this season what not having Talib and Collins had.

I appreciate Mark Mangino’s recruiting style giving that his program is in the middle of nowhere Kansas. But he has got to find a way to lure some top level talent to Kansas. The basketball team has done it – granted they have a bit of a tradition to recruit on – so it is possible. Either way, we need some more 4 and 5 start level talent on this team. Not a ton, but more than we have now.

Observation #3: The South Florida and Nebraska losses killed us.

Consider this on its own: A victory over Nebraska would have meant we would have had the right to get slaughtered by OU, not Missouri. Do with that what you want, but we are not far out from being in the BCS again.

The South Florida loss probably cost us New Years Day bowl. Flip those two games and Kansas is 9-3 (9-4 if you want to include a loss to OU in the Championship game). Erik will probably say that MU is 9-4 and is playing on Dec. 29 so KU would not have had a New Years Day bowl. What Erik does not know is that Kansas’ AD is the craziest man alive and would have pulled it out somehow. Heck, that’s how we got to the Orange Bowl last year.

Observation #4: Kansas has an excellent shot at winning the Big XII North in 2009.

It isn’t so much about who returns as much as it is what everyone else loses. We discussed Missouri’s losses earlier and I fully expect them to go 7-5 next year. Texas Tech will lose Harrell and Crabtree, OU will lose Bradford, four-fifths of their offensive line, Iglesias and two other starting wide outs, and both safeties next season. Texas loses both wide receivers, four-fifths of their offensive line, six defensive starters and, maybe, Colt McCoy (though he says he’s coming back, I don’t believe him – at least not yet). Nebraska loses seven starters on offense (including Ganz, Lucky and Swift) and five starters on defense.

You can look at Kansas and say they lose a lot too, which they do. All three linebackers, both ends, Dexton Fields, both guards and the center are all gone after this season. The difference is none of those guys played this season almost at all due to injury.

Ressing, Sharp, Briscoe, and Meier all return next season. Darrell Stuckey comes back next season along with the entire secondary (all of whom were freshmen or sophomores this season, minus Thornton who missed several games with an injury) Maxwell Onyegbule and Jake Laptad saw most of the action at defensive end in the second half of the season and will be back.

Really, the core of this team is very young and they went 7-5 while being riddled with injuries and playing three teams with at least 11 wins and every ranked team in the conference minus Oklahoma State.

The key for next season is to see how much Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska fall off. If Kansas can get two of those games back (likely the Texas Tech and Nebraska games), then Kansas is in the Big XII title game next year.

Observation #5: What the hell is going to happen in 2010?

The entire core of Kansas football leaves after next season. Reesing, Briscoe, Meier and Stuckey are all gone. When they leave, we are going to see the true test of Mark Mangino and if Kansas is really a program that’s going to compete in the Big XII for a while or if the last few seasons have been something of a “We had a tiny quarterback that always found ways to win” period in KU history.

To be honest, MU is going to face that question this season. Was their success the product of being lucky and hitting on a quarterback that knew how to win or was it the beginning of a pattern of success for Pinkel and Mizzou.

I hope both Kansas and Mizzou are entering a period where they will be competitive every season. Take it from a guy who has been bored beating the crap out of MU in basketball year after year. Trust me, it is much more fun when the other team is good to.