Offensive Starters Lost: RB Jon Cornish, WR Brian Murph, OL Travis Dambach, OL David Ochoa, OL Bob Whitaker
Offensive Starters Returning: RB Brandon McAnderson, WR Dexton Fields, WR Marcus Henry, TE Derek Fine, OL Anthony Collins, OL Cesar Rodgriguez
Defensive Starters Lost: DT Wayne Wilder, DE Paul Como, S Jerome Kemp
Defensive Starters Returning: DT James McClinton, DE Russell Brorsen, LB Joe Mortensen, LB Mike Rivera, CB Anthony Collins, CB Aqib Talib, CB Anthony Webb, S Sadiq Muhammed
Starting Specialists Lost: none Starting Specialists Returning: K Scott Webb, P Kyle Tucker
Kansas ended up at 6-6 last year and anything worse than that this year will be a disappointment. Not only do they return 16 starters, but not having Oklahoma and Texas on the schedule again certainly helps. The Jayhawks were very close to 10-2 and with a little more experience on the squad they should be able to win one or two more of those close games.
2007 Kansas Offense:
Kerry Meier is back after splitting time with the departed Adam Barmann at quarterback. Meier struggled with injuries during his freshman campaign, but still managed to develop into a decent passer and a dynamic runner. If Meier can stay away from the sophomore slump, remain healthy and improve his decision making a little bit, Kansas could be in for a surprisingly good season. With his top receiving threats returning in wide receiver Dexton Fields and tight end Derek Fine, the passing game will improve.
The running game, on the other hand, will likely not be improving. Jon Cornish set the school’s single-season rushing mark with 1,457 yards. Without him, the Jayhawks will depend on sophomores Jake Sharp and Angus Quigley. Sharp has the potential to be a quality back after averaging 6.1 yards per carry in limited touches as a freshman. Quigley will be asked to help in short yardage situations. Helping both the new running backs, and handling an increased workload of his own carrying the ball, is fullback Brandon McAnderson.
2007 Kansas Defense:
Only one individual has rushed for over 100 yards against the KU defense in the last two years. With the return of James McClinton at tackle, it will take a special effort to add another player to that list. Russell Brorsen and Jon Larson need to be more consistent on the ends, but both have proven that they can be effective pass rushers. Middle linebacker Mike Rivera will do a little of everything and led the team with 90 tackles as a sophomore last year. With Joe Mortensen, James Holt and Arist Wright manning the outside spots, the Kansas linebackers are a deep and talented group.
The Jayhawks secondary gave up 269.1 yards per game in the air in 2006. Not only is that easily the worst in the conference, but it is the worst in the nation. Yet, the talent is not as bad as the numbers would indicate. Aqib Talib was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and Anthony Webb and Kendrick Harper are solid options on the other side. When healthy, safety Darrell Stuckey has the talent to turn around the unit.
The Bottom Line for the 2007 Jayhawks:
It is not fair to just blame the secondary for allowing 377 passing yards to Louisiana-Monroe. The blame can go to the front seven just as easily. In any event, the bulk of the problem may be fixed with just the experience gained from last season. The KU defense is still a young unit and only one senior is listed on the spring two-deep, but they better act more like savvy veterans by September.
