Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - Kansas Jayhawks Football Early Looks vs UNLV & WVU + KU Receivers Most Underrated Position in Big 12

Starting point is 00:00:00 On today's Locked on Jayhawks, we look ahead to KU UNLV and the KU at West Virginia game, an early, very important game in the Big 12 for KU, as well as our receiver room preview in possibly the most underrated position across the Big 12. You are Locked on Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Johnson, thanks for making Locked On Jayhawks your first listen every day. We are free and available anywhere you get your podcasts, including on our YouTube page.

Starting point is 00:00:37 Thank you to every dayers tuning in to each and every show and making it your first listen every day. And, of course, you can subscribe to the show on our YouTube page, or again, wherever you get your podcasts. On today's edition of Locked on Jayhawks, we're going to be early previewing the KU UNLV game, a rematch of their bowl game. And we're going to get an early look at the KU West Virginia game,

Starting point is 00:00:58 which is an early road tilt on the road in a Big 12 game against a pretty good West Virginia team, so it could be pretty important for Seton. The tone will also get to our receiver and preview, which for my money might be the most underrated position of any team in the conference in the Big 12. So before we get into any of that, this episode of the show is brought to you by GameTime.

Starting point is 00:01:20 Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply with Game Time. Sorry, here. Early look ahead at the KU UNLV game, which, you know, you can fire up the bowl game and reminisce on KU winning in the – I don't even remember the sponsor anymore. It was so boring that I don't even remember the sponsor.

Starting point is 00:01:43 Whatever. It used to be the Cheez-Its Bowl, which I wish it was remember the sponsor, whatever it used to be the, uh, Cheez-Its bowl, which I wish it was still the Cheez-Its bowl. Anyway, uh, KU beating UNLV. And I looked back at the score on that and I honestly didn't remember it was even by like 13 points. It felt like game that they won kind of similar to the Illinois game last year by like three touchdowns or something like that. So you look at UNLV coming into this season, guaranteed right bowl. There we go. Nine and five a season ago. They bring back five offensive starters. They bring back six defensive starters. They returned 36 lettermen. They lose 32. So a good amount of losses. Their

Starting point is 00:02:14 stud kicker, who was one of the best in the country, he's gone. Their quarterback, Jaden Maiva, who was one of the best freshman quarterbacks across the country, he's gone. But they do return Ricky White. He's preseason All-American, unbelievable production the season ago. They have 12 players on offense and defense combined that are on Phil Steele's All-Mountain West Conference preseason teams. That is four teams deep, so you're going to get a lot of guys on there in general, but still that is really good representation for the school.

Starting point is 00:02:43 It is a mix of good skill players, whether it's at the running back position, the receiver with both White and DeJesus, who had a good game against KU in the bowl game, and some transfer quarterbacks who are coming in from the FCS level that you're probably looking to take over for Maiva. They're returning the offensive coordinator. Brennan Marion is one of the young, bright minds in this game and offensive coordinator, so there's a huge win for UNLV

Starting point is 00:03:04 after the season they had for him to stick around in the offense. They got torched by KU in the secondary in the bowl last year. But one of the things they did go out in the portal this year on the defense side of the ball, they added a bunch of transfers to the secondary, added one from Arkansas, added one from Purdue, and added Tony Grimes, who's a former five-star recruit at the corner position. So that'll be kind of interesting in this matchup. What's interesting, too, is that their head coach is a defensive guy in Barry Odom, but the defense wasn't as good as the offense last season.

Starting point is 00:03:35 And I don't even know if it's projected to be as good as the offense this season, but maybe with more back, that will be the case. Obviously, Barry Odom, also a Mizzou guy, which adds to some of the intrigue in this game. But the fact they have a ton of tackle production returning and added some size, added some speed, added some power five players, or power four, I guess, players in the portal makes me think that they're going to be better on defense this year than they were a season ago, and a tad worse on offense this year than they were a season ago, but still a dynamic offense. And I think maybe not as good of a passing offense,

Starting point is 00:04:06 even though they have good receivers. I don't think the quarterback's profile as well as Maiva, but they're better runners than Maiva. So that becomes a different threat against Kansas and something they have struggled with under Brian Borland as the defensive coordinator is stopping mobile quarterbacks. So what's going to be the key for KU in this game when they play UNLV in the third week of the season?

Starting point is 00:04:24 It's in, I almost said in Lawrence, it's a home game for KU. It's in Kansas City, Kansas at Children's Mercy Park. So it'll be about 20,000 strong. It'll be one where it'll be very loud because the crowd will feel on top of you. Even though it's a smaller crowd, it is condensed in and that'll be a good home field advantage for KU in this one that, you know, they had good attendance traveling out to the guaranteed rate bowl, but this is going to be even better than that. So you have that going for you that you didn't have in the bowl. The key is you got to score like every team that beat UNLV last season scored at least 31 points. All five teams scored at least 31 points. You got to score 30 plus, you got to score 40 plus. We saw that last year from KU. They had to score over 40

Starting point is 00:05:02 points, but they were able to do so. The other key is going to be running the ball. KU only averaged low key as much as the offense was explosive. It was all about the passing game. Kansas only averaged 3.6 yards per carry in the bowl game. Now, how much was that UNLV selling out on the run, which is part of why they gave up so many big plays in the air? That's entirely possible, and maybe after seeing what happened in that game, they'll put a little more threat in the passing defense which will open things up a little bit more in the running game also keep in mind Dominic Poonie didn't play in the bowl game for KU opting out and he was KU's best lineman and now you've had more time to kind of replace him and other players kind of fill in so that'll be kind of interesting but if UNLV does better against the pass with all those transfers

Starting point is 00:05:43 coming in how do you answer you have to be able to run the ball better than you did the bowl game. And then where's the pass rush for KU? Because that's something we didn't see. And that was without Austin Booker. Austin Booker didn't play in the bowl game, opted to go to the NFL draft. And they only had one sack in that game, did the KU defense. And that was even with Dylan Brooks, who sounds like he's injured and wouldn't be available for this game. Now, obviously, you have some players now that maybe were watching the game

Starting point is 00:06:07 in the stands from Desert Edge and just made the quick travel over to the game to watch it and stuff like that. So it's some different personnel, some players that are better, some players that are gone now, but you have to be able to rush the passer better than you did in that bowl game. As far as expected result, if you look at FPI on ESPN, it pegs Kansas is somewhere between a 16 to 17 point favorite on paper right now on a neutral field. So obviously this one being played at home, though, not your normal home, but I don't know how that'll affect the

Starting point is 00:06:37 spread. Normally they say it's what three to four points for, for home. Like I said, I think it's going to be a good environment. Maybe you could argue they only give you a couple points, whatever. Either way, you're probably looking at being around a 17 to 20 point favorite. And that's right now. Obviously that could change. So UNLV plays Houston in week one. If UNLV beats Houston, one of the teams in the Big 12, that lowers the spread. If Kansas gets upset at Illinois in week two of the season, that lowers the spread. So it could maybe be anywhere between a 10 point spread and a 21 point spread. I don't know what, if they get blown out by Houston,

Starting point is 00:07:10 then is it a 24 point spread? If KU looks really good at Illinois the week before, but either way, I'd imagine this is going to be one of your pick to win, pick to win by double digits, but it's still not a gimme. UNLV is a solid squad. And after playing you in the bowl game,

Starting point is 00:07:23 you know, they're going to feel like, Hey, we only lost bowl game you know they're gonna feel like hey we only lost by you know 13 points or whatever it was like if we make a few things here or there we can be right in this game and they'll come in uh with confidence as they should because they are a good football team but KU should be confident too because on paper they're the better team all right let's get to our early look at the West Virginia game which I don't know that could be the biggest key early in the season for KU getting off to a big start. Let's discuss that next. Then we'll get to the receiver room preview on Locked on Jayhawks.

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Starting point is 00:09:05 Of course you can listen to some of our other shows around the big 12. You want to learn more about what KU is going to be going into some of their storylines and headlines that are coming in through fall camp. So the KU at West Virginia game, very interesting because you look at the first half of the schedule for KU as we've gone through like the Illinois game. You were the much better team a year ago. How does going on the road affected this year?

Starting point is 00:09:24 Right? That's a question. UNLV even though they were a good team last year, as I just pointed out, like on paper, on neutral site right now, you're a 17-point favorite over them. You look at the following games that we're going to get to on tomorrow's episode, which is the KU-TCU game. TCU could be pretty good, so maybe that's a different one, but you're playing them at home, and they're coming off a year where they didn't make a bowl game. Arizona State was really bad a season ago. This at West Virginia game is probably your trickiest game in the first half. I would say that followed by the TCU game. And, you know,

Starting point is 00:09:54 it's obviously a bit of a possible coming around moment because this is what feels like kind of started this all. Like I know it was technically in year one with Leipold, maybe it was the Texas game that kind of started it all in Austin. But what started the new era, right, it was that game, was that overtime win at West Virginia. And if you don't win that game, you're not bowl eligible in 2022, right? So it's kind of a possible full circle moment, and this win could really boost you some momentum.

Starting point is 00:10:21 Now, if you lose a game this early on the road, West Virginia, a good opponent, they'll have plenty of time to overcome that. But it's a real big opportunity to kind of garner that momentum this early in the season. West Virginia is a good team. So they were coming off a, well, some five-win seasons. And last year was really kind of a make-or-break year for Neil Brown, their head coach. And they bounced up to a nine-win season. Now, they were blessed by the schedule so

Starting point is 00:10:46 the the most annoying thing that I'll see people do on Twitter is being like oh yeah what's the big deal Kansas football still finished eighth in the conference last year okay the schedules are imbalanced it is so incredibly stupid Kansas among the you know top seven teams who were in front of them technically in the big 12 standings last season. They played six of the top seven. You know how many West Virginia played in that top seven? They finished in the top seven. They played one. They played one. So tell me, which nine and four record, the West Virginia one or the Kansas one, means more? You know, West Virginia technically finished ahead of Kansas in the Big 12 standings, but it's like, if you gave West Virginia Kansas a schedule, they'd probably lose an extra game than they did, right? Maybe more? I don't know.

Starting point is 00:11:27 Anyway, though, West Virginia is a good team, and they have a lot back, and this was one of the best running teams in the country last season. We've seen Kansas have some struggles with that defensively. They did an excellent job protecting the quarterback. Now they're 14th in the country per pick six previews in returning production on the offense side of the ball. They have eight starters back there enough so that the Phil steel rates, this as his second best offense overall in the big 12. I don't know that I totally want to get there,

Starting point is 00:11:56 but I definitely think it's a good offense, right? Quarterbacks Garrett green. He's a decent passer, but the big thing he's, he's kind of a game manager passing and then he's a good runner and so you combine those two it makes him a good enough threat especially because I mean they have the ultimate thunder and lightning duo CJ Donaldson is this gigantic tall powerful back he's really good Jaheim White is this lightning bug like I don't know he's like five foot seven running back who is one of the best running years in the Big 12. It's one of the best duos in not just the conference but the country.

Starting point is 00:12:28 Obviously, Kansas has one of those as well. But part of that success for West Virginia too, it wasn't just those guys. The offensive line was really good a season ago. They ranked top 10 in sacks per pass attempt, preventing them at least. They ranked fourth in rushing yards per game in the country. They did have two players get taken in the NFL draft from the offensive line, so we'll see how good the line is this year, but they do still return three. They added a solid transfer, and overall, Phil Steele rates them

Starting point is 00:12:54 as the number two offensive line in the Big 12. Defensively, they did a good job creating negative plays a season ago, but kind of everywhere else, they were kind of mid. They were kind of average in a lot of other areas defensively. They did the best against the run, but even that ranked 48th in the country. Five starters back, Neil Brown told Phil Steele as part of that magazine, he's really high on what the front seven is for that unit. And even with that, though, they ranked just 81st in returning defensive production.

Starting point is 00:13:21 They lost three starters to the NFL. They lost three others to the NFL. They lost three others to the transfer portal and that included two other power fours that losing three others that weren't starters, but I don't know, might've been on the two deep or might've been starters this upcoming season. So it wasn't a great defense, about an average defense last season, and they lost a ton. So what's going to be the key for KU going down to Morgantown? I think the defensive line and the linebackers have to step up. I mean, fourth game of the season, we'll learn a little bit about Kansas in the second game of the season because you want to see defensive improvement.

Starting point is 00:13:52 You want to see, because they got a lot better last year against the run than they were the season before, but there's still a lot of room for improvement from where they were last year to where they're trying to go this year. And so you're going to learn a little bit about that in the second game because you're playing a Brett Biele so you're going to learn a little bit about that in the second game because you're playing a Brett Bielema team. You'll learn a little bit about it against UNLV. They got some good backs, but that's a little bit of a different system. You'll learn the most in this fourth game against West Virginia

Starting point is 00:14:13 with the way that they can bludgeon you running the football, that they can do it with speed, that they can do it with size, they can do it with the quarterback, and this will be a great test for them. So the linebackers, the D-line, have to step up. If they truly are better than they were a season ago, at least against the run, at least the linebackers, this is-line, have to step up if they truly are better than they were a season ago, at least against the run, at least the linebackers. Like, this is the game to kind of prove it. And to that notion of limiting the quarterback run, because that's something we've seen some other teams burn KU on

Starting point is 00:14:34 during the Lance Leipold era. I think the other thing is hit them with big plays in the secondary. So Phil Steele ranks the defensive backroom for West Virginia the 14th best in the conference among the 16 teams. Obviously, as I mentioned, they lost a lot of players in that secondary. Neil Brown mentioned the front seven, right? It was the strength of the defense. Didn't mention the back end. You're going to have some opportunity to hit some big plays.

Starting point is 00:14:55 You're going to have some opportunity to hit them in the passing game with Jalen Daniels and your studly receivers, which we'll get to our receiver preview here shortly. So that'll be the big one here. What's the expected result? Well, ESPN-FPI actually has Kansas about five points better on a neutral field, but the game is being played in Morgantown. So it feels like this could be closer to a one, one and a half, even a pick-em type line,

Starting point is 00:15:16 especially we'll see how the first three weeks of the season go for each team. But this will be kind of a true coin flip game coming out in Morgantown. If you win, I think the momentum that that would provide you that early in the season would be pretty vital to what you're trying to do this year. Let's get to our receiver room preview. I think it's the most underrated unit in the Big 12. We'll talk about why on Locked on Jayhawks. Thanks for joining us on Locked on Jayhawks.

Starting point is 00:15:45 Thanks for making us your first listen every day. Free and available wherever you get your podcasts. Make your second listen, Locked on College Football. Or if you're interested in the NBA or NFL, you have a specific team, you can check out our wide array of Locked on podcasts. We're going to have an early look at the TCU game, the Arizona State game, our tight end preview on tomorrow's episode. Football Friday is going to feature a Stock up, stocks down on players during camp right

Starting point is 00:16:08 now. Freshmen who are setting themselves up for early playing time, whether it's this year or next year, and a linebacker room preview. And obviously, if there's any breaking news, we'll get to that as well coming up this week or whenever on Locked on Jayhawks. So our receiver room preview, the players, you got Quentin Skinner. He's a senior. LJ Arnold is a senior and Luke Grimm is a senior. There is your starting receivers for this group. All of them, very good players. Keaton Kubeka is a redshirt freshman. He's going

Starting point is 00:16:37 to be playing on special teams. He'll rotate in there. Somebody who could be playing a lot the following season, Doug Amelia and redshirt junior. He could be playing a lot the following season. We've seen him make some flash plays as he's kind of rotated in there. Trevor Wilson, he's a redshirt senior. We've seen him a lot on special teams and a really fast player, really good player with the ball in his hands. Jared Sample is a redshirt freshman, speedy, kind of in the mold of what you would want from Trevor Wilson.

Starting point is 00:17:02 We'll see what he does this year. Haven't heard a ton of hype necessarily, but as a redshirt freshman, maybe he can take a step at some point over this season to really feel like he's making strides coming into next year. You have a lot of walk-ons at the receiver position. Bryce Cohan, redshirt freshman transfer from Syracuse.

Starting point is 00:17:17 Isaiah Coppedge, redshirt freshman, Hunter Luke, redshirt freshman, Mack Moller's a redshirt junior, Israel Moses, the fifth, Grant Muffinbeer are both redshirt

Starting point is 00:17:26 freshmen, and Donald Collier, and then Griffin Koch, I don't know if it's Koch or Cook, is a redshirt sophomore as part of this. So it's a lot of walk-on receivers on the unit. I think the biggest storyline here is, well, let's start here, because will they get their just due? For my money, this is the most underrated position unit across the Big 12 because you look at some of these places and it sort of makes sense. If you're not watching each and every game or you're not looking at the per play averages or some of the stuff like pro football focus, you might just think, oh, well, KU doesn't really have any receivers putting up 1,000 yards,

Starting point is 00:18:03 putting up 100 catches or whatever. You know, the numbers aren't, the counting numbers aren't necessarily the most eye-popping type of numbers for KU. And so you end up with a situation where it's like, yeah, okay, they're pretty decent. You look at a lot of these like position room ratings in some of these preseason magazines and like the receivers will come in at like seventh or like you know somewhere in that middle of the pack range of the big 12 i'm telling you this right now so you look at pro football focus just receiving grade as a whole now that obviously accounts for everybody who's going out for a pass on a specific play it could be a running back it could be a tight end it could be receivers but it's mostly receivers kansas was top 10 in the country they're actually top five in the country. They're actually top five

Starting point is 00:18:45 in the country in receiving grade on pro football focus in 2022. Then they brought all those guys back with Grimm, Skinner, and Arnold, and they were top 10 in pro football focus receiving grade in 2023. And guess what? They're bringing all three of those guys back again. This is one of the better units in the conference. This is one of the better units in the conference this is one of the better units in the country but the problem is they run the ball a lot problem is because there's three of them and they throw the tight ends and the backs ball gets spread around and so you don't have one guy who's putting up desmond briscoe level numbers but the impact is still unbelievable from what this receiving core does the amount of big plays they make the amount of jump balls that they win. I mean, this receiving core is stacked.

Starting point is 00:19:26 It's loaded in terms of when you're looking at the three starters. And I even feel good about some of the depth behind them to go maybe five or six deep as far as the receivers go. So will they get their just due? I don't know. I think part of that would be, can Kansas have a 1,000-yard receiver? They haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver since the days of Desmond Briscoe and Kerry Meyer, which is pretty incredible.

Starting point is 00:19:44 Now, it feels like all three of those starters are deserving of having a thousand yard season that they're good enough. But again, with the way the ball's going to get spread out, will it happen? I've kind of talked about this before. I think Luke Grimm is going to have a great chance to put up some real good production.

Starting point is 00:19:58 As long as Jalen stays healthy. When you look at the past games and seasons, when the two of them have been on the field together and I've kind of predicted him to have a ton of catches and touchdowns but I think in terms of yards it might be LJ Arnold with the best chance to get that a thousand yard mark and obviously that's not the most important thing or anything if he ends up at 900 like big whoop if Kansas is a good team and stuff but it would be kind of cool for that to happen because I think it's deserving of somebody on this receiving core to kind of break through something that hasn't happened

Starting point is 00:20:24 for Kansas and And gosh, at this point, just shy of 15 years, other biggest storyline, who's going to merge for next year's team. I know that might not matter as much this year. I mean, it might,

Starting point is 00:20:33 you hope not. You hope that your guys stay healthy and it doesn't matter as much, but like after this year, it's, it's going to be a little barren Skinner, Arnold Grimm and Trevor Wilson all graduating. And for what it's worth I think Trevor Wilson is going to play a big role on this team with Jeff Grimes that's kind of another

Starting point is 00:20:49 storyline here how is he going to use the receivers differently um I think there will be maybe less packages with as many tight ends on the field as often uh than what Andy Kolecki was doing which means more receivers will be on the field more often, which could be good given KU's personnel with Deshaun Hanukkah, Hurt, and Mason Fairchild graduated. And so you look at what I guess Jeff Grimes does or was doing. There's receiver screens, there are jet sweeps, fly sweeps, whatever you want to call them. There's receivers going deep, right? Like Trevor Wilson's good with the ball in his hands. And so these other players are really good receivers, but like Quinn Skinner is more of a straight line runner, right? Like LJ Arnold's just kind of a pretty good at everything,

Starting point is 00:21:34 but he's not just like super shifty. Luke Grimm is kind of shifty, but he's not like as fast as Trevor Wilson. So Trevor Wilson could have a pretty big role in this, but who's going to emerge for next year's team, right? I mean, Doug Emelian will be a redshirt senior. Keaton Kubeko will be a redshirt sophomore. Jared Sample will be a redshirt sophomore. All likelihood, you're going to hit the portal hard.

Starting point is 00:21:53 You got some freshmen coming in at the position, but how much are they going to play as true freshmen unless it's a highly talented recruit? So that becomes interesting as part of this too. Not necessarily even the guys who, you know, how many plays are you going to have an opportunity to make on the field, but what are you hearing in practice? Like are certain players progressing in a real way?

Starting point is 00:22:10 So last part of this, better, worse, or the same to last year for this position group? I would say better. And again, like I said, arguably the most underrated position unit in the conference and maybe even the country with the lack of respect that this receiver group I think gets over the course of the country. But I mean, you have the same guys back.

Starting point is 00:22:28 They're just a year older, could be a year better. I think sometimes we do over inflate the idea that if everybody's back, everybody will get better. That doesn't always happen. Some guys had career years earlier. Some guys end up having to play through injury. So maybe it ends up being the same,

Starting point is 00:22:41 but the fact that I think you'll get a better version of Trevor Wilson this year, the fact that I think you'll get a better version of Trevor Wilson this year, the fact that I think you'll get a better version of Keaton, Quebec, Doug Amelia, and I think strengthens the depth of the receiver room. And I do see improvement from Luke grim, LJ Arnold and Quentin Skinner,

Starting point is 00:22:56 even as good as they've kind of been. So I'll say this position group better than it was a season ago. That's going to do it for this episode of the show. We'll be back for another early look ahead at some of KU's opponents on tomorrow's show with the TCU game, with the Arizona State game, and a look into the tight end room for KU. Jared Casey, senior season inbound. That's kind of sad to think about, but you know it's not sad. We've got another episode coming up on Locked on Jayhawks tomorrow, so see you then on LOJ.

Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - Kansas Jayhawks Football Early Looks vs UNLV & WVU + KU Receivers Most Underrated Position in Big 12

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