In the year of our lord, two-thousand and nineteen, anticipation builds before students crowd Jayhawk Boulevard for the fall semester. For the first time in a long time, there’s genuine excitement surrounding the Kansas Jayhawks football program. They say Les is more in Lawrence, and now we’re just weeks away from seeing just what “more” means.
When Jeff Long, Kansas Athletics Director, announced the hiring of Miles on a Sunday afternoon in the Hadl Auditorium of the Wagnon Student Athlete Center, there was a buzz around the campus. There was a buzz amongst myself and my friends. Emotions were running high. The Chiefs played the next night, the Bears occupied the Sunday Night Football slot. The Miles introduction had our undivided attention.
Now just because the Hawks have garnered some excitement around the world of college football doesn’t automatically catapult them to the top of any leaderboard. The tasks for this new regime aren’t walks in the park, and like Rome, building a football program in a day isn’t realistic.
Prestige Ranking: 2*
The history of KU football is actually horrifying. Sure, NFL greats like Gale Sayers have had successful careers in Lawrence, but for every legend, there’s plenty of duds. Twelve bowl appearances, once double-digit win season, a .479 win rate and a lot of disappointing coaching hires. The Mark Mangino-era, as well as their status in a P5 conference allows them to attain a second star.
Last Year’s Record: 3-9 (1-8 Big 12)
The Kansas Jayhawks shocked the Big 12 when they secured a victory over a struggling TCU team in Lawrence on a late-game turnover in the red zone. They also stomped the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 55-14, and beat Central Michigan on the road.
Projected Returning Starters:
Offense: 7-ish
- RB Pooka Williams
- RB Khalil Herbert
- LT Hakeem Adeniji
- LG Malik Clark
- C Andru Tovi
- RG Chris Hughes
- RT Kevin Feder
- WR Stephon Robinson Jr.
There’s no doubt that the offense rides and dies with Pooka Williams, but Khalil Herbert is the downhill runner this offense needs to allow Pooka to come out of his shell. A returning offensive line with plenty of experience DEFINITELY has its perks, too, no matter how mightily they struggled last season.
Defense: 10
- DE Azur Kamara
- DE Kyron Johnson
- DT Codey Cole III
- DT Jelani Brown
- LB Denzel Feaster
- NB Bryce Torneden
- CB Elmore Hempstead Jr.
- CB Corione Harris
- S Mike Lee
- S Hasan Defense
Losing Joe Dineen Jr. and Daniel Wise certainly burns, but there’s plenty of on-field experience to go around on the defense. Especially when it comes to the back end, the Kansas Jayhawks possess an opportunity to gel really well together.
Special Teams: everybody
- K Liam Jones
- P Kyle Thompson
Key Losses
As previously mentioned, losing Dineen Jr. and Wise definitely leaves a sizable whole in the middle of the field, however, The Jayhawks are desperately going miss the services of their wide receivers. Steven Sims, Jeremiah Booker and Kerr Johnson leaving Lawrence creates a black hole in the wide out position. Daylon Charlot, Kwamie Lassiter and Quan Hampton received considerable playing time in 2018, but none were ultimately reliable targets.
Key Newcomer – Offense: Thomas MacVittie
The JUCO transfer inspires hope around the program and brings a needed breath of fresh air to the QB room. The starting job is up for grabs, but let’s cherish the fact Peyton Bender’s Jayhawk career is over. He’s the definition of a pro-style quarterback and his 6’5, 225 lb frame back that up. Finally having a quarterback that can accurately hit a target (on the correct team) opens up a world of possibilities in 2019.
Wins The Big 12 If:
It’ll be a cold day in hell if the Kansas Jayhawks win the Big 12 title. Mark a day in December as Les Miles Day, we’ll be celebrating on Mass St. The hand of God himself playing a role in the college football season, we’ve seen it before.
Circle This Game: @ TCU – 9/28
The Revenge Game for the Horned Frogs, but an opportunity for the Hawks to pull off one of the most improbable upsets in recent CFB memory. TCU won’t let Kansas sniff victory, but that’d be pretty amazing to steal that game, right?!
2019 Outlook:
What is there to say? Expectations aren’t exactly high, the only way to disappoint the Jayhawk faithful is to not show signs of improvement. I’ve bitten my tongue on this name thus far, but the David Beaty era was truly miserable. Last year’s preview had a hopeless tone, and rightfully so. In the moment it didn’t feel so bad, we were almost numb to the pain. But the play was sloppy: from constant illegal formations, bad penalties against and unforced errors up and down the field, Les Miles in year one must correct these issues from the start.
That’s how we’ll know if the Hawks are serious, if these Hawks are different. Miles owns Lawrence if he makes a bowl game in 2019, but nobody is asking him to move a mountain. Better play, better competitiveness. That’s all. Win the non-cons, sneak a few in the Big 12, beat K-State and call 2019 a success and build going into 2020. #Hail20ldKU
