Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Kerry Meier, freshman quarterback, evades Missouri's Xvavie Jackson in the third quarter of Saturday's game against the Tigers. Despite injuries earlier in the season, Meier drove the KU offense for most of the season ender, coack Mark Mangino substituting freshman quarterback Todd Reesing only briefly in the final quarter.
For many people, the most recent memory of Jayhawk football is the 42-17 trouncing the team received at Missouri last November. While fans have been able to shift their focus toward March Madness and spring training, the memory still lingers for the members of the Kansas football team. But the team looks to erase the bad taste in its mouth when spring practices start today.
The team’s failure to make a bowl game placed glum punctuation on an up-and-down season that was marked by inconsistency in the secondary and passing game. However, these shortcomings are providing plenty of motivation heading into spring practices.
“If that’s not motivation, you are in the wrong sport,” coach Mark Mangino said. “We’re angered by it, and we’re determined to get it right.”
The players went through drills designed to improve their speed, endurance and change-of-direction skills, with a focus on bulking up in the offseason. The players used the disappointment that came along with last year’s 6-6 record to get them out of bed for the early morning training sessions. Despite their willingness to participate in conditioning, spring practices provide the players with a much-needed change of pace.
“The players are looking forward to spring ball,” Mangino said. “I think they’ve had enough of the indoor complex at 6 in the morning. They’re anxious to get started.”
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Kerry is considered the incumbent, but he is going to have to compete for the position.
-coach Mark Mangino
Along with a fresh state of mind, Kansas has some blanks on the depth chart that need to be filled before the season begins. The 14 practice sessions could help sort out some of the questions surrounding the roster.
Mangino said several positions in the backfield and secondary were up for grabs over the next four weeks. At positions like quarterback and defensive end, nothing is set in stone.
Senior fullback Brandon McAnderson will compete with sophomore running backs Jake Sharp and Angus Quigley for carries. Quigley has made progress in his recovery from a leg injury that cost him all of last season. The most visible position battle will be between sophomore quarterbacks Kerry Meier and Todd Reesing.
“Kerry is considered the incumbent,” Mangino said, “but he is going to have to compete for the position.”
On defense, junior-college transfers Patrick Resby and Kendrick Harper, both juniors, are in competition for the vacant strong safety position. The defensive line will be anchored by senior defensive tackle James McClinton and augmented by the addition of converted freshman linebacker Maxwell Onyegbule.
Fans will have the chance to see some of these adjustments in action at 3:40 p.m. Friday at the KU practice fields for the annual open practice and the spring game on April 15. How the team fares in 2007 may have just as much to do with the players’ reaction to adversity as with any changes to the depth chart.
Kansan sportswriter Asher Fusco can be contacted at afusco@kansan.com.
— Edited by James Pinick
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