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Posted
by Jesse Newell
August 11, 2009 at 12:06 p.m.
KU football practice report: Aug. 11
Just got back from the KU football team's practice on campus. Here are some of the notes I took down.
ku_fbc_open_practice_18.jpg
• First, let's start with the depth chart from what I saw.
First-team offense
Left tackle — Tanner Hawkinson
Left guard — Carl Wilson
Center — Jeremiah Hatch
Right guard — Sal Capra
Right tackle — Jeff Spikes
Tight end — Tim Biere
Wide Receiver — Dezmon Briscoe
Wide Receiver — Kerry Meier
Wide Receiver — Johnathan Wilson
Running back — Jake Sharp
Quarterback — Todd Reesing
Some notes about the offensive depth chart
• Trevor Marrongelli started at right guard with the 1s at the start of practice. Sal Capra received most of the first-team snaps after that. I'd consider that an ongoing competition.
• Brad Thorson also was in the mix with the 1s, getting quite a few reps at center.
• Tertavian Ingram started with the 1s at the beginning of practice in place of Dezmon Briscoe. Briscoe, however, spent most of the rest of practice with the first team. It looks like coaches are still trying to send a little bit of a message to Briscoe.
• Rell Lewis looks to be the back-up running back ... for now. Toben Opurum also received quite a few carries with the first and second units. Daniel Porter seems to be catching up, and DeShaun Sands looks to be behind the other three.
First-team defense
Left end — Jeff Wheeler
Defensive tackle — Duane Zlatnik
Defensive tackle — Richard Johnson, Jr.
Right end — Jake Laptad
Linebacker — Angus Quigley
Linebacker — Drew Dudley
Defensive back — Daymond Patterson
Defensive back — Chris Harris
Defensive back — Anthony Davis
Safety — Darrell Stuckey
Safety — Phillip Strozier
Some notes about the defensive depth chart
• Drew Dudley, Chris Harris and Anthony Davis were among the surprises on the first unit. I was especially impressed by Davis, who had a diving pass-breakup and also a big hit on Tim Biere that prevented a reception.
• Justin Thornton is with the second-team defense. I think it's too early to tell whether this is a demotion or a motivational tactic. Remember, Thornton was suspended from the team at the end of last year and missed the Insight Bowl.
• Quintin Woods was working with the second unit.
• Perhaps the biggest news of the day, Darius Parish was not working with the defense. He has switched over to offensive line and was playing right tackle, mostly with the second-team. Typically, KU's coaches have switched players from offense to defense (Quigley, Patterson, etc.), but this move is interesting because it's the opposite. Parish had eight tackles last year, and in high school was rated the 58th-best defensive tackle prospect by Rivals.com.
Other notes/stories
• At the start of practice, Jacob Branstetter was put under pressure for a "game-winning field goal." Teammates yelled and screamed and waved their arms before the junior's field-goal try.
Branstetter calmly knocked through a 46-yard attempt (with distance to spare), receiving congratulations from his teammates afterwards. The Jayhawks look to be set in the kicking department, an area that can't be underrated.
• I honestly don't remember the last time I saw this: I was watching a drill, and Kerry Meier dropped an easy catch. It was funny how most of the media members did double-takes, as it's just something we're not used to seeing. Meier did 10 pushups for his miscue.
He also was working with the red jersey and was the backup quarterback in drills, meaning he's not a full-time receiver just yet.
• On the kickoff return team, both Stuckey and Briscoe were back deep to receive kicks with the first unit.
• I was able to see KU coach Mark Mangino in a teaching moment during an offensive-line drill right in front of me.
Tanner Hawkinson was involved in the drill, and after the snap, he took a half-step back before driving into the defender.
Mangino immediately went up to Hawkinson to correct the mistake, telling him that if you were in a race at a track meet, you wouldn't want your first step at the starting line to be backwards. Instead, you would want to take a step forward. The coach finished his teaching with a pat on Hawkinson's backside.
Be sure to check back to KUsports.com later today for full coverage of KU's media day.
Comments
oldalum (anonymous) says…
Thanks, Jesse. Good information.
MitchumMan (anonymous) says…
Nice update!
truefan (anonymous) says…
Awesome...keep these coming. Just don't report any trick plays you happen to see, we wouldn't want to clue in our opposing defenses.
imnotpaulpierce (anonymous) says…
Not sure I want Briscoe and/or Stuckey returning kicks... I know Mangino believes in putting his best players on special teams, but if either of those two go down...
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says…
Outstanding work at always, Mr. Newell!
psychoanalyst (anonymous) says…
Good job, Jesse. Any word on Springer?
plasticJHawk (Jonathan Allison) says…
Did Justin Springer practice? I expected him to be on the two-deep at linebacker.
treidy (anonymous) says…
Quickly becoming my favorite journalist for the JW. Keep up the awesome insight!
jnewell (Jesse Newell) says…
I didn't see Springer in there. Kevin Romary told me that he saw Springer in pads on the field, but he never saw him participate in any drills. Hope that helps out.
The second-team linebackers I saw in there were Huldon Tharp, Steven Johnson and Jake Schermer.
patton6 (anonymous) says…
Great stuff and much appreciated, Jesse.
Now let's all hope and pray that Quinton Woods takes that starting spot from Jeff Wheeler.
Rivethead (anonymous) says…
Nice update!
I believe All American LT Anthony Collins originally came to KU as a DE and Coach Mangino made the switch from D to O..........worked out pretty well for all involved! If it's worked before, it can work again.
pj_hawk4life (P. J. K) says…
I thought I heard somewhere that Collins was originally a TE, could be completely wrong especially based on his tremendous size as LT. If I was right, then perhaps we can expect the same from Hawkinson (wouldn't that be nice)
patton6 (anonymous) says…
Jesse, could you tell a pecking order for defensive tackle? After RJJ and Zlatnik, was Blakesly next? How about Greene and Dorsey?
jnewell (Jesse Newell) says…
patton — Greene and Dorsey were the starters for the No. 2s that I wrote down. Not sure about Blakesley. Dugan said he saw him out there. Just a guess, but maybe Blakesley's in the same boat as Springer and not at full strength ...
patton6 (anonymous) says…
Thanks, that's what I figured. One more thing...where's Arist Wright? I can't imagine he's not a first team guy, but I noticed you also didn't list him with the second stringers.
chrishauser20 (Christopher Hauser) says…
Does the new style of practice jersey mean new style of game jersey?
plasticJHawk (Jonathan Allison) says…
Thanks for the word on Springer.
What about Max Onyegbule and Olaitan Oguntodu?
Maxhawk (anonymous) says…
If that defense lines up for KU this season 6-6 will be a miracle.
Thornton, Blakesley, and Wright have to start for KU. And Onyegbule, Springer and Vernon Brooks better be in the mix as well.
Maxhawk (anonymous) says…
And on offense where in the world is John Williams? Last spring Mangino said he would start somewhere on the O-line
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says…
The women's style jerseys that I've seen in stores have those funky stripes on the side ...
chrishauser20 (Christopher Hauser) says…
Brady McCollough is tweeting from media day and he just posted this:
BradyMcCollough: "Mangino says true freshman LB Huldon Tharp is on his way to starting at LB. Says he doesn't know what he can expect from Justin Springer."
Interesting.
KUPROUD (anonymous) says…
Since I relocated to "sooie-pig" country a few months ago, I've been a little out of touch with jayhawk news. Has Quigley shown well enough to be firmly in the mix for a starting linebacker position? If so, that's awesome for the senior running back turned linebacker.
swishymcjayhawk (anonymous) says…
Brady McCollough just tweeted this about an hour ago:
"Mangino says true freshman LB Huldon Tharp is on his way to starting at LB. Says he doesn't know what he can expect from Justin Springer."
swishymcjayhawk (anonymous) says…
shoot. sorry chrishauser. you beat me to the scoop!
chrishauser20 (Christopher Hauser) says…
McCollough also just posted that Quigley is not comming along at linebacker like he thought
kjhok (anonymous) says…
I heard that when somebody asked coach Mangino in the spring if Tanner Hawkinson wasn't a little light for a tackle, he said "have you seen him lately?". Can someone tell me what he weighs these days (or appears to weigh)?
chrishauser20 (Christopher Hauser) says…
kjhok-check out this video, at the end they say that Hawkinson (#72) looks huge (30-40 lbs put on).
http://videos.kansascity.com/vmix_hos...
jnewell (Jesse Newell) says…
Guys — Here is the full audio from coach Mangino at Media Days.
http://www2.kusports.com/podcasts/pre...
It's worth a listen. He did indicate that Quigley might be a little behind where he thought he'd be. He also said that Huldon Tharp could take over a starting spot at linebacker any day.
For some of the other questions:
Arist Wright I believe was subbing in with the 2s. I only listed the first rotation of the 2s I saw on the depth chart.
Oguntodu and Onyegbule were both subbing in with the 2s. Mangino talked a little about Onyegbule's progress in the clip above.
MinnesotaJay (anonymous) says…
Thanks for ther thorough update. And, yes, the podcast was well worth the listen.
shelleysue (anonymous) says…
One of the things I love most about coach is that he believes in putting the best players on special teams. Why would you want to start any other way - offensively or defensively. I know it can be somewhat of a risk but I think it's worth it.