Kansas’ top two corners will anchor the secondary once again in 2024.
Cobee Bryant announced Monday that he will return for his senior season — he posted a short highlight video on social media concluding with the words “I’m back.”
He joins fellow starter Mello Dotson, who had confirmed in a post of his own on Dec. 10 that he planned to stay at KU next year.
Bryant, a true junior from Evergreen, Alabama, started 12 of 13 possible games for KU at outside corner — he missed the first half against Nevada due to a targeting call the previous week — and racked up 32 tackles, nine passes defensed and four interceptions.
He did that even as opposing quarterbacks frequently avoided throwing to his side of the field altogether; in 10 of 13 games, he got targeted three or fewer times, according to Pro Football Focus. On the whole, he allowed 24 receptions on 37 targets for a total of 357 yards.
Bryant had a highlight-reel one-handed interception against Cincinnati, but he made some of his most memorable plays of 2023 in unconventional ways, including laying out a wide receiver for a forced fumble, fumble recovery and defensive touchdown against BYU and earning his first career sack in the bowl game to halt UNLV’s momentum.
He was named to the all-conference first team following the season.
Getting Bryant and Dotson — two of PFF’s highest-graded cornerbacks in the Big 12 Conference at 78.3 and 77.6, respectively — back for next season means that the Jayhawks will have a strong foundation in the secondary to bolster a defense that will likely feature quite a few new starters.
Questions remain about who will provide depth behind those two, however, with Kalon Gervin and Kwinton Lassiter lost to graduation.
Mike Gunnoe/Journal-World photo
