Kansas Jayhawks Spring Football Report: Day 4-5

Spring practice continue for the Kansas Jayhawks as they hosted Junior Day on Saturday, March 5th. In the Tuesday press conference, we heard from the defensive side of the ball.

The Kansas Jayhawks continued their spring practice on Tuesday, March 8th. The focus of the post-practice press conferences was on the defensive side of the football.  Defensive coordinator Brian Borland took to the podium and talked about the importance of spring practice, highlighting the value of players understanding the fundamentals, "Spring is really valuable for us because we didn't get that last year. It's going to help us so much more going into the fall because we'll be going through a lot of things again like anything else. The more you do something, the more comfortable that you feel."

Some highlights regarding practice included the return of linebacker Gavin Potter who was absent last week. Borland spoke about the return of Potter, saying, "I'm just happy he's here" he continued to say, "He's made that decision to stick with us."

Competition and Newcomers on the Defense

Like the offense, there are multiple position battles on the defensive side of the football, specifically the linebacker position. This offseason, the Jayhawks used the transfer portal to their advantage, bringing in defensive end Lonnie Phelps, linebackers Craig Young, Eriq Gilyard, and cornerback Kalon Gervin. These players bring experience from the University of Ohio, Ohio State, UCF, and Michigan State. Defensive coordinator Brian Borland commented on the players adjusting to the defensive system, "I think we hit home runs with those guys. I think in terms of who they are and what they're about, I think they're solid individuals and great teammates."

Borland also talked about the need to improve, stating, "We need to improve, and that's one of the ways that we can improve and need to is we need talent, and we need to develop more competition within positions." He continued saying, "I believe we were able to do that, and again so far, it's been quite honestly better than I would have imagined it to be those guys have adjusted very well, been accepted very well, and stood out because of their work ethic."

Linebacker Rich Miller addressed the media and talked about the Jayhawk's new additions saying, "They have done a pretty good job in my opinion." He continued by saying that "everybody is willing to learn and watch film. Everybody is getting a good feel for how we do it with a lot of reps and taking it day by day."

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Miller was asked about what has stood out about Ohio State transfer Craig Young, "He is good at finding the football, he can cover, can run, whatever you need him to do, he will do it." Miller also said, "he works hard. He will be tired, but he will still get to the ball. He is relentless in what he will do."

Kenny Logan Jr. Returning as a Leader for the Defense

Safety Kenny Logan Jr. returns to the team looking to grow as a leader and take on a coaching role for the younger players on the defense. Logan posted impactful numbers last season as he would lead the Big 12 and all safeties in the NCAA with 113 tackles. Brian Borland talked about Kenny Logan, saying, "he is really solid obviously he's a physical player. He is solid in the run game, and he's got things that he is going to really excel at." He continued saying, "He's got value playing our boundary safety. That's probably his chief value."

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Borland talked about Logan's counterpart, saying, "he would be a guy that would play a little bit more of the field and in space." He continued saying, "Be able to match up well and run well with slot receivers and things like that." Boreland continued talking about the value of the other safety to Logan, saying, "The other player just needs to be a guy that's got a skill set that he can be a premium on coverage."

Safety OJ Burroughs took to the podium and talked about learning from Kenny Logan Jr., saying, " Kenny always finds a way to lead us whether we're on the practice field or we're just hanging out anywhere." Burroughs continued with, "He always makes sure we are doing the right things or just going about things the right way, so he's very impactful on all of us."

Additional News Regarding the Kansas Football Program

Multiple Jayhawks will participate in KU's pro day, scheduled for Wednesday at 2:00 P.M. CT. On the list of participants are Kyron Johnson, Malik Clark, Kwamie Lassiter II, Ricky Thomas Jr., and Jeremy Webb 

Kansas hosted another Junior Day as part of Saturday's practice. Players from all over the country showed up in Lawrence to watch the Jayhawks practice and meet with players and coaches. Multiple high school players took to Twitter, thanking KU for a visit.