94 Days Until Kansas Football: The Benefit of Returning Production
The first year of the Lance Leipold era was both expected and somewhat forgiven considering the timing of when he was hired and how little time he had to install his philosophies.
But while a 2-10 record is not worth celebrating, the end of the year gave Kansas fans something that has been few and far between: hope. Yes, there was the overtime win at Texas that sparked the cultural movement that was Jared Casey, but even after that, the Jayhawks remained competitive.
Too often KU has followed up a bright moment with another blowout. But in 2021, the season ended with a three-point loss to TCU and a six-point defeat to West Virginia. The team got better as the year progressed and the longer Leipold had to mold the Jayhawks to his liking.
This context is necessary when bringing up this point: as of March, Kansas was tied for the most returning starters in the country with Mississippi State, Iowa, and NC State at 17. Nine of those come on the offensive side of the ball. ESPN’s Bill Connelly also tracks the returning production of every college football team, and this year Kansas is 10th best with 82% of its production coming back. In 2021, KU was 108th with just 64% of its production returning.
So, the majority of that team that got better throughout the year and ended strong is coming back in 2022. Most importantly, that starts at quarterback where Jalon Daniels has established himself as the QB1 and allows KU to head into a season with a clear plan at the position (barring injury). Alongside him, Devin Neal will look to build on a strong freshman campaign and Lawrence Arnold’s decision to stay at the program is a huge boost for the passing game.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Jayhawks will have experience on its side. Sam Burt is coming back from his Super Senior redshirt, and Malcolm Lee and Caleb Sampson are among those on the front seven back for a final ride. Meanwhile, senior Kenny Logan Jr. and talented sophomores O.J. Burroughs and Jacobee Bryant will hold down the secondary.
A lack of turnover is only as impactful as your roster’s talent and potential to improve. And the players Kansas got through the transfer portal to raise the talent level are just as crucial.
There are no guarantees that the progress made in November of last year will carry over to this season. Or that this means Kansas will go bowling this year. It’s a long, tough road Leipold and team are on. But the culture and growth is easier to achieve when the same players that have proven they can compete at the Power 5 level are buying in, building chemistry, and getting better together.
In that regard, Kansas is already off on the right foot.
