Friday’s spring practice for the KU football team — No. 11 of 15 — kicked off with strength coach Je’Ney Jackson sending his guys back to the goal line after a lackluster breakdown that followed their warm-up.
“We’re about to scrimmage, fellas,” Jackson and other coaches yelled. “Have some enthusiasm.”
Seconds later, the breakdown was much more spirited and the Jayhawks had that fire the coaches were looking for.
This, of course, is nothing new. Coaches do this all the time and it has happened at KU plenty. But regardless of whether it encourages you to roll your eyes or pump your fist, it definitely shows the kind of commitment to the small details that this coaching staff and these players are working toward.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to stay for the scrimmage but there were a few other things that caught my eye while we were out there. Here’s a look:
**• Probably the most interesting aspect of Friday** came in the 7-on-7 period that happened just before we were asked to leave. Four different quarterbacks got four reps each and I timed how long it took each to get the ball out of his hands after receiving the snap. Here are the results: Michael Cummings – 2 seconds, 2.5 seconds, 3 seconds, 2 seconds; Montell Cozart – 3.5 seconds, 2 seconds, 3.5 seconds, 2 seconds; Frank Seurer Jr. – 3 seconds, 2 seconds, 4 seconds, 2.5 seconds; Brock Gilmore – 4 seconds, 3 seconds, 4 seconds, 4.5 seconds. Now, just because those back-ups held the ball a little longer does not mean the passes were incomplete or the plays were a bust. But if it’s tempo they’re looking for (and it is) it’s crystal clear that Cummings and Cozart are a full step ahead in terms of reading and reacting.
**• One special teams drill I hadn’t seen yet** was the onside kick recovery drill, which featured roughly 30 different guys running through the drill. One at a time, the guys would practice fielding the bouncing kick and then going down to the ground to secure it. Mixed results, as expected, but it was a fun drill to watch. About that attention to detail, special teams coach Gary Hyman got all over his kickers during the drill for not going rapid-fire enough. “This is their drill, not yours,” Hyman barked. “Get the kicks off faster.”
**• Watched the O-Line again for a while** and saw Zach Yenser calling out protections and then hovering over his guys while instructing them what to do. Most of them knew what to do to begin with, but he was creating stress and forcing them to focus while under fire. Bryan Peters was working at left tackle with the ones and twos and I can’t help but think he’s going to wind up being one of those Gavin Howard type guys this fall. He may not be the most impressive guy they have, physically, but he’s reliable, can play multiple positions and has a good head.
**• The Jayhawks will take the weekend off** and return to the practice fields on Tuesday for practice No. 12.
