The Kansas football season will kick off Sept. 5 against Northern Colorado. Here are five new players to keep your eyes on.

Quintin Woods

Bakersfield Community College, Bakersfield, Calif.

Woods, a junior college transfer, enters with the size (6-5, 230) and hype (he signed with Michigan out of high school) to warrant the top spot on this list. But Woods may also be the key to Kansas’ chances of winning the Big 12 North.

The Jayhawks struggled against the more potent offenses in the Big 12 last season and much of the problem can be pinpointed to a mediocre pass rush. Creating pressure without blitzing­ — and disrupting timing — goes a long way in shoring up a shaky pass defense.

Coach Mark Mangino’s take:

“He’s long and lean and quick and he really gets off the ball fast. And because he has a lot of range with his long arms, he’s able to get off blocks pretty good…He can really be a great run stopper to because he understands leverage. He knows how to get off blocks and he pursues the football very, very well.”

Bradley McDougald

Scioto High School, Dublin, Ohio

McDougald initially committed to Ohio State before switching to Kansas with the desire to play on the offensive side of the ball.

McDougald played running back and defensive back in high school but arrives in Lawrence listed as a wide receiver. Mangino said McDougald would see time as a freshman both as a returner and on offense.

Mangino’s take: “I have not really had a true freshman come in and do what he can do since I’ve been here. He will play. He’ll be in the mix both at the line of scrimmage and on special teams.”

Toben Opurum

Plano East High School, Plano, Texas

Part of Opurum’s potential to see the field early rests in the logistics of Kansas’ depth chart.

With Angus Quigley shifting to linebacker and Jocques Crawford transferring, Kansas is short on returning options at running back. And those remaining fall into the smaller, speedier category of running back.

That’s where Opurum’s 6-foot-2, 235-pound frame could factor in.

There’s no doubt that Jake Sharp will shoulder the bulk of the carries. But Opurum’s size provides Kansas with a different look and a possible short-yardage option.

Plano East’s Johnny Ringo’s take: “He’s a great running back, a tremendous receiver out of the backfield and also a very good blocker. He’s the whole package; he’s not just one or the other. As a running back, he brings a lot to the table.”

Vernon Brooks

Blinn County Community College, Brenham, Texas

The last member to join Kansas’ recruiting class, Brooks originally appeared Division II bound because of academics.

But after being cleared for Division I eligibility late in the recruiting process, Brooks drew interest from Oklahoma and Tennessee before settling on a Kansas team with little linebacker depth.

Brooks said he wanted to be an immediate impact player and he possesses all the necessary tools to do so. As long as he grasps Kansas’ defensive schemes in the offseason, there’s a good chance he could play right away.

Blinn County Community College assistant Keith Browning’s take: “He’s just an intense football player…I feel confident with his ability to play in space and in coverage. But I love the way he plays in the box when he gets to stop the run and get physical with people. He’s fast enough to cover somebody and he’s big enough and physical enough to play in the box and mix it up with the big boys when he needs to…He was a vocal leader for us and a very emotional guy.”

Calvin Rubles

Tyler Junior College, Tyler, Texas

With Kansas’ switch to a new defensive alignment featuring two linebackers and five defensive backs (4-2-5), the Jayhawks will lean more heavily on the depth of their secondary.

Kansas’ five starting slots appear filled but Rubles could very well be the sixth defensive back to see the field.

At 6-foot-3, Rubles’ height makes him somewhat of a rarity at cornerback – a fact that could allow him to match up more easily against the Big 12’s bigger receiving targets.

Tyler Junior College’s Danny Palmer’s take: “They’re getting a dominant, dominant corner. He’s a big corner, which people really look for today. In his coverage, I like to use the word absorb. He absorbs people in man coverage. He’s a great man corner and he’s real good in zone. He’s a really smart corner. A dominant, physically big corner that can run.”

— — Edited by Megan Morriss