Football practice notes

Below are all tweets from J Brady McCollough with my thoughts in (parentheses) from open practice and media day in Lawrence-


Kerry Meier is still taking reps at QB (this should only be happening for the first 10 days until the staff is certain that Kale Pick can be the backup, then it'll be full time for KM @ WR)

DT Darius Parish is practicing at OT (RT that is which is odd, I had him slated for OG due to his size, but we'll see)

Ed Warinner to frosh RB Toben Opurum: Run faster! (heard a lot of good reports about Daniel Porter lately, so its very possible that Opurum could RS this year which wouldn't be the worst thing ever especially if Porter is capable)

LB Justin Springer not participating in drills, Drew Dudley in with first unit (yawn)

KU showing a pistol formation near the goal line (Imitating anything the Chiefs do is not a recipe for winning but this might be the exception, I'm sure this is Mangino's way of showing all the media there that he isn't showing them anything at all)

KO returners: Briscoe, Patterson, Wilson, McDougald, Stuckey, Beshears (hmmmmm, I would put Beshears ahead of Stuckey in the race and Wilson behind Beshears- I really think this is going to be McDougald or Briscoe with Beshears as a dark horse candidate)

DT Richard Johnson Jr looks really impressive (a quick DT looking good, exciting)

Practice over. Most impressive unknowns: DE Quintin Woods, S Lubbock Smith, WR Bradley McDougald.
(Also heard good things about Anthony Davis at CB, Woods looking good is the most exciting, because we need to get to the QB and hit the QB, its that easy)

Mangino says true freshman LB Huldon Tharp is on his way to starting at LB. Says he doesn't know what he can expect from Justin Springer. (I knew Tharp was going to be good but not this fast, so this is really great news, Mangino and company are making a killing off getting guys who some of the bigger name programs don't pursue because of injuries. Just off the top of my head, John Williams - possible starting LG, Jeff Spikes - started at LT and RT as a RS FR, should be the RT again this year and now Tharp)

Mangino likes RB transfer Daniel Porter, says he is one of fastest players on the team. (best case scenario he proves an able RB and helps with the load of carrying KU to a North division title, worst case scenario, he helps out on special teams, which are always underrated)

Mangino says Angus Quigley hasn't improved as much at LB as he would have liked at this point. (no big shock here, maybe he can help out in the bandit package as I guy that goes headhunting and contrubute on special teams- also maybe this means we shouldn't be as excited about Tharp, maybe Tharp just sucks less than Quigley)



Rock Chalk