Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - Kansas Jayhawks Football Adds Transfer Portal Pick-Ups in Safety Devin Dye & D-Lineman Dylan Wudke

Episode Date: December 20, 2023

Kansas Jayhawks football is adding two transfer portal additions for Lance Leipold's 2024 KU team with safety Devin Dye from the Utah State Aggies and Defensive Lineman Dylan Wudke from the Youngstown State Penguins. What both bring to Lawrence, how they fit into the 2024 safety and defensive end rooms for KU and what is means for future recruiting.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONCOLLEGE. Terms and conditions apply.eBay MotorsWith all the parts you need at the prices you want, it’s easy to turn your car into the MVP and bring home that win. Keep your ride-or-die alive at EbayMotors.com. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers.PrizePicksGo to PrizePicks.com/lockedon and use code lockedon for a first deposit match up to $100! Daily Fantasy Sports Made Easy!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelScore early this NFL season with FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook! Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your team wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.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) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's bonus Locked on Jayhawks, KU football has two new commits for the transfer portal. Devin Dye and Dylan Woodkey coming to the team in the Jayhawks in 2024. Let's discuss what they bring to the program on this bonus episode of the show. You are Locked on Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. I'm Derek Johnson. You can hear me as well Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. on KLWN in Lawrence with Rock Chalk Sports Talk.

Thanks for making Locked On Jayhawks your first listen every day. We are free and available anywhere that you get your podcasts. You can also find us on our YouTube page where you can like and subscribe to the show. We're going to have plenty of content coming out with National Signing Day tomorrow for KU football. We had plenty of content come out earlier this week. We had a KU Indiana recap. We'll have a KU Yale preview later this week. So make sure to subscribe to the show. On this bonus episode of Locked on Jayhawks, we're talking about KU's two newest players for 2024, Devin Dye, a safety transfer from Utah State, and Dylan

Woodkey, a defensive end transfer from Youngstown State. So we're going to start with who they are, what KU is getting in both these players, how both of them fit into the roster and their position groups for 2024 and possibly beyond in the case of Devin Dye, and what's next into the roster and their position groups for 2024 and possibly beyond in the case of Devin Dye and what's next in the portal and recruiting for KU football. So first things first here, who is Devin Dye? Let's start there for the Jayhawks. So Devin Dye is a six foot 185 pound safety whose dad is actually Jermaine Dye, the longtime MLB player. His brother, Jalen Dye, is another player who came over from the junior college level, transferred into Kansas, and plays safety for them.

And Jalen Dye was in, I believe, his second year with the program, I think he redshirted year one. This past year, he was starting to get some time in spring ball with some of the safety injuries and started to make a good impact on the team and on some of the coaching staff. So then Devin Dye decides to pick KU over Utah. He had an offer from Kansas State as well, decides to go to KU. He went to high school in California, Palomar College after that, which is a JUCO, for two seasons, the first of which he took a medical redshirt. Then the second year he played, so that means he attended Utah State. He was a red shirt sophomore this past season, and as a year three player, but technically a sophomore, he had 81 tackles, seven pass deflections, two interceptions, and one forced fumble for a Utah State team that ended up making a bowl game at 6-6 for the Aggies. His pro football

focus grade is pretty good for Devin Dye, 73.2. He was a 69 graded run defender, a 59.9 tackling graded defender, and in coverage his rating was a 74.5. So certainly when you're looking at the biggest strengths there, coverage is what sticks out. He was targeted 31 times this season. He gave up just a 58% completion mark. That's good with two interceptions and just a 74.7 passer rating against. This is a good cover safety that you can bring into the program.

I think at one point in high school, he was a linebacker. So maybe that does show he has some physicality to play linebacker, certainly based on, or I guess maybe the Hawk position that you would say, or maybe a strong safety type. But those numbers, I think, where he maybe struggled a bit more tackling was really good in coverage, make me think he's maybe more of a free safety type. Dylan Woodkey, on the other hand, I might be mispronouncing this, but he is a 6'4", 265-pound defensive lineman, defensive end,

who began his career at Youngstown State with the Penguins. He joined them in 2019, redshirted his first year. Ever since, he's been there for five years. He's collected 42 games played since then with the Penguins. But because of the redshirt, because of the COVID year, he has one more year. So he'll be a sixth-year player this year, and he'll be on KU in 2024. It'll be his final season to play.

So with Devin Dye, he has two more years of play because he'll be a redshirt junior next year. But this guy will be in his final year of play. And he's coming off a year where he had 34 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and four sacks on a team that went eight and five, made it to the second round of the FCS playoffs. So they were a playoff team, a good team in the FCS. One year prior to that, he had a 12 tackle for loss season with five sacks.

So a good player here. Again, his pro football focus grades are good as well. 76.8, that includes a 78.3 grade as a run defender, which is really where his strength is. A good run defending defensive lineman coming in. 72.8 tackling grade and a 70.7 pass rusher. So he is kind of an all-around player. None of those really sag behind the rest,

but his biggest strength has been run defense. He did really pick up his pass rush over the end of the season here. He had 10 pressures over the last four games compared to 13 pressures in the first nine. That includes three pressures in their first-round playoff win and then got them through to the second round of the postseason. So that's some base info on Devin Dye and Dylan Woodkey, two nice additions for KU.

Where are they going to fit into the depth chart, the two deep, the roster, their position group for 2024? We'll discuss that next with this bonus episode of Locked on Jayhawks. This episode of Locked on Jayhawks is brought to you by eBay Motors. Passion, drive, and patience. What brings home the winning trophy is also what keeps your ride or die alive. eBay Motors has everything you need to maintain your vehicle and level it up to peak performance. From superchargers, roof racks, exhaust kits, LED headlights, and more, whether you're into speed, power, or style, eBay Motors has got you covered.

With over 122 million parts for your number one ride or die, you'll always find exactly what you're looking for. And with eBay Guaranteed Fit, your part is guaranteed to fit your ride every time or your money back. Because with eBay Guaranteed Motors, you're burning rubber, not cash. With all the parts you need at the prices you want, it's easy to turn your car into the MVP and bring home that win. Keep your ride or die alive at ebaymotors.com. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. eBay Guaranteed Fit. Only available to U.S. customers. How will KU's two newest players for 2024 out of the portal devon die from utah state and dylan woodkey from youngstown state fit into the team so for die uh you obviously have to make that jump

up from um you know non power five level football the power five level football but we've seen a lot of players make these jumps before. And Kenny Logan's going to graduate from that safety unit, so that immediately means more playing time. Marvin Grant and OJ Burrows can return for 2024, and I think that's the assumption here. So you'd assume those two are back and they're your starters, whereas Grant's more your strong safety type,

Burrows more of your free safety type. KU does play a ton of three safety looks, though. So this is a position where you're going to get on the field, even if you are the third safety. Proof in the pudding, Kenny Logan, Marvin Grant, and OJ Burrow, that's three players, played a ton of snaps for KU at safety. So even if you have those two starters back, that leaves a position open that is playing starter-equivalent snaps.

So I'd imagine for that third safety, you have Devin Dye, you have Jalen Dye in competition, you have Devin Dye, you have Jalen Dye in competition. You have guys like Taylor Davis, who I believe redshirted this year and will be a redshirt freshman. Heard a lot of good things from the staff about him. Mason Ellis is somebody who was a highly recruited young local player who we saw a lot on special teams this year. Maybe he makes a jump into that position, but I would think both the Dye brothers, including Devin here, will be one of the top competitors for that spot, or at the very least like one of the second string spots for the two deep

where you're rotating it. And then come 2025, that are where things could get really cool here with the Dye brothers, because OJ Burrows 2024 would be in his final season. Marvin Grant in 2024 would be on his final season. Both would graduate. And then you would be looking at in 2025, Devin Dye and Jalen Dye would be on their final season for KU.

Both of them could start, or at least one starting, one of them playing the third safety role next to a Taylor Davis or a Mason Ellis or a Damani Maxon who you have coming in to the program here this year as part of National Signing Day tomorrow and is a very highly recruited top 500 overall recruiter play safety you know you have a lot of good safety talent in there and i think the beauty of this move devon dies that he can be maybe even as high as that third safety this year in 2024 and then come 2025 he might even be as good as a starter

but obviously there has to be some competition there between some of those key names in the safety group but either way the safety position looked good for KU next year it looked good for the future years with Monty Maxson and Taylor Davis and stuff it got even better with the addition of Devin Dye then for Dylan Woodkey he comes into a position at the defensive end spot where you have a couple big decisions that still need to be made Jeremy Robinson can come back for one more year next year. Austin Booker is a redshirt sophomore. He technically has two more years. I think if Austin Booker does decide to come back for next year,

I feel like the assumption would probably be only expect him one more year before he goes off to the NFL if he does decide to come back. Now, with Woodkey, he, to me, because he's more of a run-stopping defensive end, like KU has two types of defensive end. They have the strong defensive end, and then they have the – I don't know if the W and WD – I forget if it's weak defensive end or wide defensive end and specifically how they give out the terminology. But the wide, the weak, whatever it is, that's not saying he's weak.

It's saying he's on the weak side of the formation, strong side of the formation, right? So if you have a tight end on one side, that's where the strong side of the formation, strong side of the formation, right? So if you have a tight end on one side, that's where the strong side defensive end or the strong side of the field, right? Different coaches align differently. So anyway, usually the strong side defensive end is more of one that's going to take on blockers, more of like a run stopping defensive end. That's why I think Woodkey makes sense more for that position because he's a good run defender. And then usually your guy who's maybe a little lighter, like Booker is, what, 235, 240, 245 pounds. Woodkey at 265, older player,

makes sense to have him taking on blocks. Booker, more of the off-ball guy who can get those sacks and use the speed and athleticism. So if Robinson does go, I think you look to Woodkey and say, it's not a guarantee he starts. You have other guys that could possibly, you know, assert that position, but I think he would become the favorite to start.

Now, if both Robinson and Booker are back, then I think you look at Woodkey playing the Hayden Hatcher role. Robinson and Booker were both starters this year, but Hayden Hatcher still played a ton of snaps. Hatcher logged a couple starts. Hatcher played as the rotational first. He played a ton of games and snaps for KU and made some good plays. Hatcher had a really good season for KU this year. I think you look at that

with Woodkey, and if those two guys are back, he can still be that rotational third guy. And we know with the defensive end spot and defensive line in general, you're going to rotate those guys a ton. So I think Woodkey is a really nice addition there, whether he does end up being a starter based on some other decisions, or he does end up being a super sub off the bench as a guy who still plays a ton of reps and a ton of snaps for you. And the beauty of this, too, with him only having one year left to play, it doesn't block the future for Dak Brinkley and Deshaun Warner, who are your two prized recruits that are going to be true freshmen.

It allows them to sit back, maybe redshirt in year one, you have a little bit more, But then by year two in 2025, the runway is open for either one of those, if not both, to kind of take off. We're going to finish up here. What does this mean for the future in the portal and recruiting at kind of both these positions for KU football? Finishing things up with Locked on Jayhawks on this bonus episode, what does this mean for the future portal additions

and recruiting for KU football? Well, we have National Signing Day tomorrow. I'm assuming everything's going to go to plan there. Guys will sign on the dotted line, and we'll have the full class and everything, so we'll have some content about that on tomorrow's edition of Locked on Jayhawks. But as far as the portal goes, I think I would be surprised if they bring on any more safeties at this point,

because you do have two starters, incumbent guys back with Grant and Burroughs, and now you bring on a Devin Dye. You still have some young guys, like I said, with Jalen Dye, with Mason Ellis, Taylor Davis, some others too, like Caleb Purdy, whatever, that might turn into something here and want to compete for that, that you want to leave at least a little bit of a lane open as much as you do want to bring in real competition. So unless one of those guys that you're not expecting to leave leaves, I think they're probably done recruiting the safety position. That becomes a one-in, one-out position. And then you're still going to be recruiting more defensive line, but specifically, I think they're mainly turning your focus to the interior defensive line, where you need at least

one, if not two defensive tackles now with Devin Phillips graduating, Gage Keys entering the transfer portal. That's where they'll turn their attention. I think specifically, I don't think you ever stop taking calls for any defensive linemen, even defensive ends, as much as even if you could have Jeremy Robinson and Austin Booker back now with Woodkey, you still take those calls because you can never have enough. You still lose Patrick Joyner, who played a lot. You still lose Hayden Hatcher, who played a lot, right? So you never stop taking those calls. But I do wonder if they're going to wait to really put the hard press on defensive ends to wait to see what those guys do, right?

If Booker goes pro, maybe you do put a hard press on someone else. If Jeremy Robinson goes pro or transfers or whatever, maybe you do put a hard press on somebody else. Maybe this is more of a kind of wait and see what the decisions are in another week, another two weeks from now after your bowl game is over to further decide what you want to do if you want to add any more defensive ends. But again, you never say no to more defensive line and pass rush talent. That'll do it for this episode of Locked on Jayhawks.

You can find us anywhere you get your podcasts. Like and subscribe to us. Find us on our YouTube page. Back tomorrow with some National Signing Day content. And then later in the week with some KU Yale preview. This is Locked on Jayhawks.