Kansas football continues to make its way through fall camp. Here are some takeaways from what’s been happening of late around the Jayhawks’ program.
LAWRENCE — As Kansas football coach Lance Leipold updated his team’s progress Friday during fall camp, he recalled what he noticed during a recent scrimmage.
Leipold highlighted how well players were flying around on defense, and thought the defensive end position stood out. Of course, while there was a lot to like there, pad level remains something that needs to be improved upon.
Switching to offense, Leipold understands how much attention transfer wide receivers have received but made clear redshirt sophomore Keaton Kubecka and redshirt senior Doug Emilien have also made plays at the position as returning talents. Although the redshirt senior duo at running back — Daniel Hishaw Jr. and Leshon Williams — wasn’t participating in live situations, redshirt sophomore Johnny Thompson Jr. continues to show improvement at the position and redshirt freshman Harry Stewart III has been working his way into consideration, too.
Here are some more takeaways from what Leipold, complimentary of redshirt senior quarterback Jalon Daniels’ progress, also had to say:
Leroy Harris III’s emergence is an example of a larger possibility
Leipold has experience coaching at lower levels of college football, so he doesn’t want to discount what’s possible there. However, in sophomore defensive end Leroy Harris III, Leipold sees an example of what’s possible for a player that takes a chance on moving up in the game. Harris, a transfer from FCS-level Chattanooga, is a potential breakout candidate for Kansas — a power-four conference team at the FBS level.
Harris has been able to put on a lot of weight in a limited amount of months, with what’s available to him nutritionally. There’s also what Harris has taken advantage of in academics, the weight room and more. He’s gone from someone who was viewed as a developmental prospect to someone who will be relied upon to help the team right away.
Are there true freshmen who could earn key roles this fall?
It’s too early for Leipold to say if there’ll be freshmen in 2025 who end up playing to the extent someone like cornerback Jalen Todd did in 2024. Given more time, Leipold wasn’t sure if there’s anyone he sees as definitively in that kind of group right now. But that’s not to say there won’t be those who are visible on special teams or rotate in elsewhere.
Leipold has seen the early enrollees take steps this fall. The wide receivers are playing faster. Defensive end Adrian Holley and linebacker Malachi Curvey are two that have made it clear they will be able to help the team in the future.
Lance Leipold shares more of his perspective on the roster
While Leipold doesn’t know if he’d say they are ahead of schedule anywhere on the roster, he also doesn’t think it’s as if that means they are drastically behind anywhere, either. The hard work continues. Never being satisfied is important.
There is excitement around the potential of more breakout players. That’s something Leipold considers to be important for where Kansas is as a program. Flashes of who those individuals could be pop up in the spring and summer, and then play out during the fall.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas football coach Lance Leipold reacts to fall camp scrimmage
Category: General Sports
