Fall Camp Update - Days 4-6: 24 Days Until Kansas Football

We check back in on an eventful Fall Camp for the Kansas Jayhawks.

It's Year 3 for the Kansas Jayhawks under head coach Lance Leipold and staff, and preseason camp is just as fierce this year as it was last season. And despite the vast majority of the contributors and starters returning, there is still plenty of areas for competition and improvement.

Our last update centered on getting players back up to speed and setting expectations for camp. Early this week, the team put on full pads and have settled into a rhythm that they will use the rest of the preseason to prepare for week 1.

So let's take a look at some of the biggest updates to come from the last few days, including what they mean for the upcoming season.

Defensive Line Ahead of Schedule

The Jayhawks lost a lot at the defensive line positions. But the transfers that came in are following a fairly similar pattern to the ones that arrived in each of the last two seasons.

Kansas has looked to guys that have a lot of experience or have some familiarity with what they are trying to do (or both) and they have found a few of those guys in Devin Phillips and Gage Keys.

Phillips has started every game in his first three seasons on campus at Colorado State, a feat that is difficult to manage anywhere without a significant amount of talent. And while Keys hasn't had a lot of opportunities to play, he has performed well in his limited opportunities and was a target of defensive line coach Jim Panagos the first time he was being recruited.

And the other additions bring some unique talents and athleticism that have already started to flash in Fall Camp. Expect the competition to be fierce the rest of the way.

Offensive Line Competition Exists

In our offensive line preview earlier this offseason, I noted that the Jayhawks were returning the vast majority of their production. They also added a couple impact transfers, and the assumption was that the offensive line rotation would be small and pretty much known already. Instead, one of the Jayhawk freshmen might have something to say about that.

Players and coaches alike have had nothing but rave reviews for Calvin Clements, who was on campus for spring practices and has been able to use both his size and football IQ to impress everyone who works with him. It means that a crowded position room is even more crowded, while also providing some excitement for the upcoming seasons. I don't know that he will get on the field often, but Clements has put himself in the best position to both push those around him and give the coaching staff another guy to throw in the mix for some backup reps.

Even More Options Than Expected

We all knew that the return of pretty much every major contributor on offense was going to give Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki a lot to work with. But one of the challenges of having so many options is keeping everyone feel like they are engaged in the offense.

To help with that, Kotelnicki said they have taken some inspiration from the Kansas City Chiefs. The coaching staff has solicited input from the players on potential additions to the playbook, noting how eager the players are to provide some options. And with two quarterbacks, four running backs, seven wide receivers and three tight ends that all could be the focus of any particular play, there are a lot of options.

Add in that the coaching staff is pulling plays from basically anywhere they can find them (like maybe some dual quarterback looks that we highlighted earlier in the countdown), and it should be a very exciting season for the Kansas offense.