Former Defensive End D.J. Withers Leads Young Linemen Through Weight Gain Journey

Kansas Jayhawks defensive lineman D.J. Withers is entering the new season with confidence.

"It's going well," Withers said about his performance in camp on Saturday. "This has been one of my better camps. I gained a little bit of weight, so I'm doing good right now."

Withers currently weighs in at 301 pounds, up from 295 last year. Standing at 6-foot-4, the junior made 10 tackles, six of them solo, and recovered a fumble as a sophomore. Now, Withers is poised for a breakout year as one of the Jayhawks' starting defensive tackles, lining up alongside Javier Derritt.

As a veteran, Withers recognizes the value of hitting the weight room and has taken on a mentoring role for the younger players in the defensive line room, particularly redshirt freshman Blake Herold.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Blake's one guy I had to talk to. I'm glad he's putting weight on—he's about 295 right now, so he's doing good too," Withers said. "[Jim Panagos] told me, 'Y'all went through kind of the same thing,' because Blake played linebacker. So yeah, him having to gain weight and just learning the position—defensive tackle is hard. But he's coming on; he's doing well."

Withers is pleased with the depth and talent in the Jayhawks' defensive line as they prepare for the upcoming season.

"Oh man, we go real deep, especially with our two freshmen and Blake we were just talking about. They're doing well; they're looking real good in fall camp," Withers said. "Of course, Keen, Javier, Tommy, CT—everybody. We're all looking good, especially Javier coming in and being an older guy in the room. So we're all doing good."

The transition to Lawrence wasn't without its challenges for Withers. A defensive end in high school, he had to adjust to a new position and the increased physical demands that came with it.

"At first, I just had to learn to get used to the weight. I've never been that big in my life, so just getting to be that size, Withers said. "And then defensive tackle's hard because you get double-teamed—600 pounds coming at you all the time. So just having to deal with that, it's a big learning curve, but once you get used to it, it gets easier out there."

Withers credits the Jayhawks' nutrition staff for helping him grow into his role.

"Yeah, nutrition—I was with them every day," Withers said. "Extra protein shakes, extra protein smoothies, all of that. Anything I can do. When I go home, I gotta eat extra every night. Even before I go to bed, eating early in the morning, just trying to keep a routine, keep a cycle that I can just keep improving."

Looking ahead, Withers is focused on showcasing his improvements on the field and continuing his growth process as Kansas seeks their first Big-12 title in program history.

"One thing I came into this year is improving my quickness," Withers said. "I'll win a few blocks, but I won't be quick enough to get to the play and make the play. So that's one big thing I'm working on this year—improving my quickness, just to be able to make more plays in the backfield rather than on our side of the ball."