2020 KU Fall Sports Preview (08-30-20)

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Sunday, August 30, 2020

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University of Kansas sports teams are preparing for a fall season like no other, with new precautions and shorter schedules because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what to watch for this year in football (page 2C), volleyball (page 4C), soccer (page 5C) and cross country (page 6C).

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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Sunday, August 30, 2020

R E G G I B N EVE S E G N E L L CHA BALL T O O F S A KANS

Photo courtesy of Kansas Athletics

MEMBERS OF THE KANSAS FOOTBALL TEAM CIRCLE AROUND TWO LINEMEN as head coach Les Miles starts off a drill at preseason practices earlier this month.

Pandemic presents unique test for Miles’ rebuilding team who might get some snaps late in games or if things go awry, some names to keep in mind at QB are Miles Fallin and Jalon Daniels. Fallin is a walk-on entering his third year in the program, while Daniels is a true freshman who was recruited by offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon.

By Benton Smith lll

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A

year after experiencing his first losing season as a head coach in almost two decades, Les Miles figures to take on an even larger challenge in his second year at the University of Kansas: leading a football program through a pandemic.

While other conferences have postponed their seasons until the spring semester, the Big 12 will try to press onward.

The Jayhawks went 3-9 in 2019 with Miles in charge, but even matching that win total in 2020 became more improbable for KU when the Big 12 opted for a 10-game schedule and eliminated two nonconference dates.

Two of the Jayhawks’ three victories in Miles’ first year came outside of the conference, against Indiana State and

Journal-World File Photos

MILES KENDRICK, LEFT, AND THOMAS MACVITTIE, RIGHT, are the two veterans who will likely be competing for Kansas’ starting quarterback job.

Boston College, while KU went 1-8 in the Big 12.

If the league can navigate its schedule successfully during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Jayhawks get all their games in, KU’s best chance at a win will be in its opener Sept. 12 versus Coastal Carolina, before playing five of its nine Big 12 games on the road.

Miles won major bowl games and a national championship during his 11-plus years at LSU, but taking the rebuilding Jayhawks through this schedule in these circumstances will present a unique test, even for “The Mad Hatter.”

Quarterbacks It wouldn’t be the preseason in Lawrence without a giant question mark at quarterback.

As has been the case for years, the Jayhawks don’t have a clear-cut No. 1 QB headed into the fall. Miles went as far as to call it an open competition.

While we don’t yet know who will take the first snap of the season at QB when KU plays host to Coastal Carolina on Sept. 12, it’s a safe bet that it will be one of two veterans.

Considered by many to be the front-runner for the job in 2019 before Carter Stanley secured the spot, Thomas

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MacVittie, now a senior, might finally get a crack at running the show.

But first he’d have to beat out junior Miles Kendrick, the other top contender for the job.

Kendrick has more in-game experience at the FBS level than MacVittie, having played in four games in 2018. But that was for a different coaching staff. Miles recruited MacVittie as a junior college transfer in his first KU recruiting class. Miles didn’t show any favoritism for MacVittie, though, when choosing Stanley as the QB a year ago.

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Running backs One of the easiest jobs for KU’s eventual starting QB will be handing the ball off to the Jayhawks’ star skill player.

A preseason All-Big 12 running back for the second year in a row, junior Pooka Williams Jr. has proven to be one of the most explosive offensive players around when KU gets him the ball in space.

A 5-foot-10, 170-pound runner and pass-catcher, the Louisiana native turned in 1,000-yard rushing seasons both as a freshman and a sophomore. In 11 games in 2019, Williams averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 7.9 yards per catch while scoring five total touchdowns.

Those within the program hope he can become even more productive this coming season, now that Dearmon, who took over as offensive coordinator midway through the 2019 season, is calling the shots.

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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

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Football CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2C

Even when Williams isn’t on the field, the Jayhawks hope to have reliable options backing up their star. Velton Gardner showed in flashes as a true freshman a year ago that he can break runs for chunks of yardage, too. In limited playing time and 10 appearances in 2019, Gardner averaged 5.3 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns, one from 45 yards out and the other a 32-yard run to the end zone.

Freshmen backs Amauri Pesek-Hickson and Daniel Hishaw Jr. could provide KU with further depth at the position, as could redshirt freshman Torry Locklin, who took some in-game snaps in KU’s version of the Wildcat, known around here as the Jayhawk.

Receivers The more KU relies on its running backs, the more opposing defenses will load up the box to crowd potential rushing lanes. But the Jayhawks have some fleet-footed receivers to make defenses pay and balance everything out — as long as they find a QB who can get them the ball.

Overall, receiver looks to be the deepest and most talented position on KU’s roster this year.

Assistant coach Emmett Jones welcomes back each of his three top passcatchers from a year ago: seniors Andrew Parchment, Stephon Robinson Jr. and Kwamie Lassiter II. Both Parchment (65 receptions, 831 yards, seven touchdowns) and Robinson (45 catches, 727 yards, eight touchdowns) proved to be deep threats

Courtesy of Kansas Athletics

KANSAS FOOTBALL COACH LES MILES PATS DEFENSIVE LINEMAN SAM BURT on the head during a preseason practice earlier this month. in the passing game in what qualified as a breakout season for both. Lassiter was steady, too, as a third option, bringing in 34 catches for 352 yards and a TD. The Jayhawks could benefit from some other receivers emerging this year, too, especially if they want to regularly spread the field with multiple receiver sets — scenarios that gave their playmakers space to take off last year.

Those complementary receivers could end up being returning players such as junior Takulve Williams or sophomore

Jamahl Horne. But don’t rule out some of KU’s freshman wideouts. Lawrence Arnold and Luke Grimm drew praise from veterans early in preseason camp, and Jones thought highly of the entire group of 2020 freshmen when they signed this past winter.

The class also included Tristan Golightly, Jordan Brown, Steven McBride, Malik Johnson and Kyler Pearson.

KU’s tight ends are likely to be used more as blockers than receiving threats, but they have some options at the position, too, with veterans

Jack Luavasa and James Sosinski, sophomore Mason Fairchild and true freshmen Trevor Kardell and Will Huggins.

Defensive line Just like last year, there are more questions than obvious answers on the front line of KU’s defense.

Malcolm Lee, a 6-foot5, 285-pound junior; Sam Burt, a 6-foot-4, 293-pound senior; and Caleb Sampson, a 6-foot3, 280-pound senior, all saw enough playing time in 2019 to give the D-line at least a little experience.

However, there are enough unknowns with the unit overall that the Jayhawks might end up needing some of their youngest players to produce.

After redshirting during his first college season in 2019, DaJon Terry has the size at 6-foot-4 and 345 pounds to potentially disrupt at the point of attack.

True freshman Jereme Robinson, at 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, is another young prospect who would help KU’s defense if he’s more ready to contribute than most firstyear players.

Marcus Harris, a 6-foot-2, 270-pound redshirt freshman, also could be needed up front.

Linebackers KU sorely missed Dru Prox much of last season at linebacker, and defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot will be glad to have him on the field once again.

Prox was so important for the Jayhawks that he finished ninth on the team with 39 total tackles even though a season-ending injury robbed him of the chance to contribute in KU’s final eight games.

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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

BALL Y E L L O V KANSAS

Sunday, August 30, 2020

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Journal-World File Photo

KU VOLLEYBALL PLAYS A MATCH in Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Sept. 12, 2019.

No tourney this year, but Jayhawks are still working hard

By Matt Tait lll

mtait@ljworld.com

T

he upcoming Kansas volleyball season won’t have an NCAA tournament berth on the line, but KU coach Ray Bechard said recently that you’d never know that from watching his team practice and prepare this preseason.

“We’re just going full speed ahead until somebody tells us something different,” Bechard said in mid-August.

In early August, the NCAA announced that all nonfootball fall sports championships had been called off in response to the ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, the biggest trophy Bechard’s Jayhawks will be playing for this fall is a Big 12 title. But for a program that only recently celebrated its first trip to the Final Four (2015) and first Big 12 championship (2016), the veteran KU coach said that challenge provided more than enough incentive.

“The NCAA tournament’s (normally) a big piece of our motivation,” Bechard said.

“But, given the circumstances and knowing there’s only a small percentage of teams still getting to compete, I think there’ll be some gratitude for

THIS STRESS IS TOO MUCH.

that. Because in the Pac-12 and Big Ten, they’re not even getting that opportunity.”

Loaded with newcomers and returning talent, the Kansas team is 17 players deep entering 2020. While some of those are freshmen and transfers playing at Kansas for the first time, Bechard said all of them would have a chance to contribute.

“Our depth is certainly going to be a strength,” Bechard said. “There’s a lot of times where you say there are three or four players who are just not ready to help you, but that’s not really the case for us.”

In all, 10 newcomers will be with the Jayhawks this fall, joining seven returning players on a roster packed with potential.

Seven of those 10 new faces will be freshmen — including the Big 12’s preseason freshman of the year, Caroline Crawford — and the other three are highimpact Power Five transfers: Jenny Mosser, a senior outside hitter from UCLA; Paige Shaw, a junior outside hitter from Mississippi State; and Anezka Szabo, a junior outside hitter from Nebraska.

All of those new faces have Bechard believing the Kansas offense will have a chance to be more versatile in 2020.

“We’ve got some pretty live arms,” Bechard said.

“And we can spread out our attack, so there’s been some good things there.”

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Volleyball schedule Sept. 25: Baylor Sept. 26: Baylor Oct. 1: at Texas Oct. 2: at Texas Oct. 9: West Virginia Oct. 10: West Virginia Oct. 16: at Oklahoma Oct. 17: at Oklahoma Oct. 22: at TCU Oct. 23: at TCU Oct. 29: Kansas State Oct. 30: Kansas State Nov. 13: at Iowa State Nov. 14: at Iowa State Nov. 19: Texas Tech Nov. 20: Texas Tech

Courtesy of Kansas Athletics

KANSAS VOLLEYBALL COACH RAY BECHARD SPEAKS WITH HIS PLAYERS FROM A DISTANCE during a preseason practice earlier this month.

Senior setter Sara Nielsen and redshirt freshman outside hitter Riley Foltz have shown the most consistency in terms of leading the 2020 squad. But Bechard said those two were not the only natural leaders on KU’s roster.

“Really, all of our returners have been leaders for us,” he said. “The newcomers

I AM NOT OK.

have felt very welcome and very comfortable, and that’s helped us get after it pretty good during the first couple of weeks of practice.”

Despite the appearance of face masks at practices and regular discussions about the pandemic, Bechard said he was impressed by his team’s poise and tenacity in the early going.

They’re excited to play, he said, and they’re viewing the 2020 season as a bonus rather than a disappointment. That vibe extends to the longer-thannormal preseason — normally, the Jayhawks would already have been competing by now.

“We’ve got more time this year, so we’re going to use it to our advantage,” Bechard said. “I haven’t really sensed any of our players having anxiety over the safety of competing and playing.

“We’ve told them in the past your responsibility to the program starts when you leave the gym and, boy, that’s never been more relevant than it is now.”

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KANSAS S OCCER

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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

‘JUST GO WITH IT’

Sunday, August 30, 2020

Courtesy of Kansas Athletics

KANSAS SOCCER COACH MARK FRANCIS instructs the Jayhawks during a preseason practice earlier this month.

Francis’ squad adjusting to COVID, major lineup changes

By Matt Tait

Soccer schedule

lll

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mtait@ljworld.com

eplacing three key players from last season’s Sweet 16 team will be a stiff challenge for the Kansas soccer program, but coach Mark Francis isn’t interested in making it harder than it needs to be.

“There’ll be some new faces in the starting 11 just because there has to be,” Francis said two weeks into his team’s preseason practices.

“Like I told the girls jokingly the other day, we’re not going to play with less players.”

Now in his 21st season leading the Jayhawks, Francis has been in Lawrence long enough to face some challenging rebuilding projects.

But history has shown him that players tend to step up when opportunities present themselves.

The 2020 Jayhawks will have to find players to do that at all three levels of the field to replace defender Addisyn Merrick, midfielder Sophie Maierhofer and forward and leading scorer Katie McClure, who all graduated after helping lead KU to a Big 12 tournament title and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

“Those were three of the first names you put down when you were doing the lineup,” Francis said. “So we lost some people in some key

Sept. 11: at Texas Sept. 18: Oklahoma Sept. 25: Texas Tech Oct. 2: at Kansas State Oct. 9: at Baylor Oct. 16: Oklahoma State Oct. 23: TCU Oct. 30: at West Virginia Nov. 6: Iowa State

Courtesy of Kansas Athletics

WEARING A MASK, KANSAS SOCCER DEFENDER CHAIS WRIGHT practices earlier this month. spots, but we’ve got some returners that did a nice job at times last year, and then we’ve got a very talented group of newcomers, too.”

Few have Francis as excited as junior midfielder Rylan Childers, who comes to KU after starting her career with the Kansas City Roos.

“I think she’s going to make a massive difference,” Francis said.

Joining the team’s top newcomer in leading the 2020 Jayhawks are seniors Ceri Holland, a captain in 2019, and Mandi Duggan, a fifthyear senior who has been a key part of the past few Kansas teams.

KU also returns junior goalkeeper Sarah Peters,

who started all 25 games a season ago and tied the program record with 11 shutouts.

Her 0.75 goals-against average tied for the third lowest in program history, and she earned a spot on the alltourney team at the Big 12 tournament.

“There are some kids that have been around for a while that know the way that we want to do it,” Francis said.

“And they’ve been a big help in kind of resetting that tone after being off for a while.”

While last season’s string of postseason success brought the program its first Big 12 tournament title and second trip to the Sweet 16, no such hardware will be on the line in 2020.

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In mid-August, the NCAA canceled all fall sports championships because of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the Big 12 regularseason title as the biggest prize for the Jayhawks to pursue this fall.

But Francis said his players weren’t disappointed for long after learning they wouldn’t be able to repeat what they accomplished last season.

“It is what it is, right?”

Francis said. “You just go with it. I think the culture of the group is really good.

Practices have been really intense. The fact that we still have an opportunity to play is terrific, and whatever we end up with, we just want to make the most of the chance to go compete.”

Francis said the unusual nature of the season, along with so many newcomers playing important r o l e s ,

would take some getting used to.

“As coaches, we’re probably going to have to do a lot of work because you’re going to be dealing with people in some key positions who are going to be new,” he said.

“It’s making sure they know exactly what their role is and what’s expected of them.”

One thing Francis doesn’t expect to spend too much time on is explaining to his players and staff members how to conduct themselves in the midst of the pandemic so the season can be played.

“You don’t really have to say a lot,” he said. “We have constant reminders out there every day, and at this point they know the protocol in terms of how to handle themselves around the facility and when they’re not in our environment. It’s just making sure they continue to keep making smart decisions.”

KU will open the pandemicshortened season on Sept.

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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Sunday, August 30, 2020

KANSAS C ROSS COU NTRY

GETTING BACK IN ACTION

Journal-World File Photo

RUNNERS PARTICIPATE IN A PAST BOB TIMMONS DUAL CLASSIC cross country meet at Rim Rock Farm.

After long hiatus in the spring, runners excited to compete

By Benton Smith lll

basmith@ljworld.com

A

fter spending much of their lives racing and competing, University of Kansas cross country runners have had a bizarre spring and summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The virus wiped out all longdistance opportunities during what would have been the outdoor track Redwine season this past spring, and head coach Stanley Redwine could sense the excitement in the runners when

they returned to Lawrence in mid-August to begin preparing for the season.

“I think everyone’s on a high from just being able to be here and being around and helping each other out and training,” Redwine said. “So they’re not looking at (the extended time off) as a negative. ‘What do we have to do to be successful?’ is what they’re focusing on.

This season’s schedule still hadn’t been published

as of this past week, even though cross country calendars typically begin in the last weekend of August or first weekend of September.

But Redwine said the slate will look “totally different” this fall than a typical KU schedule.

That’s because administrators and coaches want to keep the health of the athletes in mind, Stanley said. They had to consider bus rides and the

possible effects of runners making extended trips in large groups, whether it was wise to have overnight trips that would put KU athletes in hotels around people outside the program, and much more.

Redwine hopes KU will be able to host a meet on Sept.

19, but that’s still just a target date rather than anything set in stone.

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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Sunday, August 30, 2020

7C

Jayhawks

Football schedule

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3C

In Prox’s absence, then-freshman linebacker Gavin Potter got thrown into the fire, at least giving him some trial-anderror lessons that should help him headed into his sophomore season. Potter made 56 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss in his debut year.

Senior Denzel Feaster and junior Jay Dineen will be expected to help provide depth in the heart of the defense.

Meanwhile, the Jayhawks have some speed at outside linebacker with senior Kyron Johnson and redshirt freshman Steven Parker, who was one of the most sought-after recruits KU landed in 2019.

Johnson made 55 tackles and 5.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage while starting all 12 games.

PLAYERS WORK OUT UNDER HEAD COACH LES MILES’ SUPERVISION at a recent preseason practice.

Safeties KU’s secondary doesn’t have mainstays Mike Lee and Bryce Torneden anymore at safety, but the Jayhawks’ leading returning tackler from 2019 resides at the position.

Junior Davon Ferguson figures to be one of KU’s most important stoppers again after making 57 total tackles in his first full season at the Big 12 level. A 5-foot10, 197-pound defensive back from Baltimore,

Runners CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6C

Because the athletes are so excited to compete again, Redwine thinks they will follow the team’s COVID19-related guidelines

Ferguson ended up starting the final five games of the season in 2019 and now is one of the most experienced players in the KU secondary.

The Jayhawks will probably need a lot from senior Ricky Thomas at safety, too. Thomas didn’t play a great deal a year ago, but he did account for one of the team’s six interceptions for the year while playing as a backup in all 12 games.

and avoid running into problems.

But Redwine is a bit worried about the many factors that the program can’t control. If a runner wants to go out for dinner with their significant other, Redwine gave as an example, “that could start something.”

The coach said he will

Sept. 12: Coastal Carolina Sept. 19: open Sept. 26: at Baylor Oct. 3: Oklahoma State Oct. 10: open Oct. 17: at West Virginia Oct. 24: at Kansas State Oct. 31: Iowa State Nov. 7: at Oklahoma Nov. 14: open Nov. 21: Texas Nov. 28: TCU Dec. 5: at Texas Tech

Cornerbacks Already with 35 career appearances and 11 starts, fifth-year cornerback Kyle Mayberry gives KU a veteran presence and a crucial position.

Defensive backs coach Chevis Jackson needs to find more corners to plug in and play, though.

It’s unknown right now whether junior Corione Harris, suspended indefinitely following an arrest earlier this year, will rejoin the team this fall.

The rest of the position group is mostly freshmen, with the exception of senior Elijah Jones, from whom KU could use a breakthrough season.

Given the circumstances, it seems the Jayhawks will have to find ways for some of their freshmen, such as Valerian Agbaw Jr. (redshirt), Karon Prunty, Ra’Mello Dotson, Duece Mayberry, Johnquai Lewis and JaCobee Bryant, to contribute, as well.

Kicking A preseason All-Big 12 specialist, senior punter Kyle Thompson

enters this year as one of the few Jayhawks with impressive accolades on his resume.

Thompson averaged 44.5 yards per punt in 2019, with 18 punts downed inside the 20yard line and 17 punts of 50-plus yards.

For kickoffs, extra points and field goals, KU still has the man who handled all of those scenarios a year ago: senior Liam Jones. On extra points, Jones went 26 for 30, and he was 11 for 18 on field goals with a long of 46 yards.

Thompson and Jones have a reliable veteran setting them up, too — senior long snapper Logan Klusman.

continue to educate athletes about the seriousness of the situation and hope they make the right decisions.

“Really, what it comes down to is our athletes being smart,” Redwine said. “At practice, that’s definitely a controlled environment, but when they’re on their own,

that’s an uncontrolled environment. They just have to do what’s right.

Our season depends on them.”

When competition finally returns for KU’s runners, both the men’s and women’s rosters feature athletes Redwine expects to step up as top performers.

The men’s team is headlined by sophomore Chandler Gibbens, who was named the Big 12’s newcomer of the year in 2019.

The women’s team, meanwhile, features junior Ally Ryan, who suffered an injury that slowed her down last year but now is back

moving like she did in 2018, when she was one of the team’s best runners.

“We should have some pretty good runners on the front end, but in order for us to be successful it’s our number three, four and five runners that we have to have step up,” Redwine said.

First-year KU safeties coach Jordan Peterson said during the preseason that he expects senior Nate Betts and sophomore Kenny Logan Jr. to contribute at the position, as well.

Courtesy of Kansas Athletics

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