Kansan staff writer Asher Fusco is previewing KU football, position by position. Tomorrow’s edition will profile the defensive line and linebackers.

OFFENSIVE LINE

For the past several years the Kansas offensive line has been quiet but effective — made up of established veterans and solid run-blockers. With three former starters lost to graduation, the Kansas coaching staff reshuffled its returning pieces on the line this fall.

Despite the turnover, this year’s projected starters have quite a bit of experience.

“We lost three players who were pretty good but we have some guys who have stepped up,” offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said. “We’ve got some older, more experienced guys battling for positions so by the end of camp we’re going to be fine.”

The three vacated spots on the offensive line are the interior positions: center, left guard and right guard. Junior Ryan Cantrell is the frontrunner at center. He is one of the most experienced and versatile linemen on the team. In 2005, Cantrell started five games at guard. He appeared in three games last season.

At the team’s most recent open practice the competition at right guard had not yet been settled. Juniors Chet Hartley and Rameses Arceo split time with the first team.

Hartley was one of the most highly touted members of Kansas’ most recent recruiting class. The Butler County Community College transfer drew attention from Florida State but chose Kansas instead.

“Chet Hartley is a player who is experienced enough to play right away,” Warinner said. “He’s 315 pounds and he played a lot of football at Butler (County Community College).”

Arceo transferred from Cerritos College before 2006 but took a redshirt in his first season at Kansas. He practiced with the starters for much of last week’s open practice.

Adrian Mayes is penciled in as the starting left guard. The 305-pound junior, who has only played in one game as a Jayhawk, looked shaky in preseason practice but impressed coaches enough to earn their confidence.

Kansas’ strongest position could be offensive tackle. On the right side, senior Cesar Rodriguez is above-average. On the left, junior Anthony Collins is stellar.

At 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, Collins is a bona fide NFL prospect and one of the best offensive linemen in the Big 12 Conference. Last year Collins dominated from the right tackle position but he said his teammates’ strong play has helped ease the transition.

“The line jelled together in the spring and the summer,” Collins said. “We were screaming, hollering, sweating and bleeding together in the hot sun. We really came together because we knew we’d have to play together.

Rodriguez stands 6-7 and weighs 290 pounds, tall and lanky for a lineman. With his singular athleticism he could help establish the Jayhawks’ outside running game and allow sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing to shift the pocket along the line of scrimmage.

Though the starting offensive linemen have plenty of talent, depth could be an issue. Redshirt freshman Ian Wolfe is the main backup at tackle. Wolfe is expected to be the team’s next star lineman, but he is untested.

The reserve interior linemen are junior Matt Darton and redshirt freshman John Marshall. Neither has seen significant playing time. The second string offensive line looked shoddy in the spring game and has not impressed in preseason drills, meaning an injury along the offensive line would be devastating to Kansas’ postseason hopes.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The unit most heavily stocked with veterans is undoubtedly special teams.

Kicker Scott Webb and punter Kyle Tucker are both seniors who have spent the majority of their careers in the spotlight. Webb and Tucker have taken home numerous awards and are both well above average.

“Tucker and I have been through everything,” Webb said. “We’ve been through highs and lows and we’ve seen it all. We can give some leadership because people can look at our faces and realize we’re not scared about anything.”

Webb converted 73 percent of his field goals last season and converted a career-long 49 yard kick against Kansas State. Tucker had a down-year in 2006 after an outstanding 2005 season in which he was named a Ray Guy Award Semifinalist and averaged 43 yards per punt.

The kick return unit was one of Kansas’ strengths in 2006 thanks to junior Marcus Herford. The ultra-athletic Herford earned an All-Big 12 Second Team nomination for his 26 yards per return average. He could improve his overall numbers this year because of a rule change that will increase the number of kick return opportunities.

Punt return duty has been shared between several players in preseason practices. Sophomore Raimond Pendleton and freshman Dezmon Briscoe are the most likely candidates to win the job. The two wide receivers could split time at the position and bring two different styles to the return game. Pendleton is a compact 5-11 and 190 pounds who utilizes quickness. Briscoe, taller and leaner at 6-3 and 200 pounds, relies on his speed.

Sophomore Kayl Anderson will be the long-snapper for the second consecutive season.