Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - BEST & WORST Positions For Kansas Jayhawks Football Headed Into Fall Camp - LOADED Running Back Room

Episode Date: July 31, 2026

Kansas Jayhawks enter fall camp with a loaded running back room and major questions at offensive tackle—could this be the most balanced roster of the Lance Leipold era? Derek Johnson ranks KU football’s top position groups, spotlighting explosive playmakers like Dylan Edwards and analyzing the high-upside defensive front featuring Blake Harold and Leroy Harris. Key topics include the revamped safety unit led by Corey Gordon, competition between Taylor Davis and Jayden Harris, and the critical role of Andy Kotelnicki’s offensive scheme in revitalizing KU's passing explosiveness. With position battles at receiver, interior offensive line, and quarterback—highlighting Cole Ballard’s potential—Derek Johnson explores the big questions shaping Kansas’ season. Can the Jayhawks’ upgraded defense and Kotelnicki’s return offset offensive uncertainties? This episode delivers a comprehensive, fast-paced breakdown ahead of a pivotal year for Kansas football. Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub   Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!   KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25.   The Game Don't miss this chance to celebrate 40 years of The Game with 40% off your entire order. Visit https://TheGameCaps.com and use promo code LOCKEDONat checkout.   Wayfair Patio season is here and these deals won’t last! Head to https://wayfair.com right now to get your outdoor space ready for way less.  Wayfair. Every style. Every home.  Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast   Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONfor $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COMto play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season.  FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What are the best positions for KU football headed into fall camp? And what are the positions that we kind of come in with maybe some of the most question marks? You are Locked on Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. What's going on? Derek Johnson here and on today's episode of Lockdown Jayhawks, we're going to get into an interesting stat about the explosion in the passing game and why I think Andy Cotonicky being back will actually be a boon for KU despite a new quarterback in there. We'll preview the safety position for KU football.

And we'll start right here, speaking of positions. We're going to rank the KU football positions as we're now heading into fall camp next week for KU. Obviously, some of this could jockey around by the time we get to the start of the season. Some of it's going to jockey around by the time we get into the season. Let's start right there. We're going to do a countdown from 1 to 11. Our number one position for KU football headed into the season is the running back room. This is a loaded running back room.

You have the star power at the top. Dylan Edwards is as explosive as any player on the roster, and honestly as explosive as any player that has been on the roster during the Lance Lightoldera. I think he's going to have a really fun season with Andy Kodalnicki. You pair him with Yacin Willis. Powerback who has more speed than you expect, if he can stay healthy, I think he can be a 1,000-yard runner. for Andy Kohnlnicki.

And so, you know, that's a great place to start. And that's before you even get to Jalen Dupree. I loved Jalen Dupree's tape at Colorado State. Unfortunately, he was injured in spring ball, so I think that puts him behind the eight ball and that competition with those top guys. If he would have been healthy, it honestly would not have surprised me

if he could have, you know, made a run against Yassine Willis, because I do think that highly of him, right? And you even have Corey Macri, who I was very high on coming out of high school and seems like he's living up to the building so far. I really, really like this running back room for KU, both in the now, the future, the potential, what they should be.

You pair it with the coordinator. I think it's going to be an awesome room for KU. The big question there is health because DePri was hurt in the spring. Willis has had some injuries in the past. Edwards has had some injuries in the past. Amokri is just a freshman. Can they stay healthy enough, right? Number two on the list is the defensive tackles.

I thought long and hard between the number two and the number three position, which just to jump ahead, the number three position is the defensive ends. I think some similarities there, right? Like you have your potential star, Blake Harold, is the defensive tackle. At the defensive end, I think Lero Harris is your potential star. You have a youngster who showed flashes

and is trying to take a step up this season in Marcus Calvin, a defensive tackle. That would be akin to Dak Brinkley. Then you look at the other defensive tackle spot. I think the difference for me is this. With the Alex Bray, David Santiago, rotation at the strong side for KU at the defensive end spot,

I view that as more just kind of an average starter for you, whereas I think the potential of whether it's Calvin or whether it's Eamon Smalls, has the potential to be more than that, has the potential to be a plus starter for you on the defensive line. I also think there's interesting comparisons between the two positions in terms of the guys beyond the two deep because you look at the guys beyond the two deep at defensive end,

it's a lot of young players, but young players like an Adrian Hawley or Hunter Higgins who are very talented like four-star recruits coming in. When you look at the defensive tackles, again, it's guys that I think have promising potentials. You look at Jabriel Condé, what he was able to accomplish at D2 as a late bloomer. You look at, you know, Maliko Aitist, the former like four-star transfer from Arkansas.

Again, kind of the unproven production behind your two deep, but guys with high ceilings, you would think. So some similarities there, but I did lean defensive tackles at two defensive ends at number three. I like both those positions for KU. Number four on the list, we're going to go with the linebackers. So yes, if you're looking at the trend of the list, among the top four, three of the top four, on seven for the defense. Does that mean I have high expectations that this should be the best defense of the light pulled era? Yes. Now the bar on that is not incredibly high. I would be disappointed if this was not a top 50 defense. And again, that doesn't sound like a super high bar.

I don't think they've ever finished top 60 in the light pulled era and points allowed per game. I want to say it's maybe once they've been in the top 70. So like, I could be wrong with that one. But those are my expectations based on the personnel. Let's see what the coaching can do with it, basically point being right um but linebackers in at number four tray layton i mean as good as anybody on the team um really good coverage linebacker secure tackler uh everything that i want from that linebacker position and you've got real competition between bam crouch and quincy davis for the other starting spot you've got a freak athlete in jabriel alameen who's going to come in and give you a different look and allow you to play different packages you've got some

you know, depth behind it with guys who are older. And then you've got some really young guys like Amalekai Curveh, like some of the guys you just brought in in this class, that I think like Joseph Credit, for instance, who I think have a high ceiling down the road for KU. So really like the lineback room as good as it's been at Kansas, at least on paper, heading into the season. Number five position for me is interior offensive line.

Now, it's interesting because as of right now, no idea who's starting at one of the guard spots. Is it going to be Tavaki Tewikovol? Lovatu or is it going to be Connor Stroh? And Stroh is the mountain of a man from Texas who transferred in 6'475 pounds. He's a giant, right? But he needs to be more consistent. When you look at Tavaki Tuiko Lavatu did well as a backup last year when he would come in, but, you know, did he get enough seasoning under his belt? I think whoever wins that job, I feel good about. And KU's had a lot of success with their interior offensive linemen. Like you look at this passies,

in Kobe Baines was one of the highest rated guards in the Big 12. Amir Herring, who's back and the star of this interior of the offense line, was also one of the highest rated guards in the Big 12. You look before that, Michael Ford was one of those guys. I think KU coaches up this position really well, and you look at the talent, whoever starts, Tewico Lovato or Stro, they'll probably both play. I think they're in for a good year. The big question to me is the center position with Kaysen Carpenter.

Not nearly as talented as what you had with Bryce Foster, but can he, at least just be a quality center for you who gets you in the right looks and everything. I have the interior offensive line in number five. Number six on the list is the safety room for KU. This is the room that we're going to preview. So I'm not going to spend too much time on this. But I think this is one of the more improved units for KU this season. You added a bunch of players to where you have, I think, better starters and much better depth,

better speed as well. But we'll get to more of that in segment two. Number seven on the list is the receiver group for KU. this is an interesting one because Nick McMillan, I think, is one of the best players on the team as the receiver. But outside of that, there's a little bit of questions. Now, I do think Natsay Cox is going to be an impactful player for KU. He's not going to be somebody who I think gets seven, eight catches a game. He might be like a two or three catch per game guy, but it could be three catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Like that type of big play receiver who makes a lot of clutch plays or big plays for you. And then you look at Cam Pickett being the guy who is going to probably. rack up more catches, get yards after catch. You have a good versatility of those starters. I don't know about the depth behind it. That's kind of the big question there. If there is an injury, what's going to happen? I could see the receiver room finish in top five in the positions, but, you know,

if you do have an injury, maybe it could finish even lower than seven. So it kind of split the difference in at number seven. Number eight on the list is the tight end group. I like Carson Bruin. He's a really good blocker. We did our film review last week. Check that out on our substack. the guys you bring in behind him are all fifth year seniors or in some cases even a six year senior

with a couple transfers in and late in cure and so you like experience mixed with brune the big question to me is are you going to have enough past past catching with brun and are you going to have that jared kacey type role with one of the other guys um i don't know that any of these tight ends wow me but you know maybe the and decodeconecky offense and with development um somebody can kind of become that guy, right? Like, Brune would be the closest one to, like, where I think he's going to be a future all big 12 player, but is he going to make that jump this year,

or could that be another year away, right? Number nine on the list, I have the corners. Would this have been, this would have either been the number 10 or number 11 position last year. It would have been corners and safeties, honestly, probably would have been the bottom two off the top of my head. But corners I have in at number nine here, and this is one that I,

I feel like the ceiling presents an opportunity for it to be better. You look at Jalen Todd taking another step up. Can Austin Alexander take a big step forward, right? Can Joliel Hurley take a step forward? Can Roman Pearson make an impact transfer and in from Ball State? There's a lot of questions there, but it is a lot of familiar faces from a unit

that did struggle a season ago, so that's why I do have it in a little bit lower at number nine. Number 10 is the quarterbacks. I think there's just a lot of question. Now, I do think in and Andy Kodalinkie offense, with the right running game, with the right pieces around him, The floor is going to be raised higher than you might think.

And I am, I guess, staking a claim officially. It doesn't sound like it based on these position ranks. The Cole Ballard is going to be better than people might be expecting coming into the year because I'm expecting him to be the starter. But yeah, I mean, it's hard to do just with the non-proven factor and, you know, some of the other positions to have it higher than that. Number 11 on the list, though, for me is the offensive tackles for KU. This is my biggest worry position for Kansas this season.

Now, Clements was pretty good as a run blocker. He also finished the year strong. After the Texas Tech game was at least average pretty much in the remaining games forward. So that's a good sign for Kansas. He has a pro body, but can he build into it this season, right? That's kind of a big question there, right? He did struggle with pass blocking last year, especially against speed rushers. You bring in Nick Morrow.

Now, Morrow, not as good of a run blocker as Clements and also struggled with pass blockers. and speed rushers specifically. I am very worried that with a young quarterback, KU is just going to get beat around the edge a lot from a pass blocking perspective. And that is my biggest worry for the team. If you tell me that Clements does take that step forward and that Morrow is at least solid on the other side,

then I would feel a lot better about where we're going to be with this offense. But that is my biggest worry coming into the year, at least for the offense. All right, let's get into that safety room specifically. We'll preview that on the other side. Our episode today is brought to you by fan duel and baseball fans if you think you know who's hitting a homer today

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really struggled, really struggled in past coverage, but overhauled it with a bunch of new names and still brought some guys back who played a ton of snaps, a season ago who were being pushed by some of the guys in the big names. But I think the overall theme of this unit for me, more multiple, more versatile, deeper, talented. I mean, this might be the biggest position improvement for KU of the portal season, right? So if I'm projecting the starting lineup, if we're going to go with the three safety look, right? Like, if that's something D.K. McDonald's going to stick with, I think you look at having your, you know, I don't know, like the Taylor Davis,

Jaden Harris competition will be very interesting for one of the spots. I think you look at maybe like Keijon Cummings, Coleman or Mason Ellis, at maybe more of the like free safety spot, maybe even Christian Pritchett, because it sounds like he's doing very well so far to this point. And then the one guy I feel good about starting for sure, Corey Gordon as one of the safeties. Gordon's been a couple of year starter at Baylor, then starter at Louisville, and now comes over to Kansas.

He just kind of raises the floor, I think, of this unit. I do think when you look at all those names I mentioned though, right? Gordon, Ellis, Davis, Pritchett, Cummings, Coleman, Harris, that's six guys. I feel pretty good about the two deep from there, right? You've got some other young guys behind them, but it feels like that is pretty clearly those guys. And I think all of them will play to some extent and rotate in, especially because KU will be playing a lot of three safety looks, right? I think the best player from the group, I think right now you would have to say it's Corey Gordon. he's by far the most proven of this group and has shown a like I said at least a bottom

baseline of being a solid player at the power four level but if the season goes to plan of what kU wants it to i think there's a good chance that you wind up saying by the end of the year that kishon cummings coleman could end up being the best player from this group and that's actually my guy like i go back and look at iowa state he played a couple of the games early ends up getting an injury misses the rest of the season and and so it's a very limited like amount of snaps and what to go on from last year. But I would just look to this. This was a dude who was in his second year of college.

He was a redshirt freshman last year at Iowa State. How many professional defensive backs has Iowa State produced during the Matt Campbell era? It's a lot. They produced a lot of dudes, especially at the safety spot, going in the second, third, even day three of the NFL draft over the last handful of years. And even, you know, they've had a lot of success with just coverage in general and defensive passing game stats. Like they have produced those positions really well.

So it gets my attention that a dude was able to become, you know, basically a, whether you want to call him a starter, a rotation player for Iowa State last year is a second year player. I get it. He got hurt and maybe that stunts your development at least a little bit. But like, I don't know. I kind of view his game and I'm just like, if you were good enough to do that for them, a really good pass defense and Kansas was not, why can't you come in here and be one of the best safeties on the team with another year of growth? So it would not surprise me if my seasons end, that is the case.

Now, I think the most important player from the group, it might just be Taylor Davis. Now, you could make the argument it's Jaden Harris. Here's the argument for Taylor Davis. Davis in his redshirt freshman season, so 2024, was pretty good, kind of a rotational role at times got thrust into there as a starter, was playing more of his natural position as kind of a strong safety type. He's a bigger safety will come up and hit you. There were still some, you know, struggles maybe in coverage here, there, but it was better because he was playing in not as much open field or maybe not as much against a super quick guy.

Last year, Taylor Davis, because KU brings in lyric Rawls, and both Rawls and Davis are both kind of of the same ilk of bigger hard-hating safeties who might struggle in space, Davis wound up having to be more of the traditional free safety role. And he really struggled. He struggled in coverage. He struggled in space. Well, now this year, he moves back to his more natural position.

I think that's going to help him in a very big way with his. specific sill set. And so if he does take that jump back forward to being a good player, that is huge for Kansas. Now, the argument you can have for Jaden Harris is that if he's competing for the same spot, if Harris beats him out, that's a good sign because that means even through Davis's struggles last year, you found some level of improvement, right? I think best future piece, I would say either Cummings Coleman would be the answer. If you want to go even further back than somebody who's, you know, you want to say somebody who's a first or second year player, I really like Brandon Schmelsley, local kid from Kansas. Could he follow the Mason Ellis path of being a really

good athlete at that safety spot that eventually, you know, cracks special teams, then eventually the rotation by their third, fourth year. I think the biggest strength of this unit for Kansas, I think just in general, more bodies, more versatility, more ability to play three safeties this year without just throwing one out there because you have to play one of those other guys. It feels like you have much better competition, much better players overall. I would say you're probably going to be pretty decent in terms of run stopping from the safety spot. Like I look at Corey Gordon. I look at Taylor Davis.

I look at Jaden Harris. All those guys probably rate out as better run defenders than they are in past coverage. And so I think that'll be a positive for KU. The question is, is there enough speed and coverage? I think it's an improved amount of speed and coverage from where it was a season ago. But is it good enough? Like, did you just go from being. one of the worst units in terms of speed and coverage to now just being a poor unit at it,

like comparatively to the Big 12. Or did you go to more like your average or above average in the Big 12? Like what level of jump you had, it's better, but how much better is kind of the big question for me there, right? So overall, better, worse or the same? I think you know where I'm going with this one. This group is much better, but I think a pretty fair amount from where they were last year. And something I haven't even brought up yet is the idea that you do have, you know,

with Davis and Ellis, these are. are players that were in the system a season ago. And even if they're rotational players, having players who are at least familiar with the system, whereas last year, kind of a first year system of playing this three safety ball, that has to be a good thing for Kansas and gaining another year with D.K. McDonald under their belt.

Let's finish up here. I've got an interesting stat about explosive passing games and why Andy KOLNickey might be the solution for KU football. This is Locked on Jayhawks. Brought to you today by Game Time. there are more live events than ever worth seeing right now. Games, concerts, comedy shows, festivals, the hard parts really just deciding what you want to attend. It's actually getting the tickets between long wait times, confusing checkout processes, surprise fees.

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download the game time app today. Thanks for joining us on Lockdown, Jayhawks. I've got a fun stat to get you here that I think is a bit of an Andy Codell-N-N-Linky stat because it has to do with past. explosive play rate. And in general, the more explosive your offense can be, the more points you're going to put up on the board, right? It doesn't always equate with the best offenses because you still have to be clutch on certain

downs. But in general, it is easier to score on one long play than it is to have to be forced into a 15 play drive every time. Like eventually, you need to break down the dam, right? So KU finished in the 21st percentile nationally in 2025, an explosive play rate with the pass. That's not very good. That means they were in the bottom quarter of college football. Well, here's the explosive play rates for their passing game by percentile when Andy Kodlnicki was the offensive coordinator. So 2021, even that 2021 team that went two and 10, they were in the

67th percentile. They were above average to solid at explosive plays in the passing game. Then 2022, they were in the 99th percentile at it. So pretty much as good as anybody in the country. 2023, that continued. They were once again in the 99th percentile in passing explosive play rate. So then you go to Jeff Grimes the next year and it dips down to the 59th percentile and then obviously the 21st percentile last season, right? And so of course, I think the immediate reaction when you're talking about the passing

game, passing explosiveness would be, okay, but Derek, if you're starting, you know, Cole Ballard or Isaiah Marshall this year, is it really going to go up from when it was Jayland Daniels or Jason Bean? Well, I guess what I'm kind of trying to say here is I think this is more of an Andy Kodolniky stat than it is the quarterback because 2021, 2021, 2022, 2023, those are Jalen Daniel. I mean, it's Jason Bean too, but Jalen Daniels is in those seasons. So if you were in the 99th percentile in 2022 with Jalen Daniels playing, what, nine, ten games, then why were you in the 21st percentile last year with Jalen Daniels? It was the same quarterback. You know what the common denominator was? You had a different offensive coordinator, you know, and the same thing with Jeff Grimes to that. And yes, could you say it's personnel related? Well, again, not really, because you had all the same receivers in 2024 that you had in 2023. So why were you in the 99th percentile in 2023, but the 59th percentile in 2024? You had Emmanuel Henderson, who was a super explosive receiver this past year, and you were in

the 21st percentile. So to me, this rings of an offensive coordinator. And that is where I see Andy Kodolnicki coming back and, you know, could Cole Ballard or Isaiah Marshall or whoever the quarterback is overall be worse than Jalen Daniels? Yeah, probably, right? Could the overall numbers be worse? Yes. But if the explosive pass play rate, which again was even above average for KU and they went two in 20, 21, if it improves to even where they were in 2021 compared to where it was last season, that's got to be worth something, right? That's got to be worth something for the value of the quarterback, the value of the offense, the points you score, your success is a team. And I guess what I'm getting at is I trust Andy Kodlnicki to at least scheme enough up for you to

at least be decent there to where that is one level of improvement you should have in the passing game, even though you do have some questions at the quarterback position. So, I don't know, food for thought. All right, that'll do for this episode of Lockdown, Jayhawks. You can find our show anywhere you get your podcast, including on our YouTube page where you can like and subscribe to the show. We'll see you next time for another edition of LOJ.