Kansas spent the spring trying to build up its pass defense while lacking two of the biggest pieces of its secondary.
Reigning all-conference honorable mention Kenny Logan Jr. had offseason shoulder surgery, and Marvin Grant, one of KU’s top tacklers from his own safety spot, was dealing with a groin injury, he said Thursday.
But the younger safeties on the Jayhawks’ roster took advantage of the opportunities their absences created.
“It just got everybody more active and everybody more repetition of the plays and everything,” Grant said Thursday, “so I just feel like it built confidence throughout the whole back end of the defense.”
Logan added that he saw Palomar College transfer and spring standout Jalen Dye, as well as redshirt freshmen Mason Ellis and Kaleb Purdy, “take major steps in their understanding and fundamentals of the game.” And this fall, he and Grant are back in business and ready to help create a more cohesive secondary.
“So now we’re just all trying to piece it together and continue to push each other,” Logan said.
Logan led the Jayhawks in tackles last year with 96 and added two interceptions, Grant recorded 52 tackles and forced a fumble that helped keep KU alive in the Liberty Bowl and third key returnee O.J. Burroughs posted 49 tackles, two picks and a forced fumble of his own.
Kansas junior O.J. Burroughs during Fall Camp on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023.
Kansas senior Kenny Logan Jr. during Fall Camp on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023.
Kansas redshirt junior Marvin Grant Jr. during Fall Camp on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023.
The three are at the helm of a safety group, overseen by defensive backs coach Jordan Peterson, that has spent the offseason trying to build positional flexibility.
“All the safeties are playing both spots so we can learn each position,” Burroughs said.
That unit now encompasses that trio plus returning reserves Landon Nelson and Andrew Russell, last year’s redshirts Ellis and Purdy, JUCO acquisitions Dye and Akili Hubbard, plus incoming freshman Taylor Davis of Missouri City, Texas, who Grant said has “real good ball skills” and is “like a sponge.”
Kansas freshman Taylor Davis during Fall Camp on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023.
“It’s good to have that many guys with experience, just giving us depth, and just a chance to get a lot of guys out there this season,” Grant said.
To hear Grant and Logan tell it, they also benefited in some ways from the more restful spring despite missing practice. Logan said he feels the best he has in a while physically, and Grant was determined to make the most of his time
“Really, I just took that all in,” Grant said, “just getting mental reps in, doing everything I can mentally while I’m recovering, really just helping other guys out, as well as focusing on the stuff that I wanted to work on in the offseason.”
The prospect of a more robust safety group bodes well for the Jayhawks’ chances of bettering last year’s sub-par pass defense.
“Just having that combination of all of us out there, switching here and there, is going to be great,” Logan said.
Chance Parker/Journal-World photo
Chance Parker/Journal-World photo
Chance Parker/Journal-World photo
Chance Parker/Journal-World photo
Chance Parker/Journal-World photo