It’s not clear yet whether either of Kansas’ players who wear No. 7 will be able to take the field on Friday night against Missouri.
The statuses of linebacker Bam Crouch and wide receiver Cam Pickett, both key starters for the Jayhawks who are battling injuries, remain in doubt after head coach Lance Leipold was not yet certain about their prospects in his weekly press conference on Monday.
“Bam did not practice today, Cam was out there, still has a ways to go,” Leipold said. “So I really don’t have a status yet on them, but trying to be hopeful on both.”
Crouch, a transfer from Boston College, suffered a shoulder injury on KU’s fourth defensive play of the season opener against Long Island, after he had recorded a tackle and been heavily involved on the Sharks’ opening drive.
That forced the Jayhawks to turn to their much-discussed, newly acquired reserves at the position early on: “We try to spend money and recruit to get depth, and this is what it’s about,” defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald said.
New Mexico State transfer linebacker Quincy Davis, while listed as the backup to Trey Lathan at middle linebacker, was the first choice to come in on the weak side after Crouch went down.
“I’m very confident in that,” Leipold said. “Quincy’s an extremely smart, savvy football player that (position coach) Chris Simpson and the guys there do a great job cross-training.”
Lathan, for his part, added of Davis, “He brings a lot of juice and it’s a lot of excitement playing next to him.”
The responsibility will not be solely on his shoulders. As Leipold noted, redshirt freshman Malachi Curvey continues to improve at the weak-side position, and KU also has the considerable athleticism of Marshall transfer Jibreel Al-Amin at its disposal. Those two names were listed beneath Crouch’s name along with the word “or” on the depth chart KU handed out on Monday.
“They’re going to have their opportunities there as well, but we feel Quincy has had enough time in this program and this defense that if need be, he can play both spots,” Leipold said.
As for Pickett, a redshirt senior and second-year Jayhawk who caught 45 passes for 476 yards and three touchdowns last season, he has been dealing with an unspecified injury since the late stages of training camp. Both he and Leipold had once expressed some confidence he would be ready to go for the season opener, but he did not appear against LIU on Friday.
Perhaps his most direct replacement is Tate Nagy, a true sophomore who snagged three passes for 40 yards and his first career touchdown off a tipped ball against the Sharks, and who also serves as KU’s punt returner: “I’m here for anything, you know,” Nagy said. “Whenever my name is called, I’m ready to step up and make plays.”
But if they continue to be without Pickett despite his return to practice, the Jayhawks will also likely opt for increased reps in the slot for wide receiver Keaton Kubecka, who had 24 snaps in that position in the LIU game per Pro Football Focus, as well as more opportunities for running back Dylan Edwards and No. 2 tight end Jailen Butler.
