Three players who impressed

Joe Mortensen, junior linebacker — Not only did Mortensen lead the Jayhawks in tackles, he kept the offense on its heels with three tackles for loss. Mortensen was projected as a backup after moving from outside linebacker to middle linebacker during the offseason. But Mortensen looked at home at the middle spot, directing teammates and making big hits. Mike Rivera played well with the second-team defense, but Mortensen was more impressive on Sunday.

Brandon McAnderson, senior fullback — McAnderson lined up in a number of different positions for the Jayhawks and was productive in every situation. He totaled 80 rushing yards on 15 carries and eight receiving yards on one reception. McAnderson wasn’t just versatile, he was elusive. The 235-pound back appeared quicker than last season, running around defenders instead of over them.

John Larson, junior defensive end — The battle for playing time at the defensive end position was one of the most intriguing of the spring. With four capable candidates vying for two spots, the situation was very fluid. However, Larson may have assured himself a starting spot with his performance in the scrimmage. Playing with the first team, he recorded five tackles, recovered a fumble and sacked Todd Reesing in the first quarter. Kansas looks stacked at the defensive end position with the stout Larson and lanky Russell Brorsen putting the clamps on the quarterback.

Three players who did not

Angus Quigley, sophomore running back — Quigley, by far the most physically gifted back on the roster, never lined up in the backfield. He was instead used mainly as a slot receiver, playing on the second squad. Quigley made two catches for 17 yards but looked out of sorts playing at his new position. Coach Mark Mangino attributed Quigley’s rust to having missed a few practices.

Darrell Stuckey, sophomore safety/punt returner — Stuckey may not have the title of punt returner next to his name anymore. He was fabulous on defense, making big hits at the line of scrimmage and returning an interception for a touchdown. He was not so successful when it came to holding onto punts. Even though every punt return was an automatic fair catch in the scrimmage, Stuckey looked nervous and missed several easy catches. Junior cornerback Gary Green looked much more steady fielding punts.

Donte Bean, sophomore running back — Bean cannot be solely taken to task for his performance on Sunday, considering the second-team offensive line provided little in the way of blocking, but he was the least impressive of all the Jayhawk backs. With Jake Sharp limited by a minor injury, Bean was the most frequently used tailback. He did not take advantage of the opportunity, rushing for one yard on 10 carries.