Defensive tackle Patrick Dorsey swoops in to hit a tackling dummy during the team's first practice on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011.
When the Kansas University football team entered preseason camp on Aug. 3, it did so with at least one experienced and proven player at defensive tackle.
Patrick Dorsey, a senior from Houston, started 11 of 12 games last season and proved that, while he did not possess the ideal dimensions — 6-foot, 273 pounds — for a player asked to plug the middle, he more than made up for his lack of size by using his heart and his head to hold his own.
Monday, the Jayhawks announced that Dorsey would miss six to eight weeks with a broken foot, a significant blow to the defensive line and one that could put Dorsey’s season in jeopardy.
Most coaches will say that when a player goes down, that opens the door for someone behind him to elevate his game and show the team what he can contribute.
The list of Dorsey’s potential replacements is long, but the process of identifying which ones could fill his shoes figures to be ongoing and may even extend into the early portion of the season.
With that in mind, here’s the Journal-World and KUsports.com’s rankings of this team’s top defensive tackles.
Matt Tait’s list
- Pat Dorsey: Undersized, yes, but underrated even more. Hard-nosed player who always seems to be in the right spot. Injured or not, don’t give up on him yet.
- John Williams: Big, physical presence still waiting for it to click after jumping over from the O-Line.
- Kevin Young: Tons of upside. Could be primed for a breakthrough season.
- Richard Johnson: Been there, done that, which means, at worst, he’ll be a rotation guy.
- Pat Lewandowski: I’m not giving up on him in the middle just yet. He looked great inside this spring.
Tom Keegan’s list
- John Williams: Must produce or switch from O-line backfired.
- Kevin Young: He’s in better shape and has a high ceiling.
- Pat Dorsey: Smart, driven, small for the position.
- Richard Johnson: Lack of explosiveness, surplus of experience.
- Randall Dent: If he doesn’t play it won’t be for lack of opportunity.
Jesse Newell’s list
- Pat Dorsey: Solid but not spectacular, he uses good technique and smarts to make up for small frame.
- John Williams: Still learning the position, but it seems like there should be upside there; KU’s biggest D-tackle at 305 pounds.
- Richard Johnson: Three-year starter had 37 tackles in 2010.
- Kevin Young: Will this be his year to break out? He will play both tackle and end in the 3-4 scheme.
- Shane Smith: Scout team player last year; he’s one of the few left on the roster with a full year of practices at defensive tackle.
Journal-World consensus Top 5 defensive tackles
Five points awarded for first, four points for second, three points for third, two points for fourth and one point for fifth:
- Pat Dorsey (13)
- John Williams (13)
- Kevin Young (9)
- Richard Johnson (7)
- Randall Dent (1)
- Pat Lewandowski (1)
- Shane Smith (1)