Highlights from Day 1 of Kansas Football Spring Practices

The Jayhawks feel like spring practices have started as well as possible.

Dec 26, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold celebrates with the trophy / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Editor's Note: The Kansas Jayhawks have kicked off fall camp, with tons of notes and interviews from players and coaches. Over the next few days, we will be looking back at the biggest news and quotes from each day of Spring Practice.

Day 1 of Spring Practices for the Kansas Jayhawks was a great chance to see head coach Lance Leipold and the players back at work to prepare for the upcoming season. Here are some key notes.


Leipold put a specific emphasis on the physicality of last season and how that can be carried forward into the spring:

“Getting everyone especially on the offensive side the ball. Let Jeff get his feet on the ground as a coordinator and adapting our way of doing it as I’ve said before we are going to keep as much terminology and system to be the same so he’s learning to in some way but at the same letting him put his stamp on this offense.”

He also talked about defense.

“Defensively we got DK who’s been a great addition. I’m excited about what he will give our secondary and defense as a whole as well.”

Leipold talked about some more of his key players and formed some key notes.

“Jalon got some work today. Cole I thought did a very good job. We have some class conflicts that Devin Neal will miss a fair amount of practice time.”

Jalon Daniels missed the majority of the games for Kansas last season and has been a focus point in practice.

“He did some. I’m really happy with the way he threw the ball. We will keep taking it day by day but he was definitely out here taking reps.

Isaiah Marshall is another key piece to watch as he was the quarterback signee from the state of Michigan.

“A lot of those guys should still be in high school worrying about who they are asking to prom and they are out here playing and it gets fast you know our pace in things for 11 on 11 is rapid fire . I was very pleased. You know Isaiah don’t change no matter whether he made a great play or thrown an interception. We really need to see someone with that composer and I think he showed that today.”

Coach Matt Glidersleeve also caught up with the media.

“Really since coach and I have worked here this has been the most complete off-season we’ve had.”

He talked about leadership.

“Leading by example. For us we consider that breathing in this program. If you don’t do things the right way that’s the baseline of leadership we don’t consider that leading that’s called being a good teammate.”

“If there is one thing that I’m the most pleased about it’s the attitude,” Coach Glidersleeve stated. He also added, “earlier in my career I can remember having some eight and nine week off-seasons as a head strength coach and I can always remember right around week 6 is when guys started getting tired of lifting and got tired of me barking at them all the time and then it kind of became that cat and mouse game of just getting them to come on let’s just get through the rest of the off-season then we will get to football. I did not sense that this off-season until the day we left for spring break. That morning when guys were flying out they came in and I was like they’re a little squirrelly I got to wrap them back in but hand to god I can tell you that there was not a day before that seven weeks and four days of training that I noticed that there was any sense of let’s just get through this today. Every day these guys were competing. I’m excited about what we did in those eight weeks but to me the foundation that builds for what we can do the rest of this off-season I think that’s what is the critical piece of it.”

“Cobee Bryant has had the best off-season he’s ever had here and I don’t mean just from a physical standpoint but I mean the way and the level he’s bought into his diet and nutrition and the way he’s competing.”

He goes on to say, “We are going to develop you from the second you walk into this program until the day you leave it and honestly after.“

Speaking of Cobee Bryant. He caught up with the media as well.

He was asked what the best part of practice was. “1 on 1s and competing you know. Just seeing the freshman. It’s just surprising seeing how they grow man.”