It might be dangerous to say, but it looks as if we’ve reached the point where fans and followers of Kansas University football finally can exhale.
It’s been a whirlwind couple of months, and there’s little doubt that everyone certainly can use a moment to recharge.
From the firing of Turner Gill in late November to the hiring of Charlie Weis in mid-December and the filling of Weis’ coaching staff and first recruiting class that followed, news has been flying out of the Anderson Family Football Complex at an unprecedented pace.
With all of that behind us and national signing day now a distant memory, it’s time to catch your breath and get ready for the next chapter — spring practice.
We’re still several days away from the start of spring drills — opening day is March 27 — and we’ve got most of March Madness to get to before we get to that point. But with the news slowing down and things getting relatively quiet around the football complex, here’s a quick look at the program’s most interesting offseason attractions.
**Conditioning.** There’s no question that this is the area fans will want to know most about during the next few weeks. Early returns suggest the Jayhawks have been treated to an entirely new way of thinking in the weight room this winter. Led by new strength coach Scott Holsopple, the players have been pushed like never before and most of them, at least most of the time, seem to have loved the results. Twitter is abuzz with posts about being worn out, bigger than ever and flat-out frightened for the next workout session. All are signs of an offseason gone right.
**Defense.** What type of defense are the Jayhawks going to play? 4-3? 3-4? Some type of hybrid? We’re probably a little closer to knowing the answer now that defensive coordinator Dave Campo has had a chance to look at film and spend some time with his new players. But we probably won’t have a true answer until the spring, when Campo and company can get these guys on the field and see them move. Don’t bother peeking into Campo’s past for a hint. He’s played plenty of both and is comfortable with either.
**Offense.** Weis knows what he wants to run and, to some extent, he has the players in place to do it. Might as well get to it. While a good chunk of Turner Gill’s first spring in Lawrence was spent becoming familiar with new terminology, you can bet Weis will have a lot of that done in meeting rooms and mandatory homework assignments prior to stepping onto the turf.
**Tracking the transfers.** We know nothing will be official until these guys graduate in May. Heck, Weis told us that much. But that doesn’t mean we are going to stop trying to crack the code of who these future fifth-year transfers could be. “Multiple,” which Weis referenced during a recent news conference, seems to indicate a lot. The guess here is that the number will be around five and will include a defensive lineman, a linebacker, a wide receiver and a tight end.
**Recruiting the next class.** There’s been a lot of excitement and hype around the Class of 2012, and rightfully so. But in college football, recruiting never stops and if Weis and Co. were able to put a respectable class together in a little more than a month, it should be fun to see what they can do with an entire year.
