51 Days Until Kansas Football: Takeaways from the Jayhawks at Big 12 Media Days
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Big 12 Media Days started today with a bang, as Bob Bowlsby talked briefly about the situation facing the conference right now and Baylor President Linda Livingstone praised new conference commissioner Brett Yormark before the new commissioner talked strongly about the position of the Big 12 and how they expect to move forward.
But the conference leadership wasn't the only thing worth tuning in for, as Lance Leipold and several players made the rounds and talked about what they expect to see this coming season.
As expected, there were plenty of questions about the big win over Texas last season and the play after that from last season, but here are some of the biggest takeaways from Day 1 of Media Days.
Brett Yormark Impressed
Say what you want about conference leadership that last few years, but Yormark's first public appearance was a strong one. He talked confidently about his experience working with media partners and his ability to broker deals. The soundbite from his first appearance has to be "One thing is for sure: there is no doubt the Big 12 is open for business." But the thing that's up for debate is what exactly that means.
Many assumed that it referred to the reports about the Big 12 actively seeking new members with the unrest in the college landscape. Others theorized that it means the Big 12 is going to accelerate media rights negotiations. And of course it could mean any number of other things that nobody is thinking of. But one thing is clear: Yormark is going to be very aggressive in advancing the interests of the conference, and that is exactly what the Big 12 needs right now.
Importance of the Transfer Portal
Leipold talked about the importance of the changes to rules surrounding roster management. The Jayhawks shored up their roster largely through the transfer portal, and that allowed them to add players who have already developed to a degree and have some more maturity than you might normally get from incoming recruits.
Add in that the Jayhawks were able to return the vast majority of their contributors from last season, and the Jayhawks are expecting to get a big jump forward in consistency and development. But Leipold was clear, that may not translate into wins on the field, given the potential for development around the conference.
Expect to see more from the team this year though, both in execution and in the complexity of schemes and plays that will be used. Leipold touted the fact that they Jayhawks were one of the least penalized teams in the nation last year, and that discipline will serve them well in the difficult Big 12 this year.
Players are confident
The one thing you can't say about the team is that they lack confidence. Even though Leipold declined to name him as the starter going into the season, Jalon Daniels was talking about the big expectations he has for himself. Kenny Logan Jr couldn't stop talking about how well he was going to play this year, joking with Devin Neal about who the most feared player on the Jayhawk defense is. And Neal for his part talked not only about what he is expecting to do this season, but also how stacked the running back room is.
Sure, the confidence that the players are showing isn't really that unique. But it's good to have the story be about expectations for the players instead of off-field issues with players like in years past. It's nice to be able to hear players talk about their expectations and not immediately dismiss them as coach/player speak or just something they have to say.
Travis Goff covers it all
Kansas Athletic Director Travis Goff talked to the media today as well, and apparently you can't talk about Kansas Athletics without touching on the basketball team. Goff was asked about the pending infractions case, but indicated that there wasn't really any news to share. While he hopes that the case will be resolved in 2022, there isn't really a clear indication one way or another.
Goff was also asked about conference realignment, and his comments echoed a lot of what Chancellor Douglas Girod said last week. The way he sees it, Kansas is in a good place in the Big 12, with the conference poised to pick from multiple good options for long term stability.
And whether the Jayhawks end conference realignment in the Big 12 or another conference, the main focus is continuing to strengthen the current conference. No one, including Goff, believes that conference realignment is even close to finished, but he has confidence in the new conference leadership to help the Big 12 survive and thrive.
There will be plenty of other storylines to talk about, especially with another full day of press conferences tomorrow.
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