Previewing the Safeties: 19 Days until Kansas Football
Each week, we will take a deep dive into one of the 10 main position groups, highlighting the key players to watch and giving you an idea of what to expect from the position this year. This week, we continue moving backwards in the defense. Today, we look at the cornerbacks.
Other Positional Previews:
Last Season
The Jayhawks only had 4 total players last season at the safety position who appeared in more than 4 games. Here is a list of each of those players, all of whom are back with the team this season:
| Player Name | Games Played | Total Tackles | Solo Tackles | Tackles For Loss | Passes Defended | Interceptions | Fumbles Forced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kenny Logan | 12 | 96 | 65 | 1.5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
OJ Burroughs | 13 | 49 | 38 | 0.5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Marvin Grant | 13 | 52 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Andrew Russell | 12 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The safety position was one that many felt good about going into last season, and it was mainly because of Kenny Logan, a two-time All-Big 12 honoree to this point. Add in some expected development from OJ Burroughs and the transfer of Marvin Grant and Craig Young, and the unit looked really good.
While much of the play from the defense didn't exactly go to plan, it's impossible to say that the Jayhawks didn't get everything they were hoping for and more from their safeties last season. Logan was the least productive of those that qualified to be rated by Pro Football Focus, but a lot of that had to do with him being on the field for the vast majority of the snaps.
Burroughs was an excellent coverage safety last season, while Grant was fantastic in rush defense. Add in some part-time coverage from Young, and the Jayhawks didn't have an issue with the position last year.
Cause For Concern
Depth. While there is a large group of players designated as safeties on the roster, it didn't appear last year that the coaching staff trusted any of them to jump in help spell the main contributors. Andrew Russell appeared in every game last season, but he did not have a memorable impact.
If the Jayhawks are going to take that next step on defense, they will need to be able to get quality play that will allow Logan and company to be fresh for the end of games. Especially since Craig Young is more likely to stick in a linebacker role this season. The addition of three safeties in the recruiting class should be helpful, but it's difficult to know how exactly these players will be able to contribute.
Reasons for Optimism
Top-tier talent for the unit is very good, enough that Logan has been recognized in multiple publications coming into the season. It is clear that they believe in the depth, or at least in the workhorse ability of the top 3 or 4 players to be able to carry the load. Given the improvement elsewhere, it's hard to think they don't have at least one more guy that can jump in.
Projected Depth Chart
The Jayhawks are razor thin on proven talent for the 2-deep, but it seems like the coaching staff is much more likely to bolster the defensive backfield through adding an additional corner than trying to add a third safety. So let's take a look at who will fill out the main rotation at the safety position
Starters: Kenny Logan and OJ Burroughs
Logan has been a star for the Jayhawks since he stepped on campus, both in the defensive backfield and as a returner. But his impact is also impossible to overstate. He is easily of the leaders on the defense, and the real question is if he is going to have the type of help he needs to avoid being tired out and taken advantage of late in games.
Burroughs really stepped up last season, jumping from quality depth to clear starter. His defense against the run has resulted in some huge hits and big stops, and he continued to improve throughout the year. The junior will see the field as much as his legs will allow.
Backups: Marvin Grant and Jalen Dye
Grant was a huge boost to the safety group last year, and he will easily log plenty of snaps. His power on the pass rush and run defense is a huge asset that led to some major hits. After transferring in, he assimilated into the system seamlessly, and I expect him to have a huge role this year too.
Dye, the son of former Kansas City Royal Jermaine Dye, came to the Jayhawks last season after spending a year in junior college. He was one of the few depth options to see the field last season, even if it was only briefly. After spending a year to develop, I think he is just as likely as any to be a backup for the squad. However, even if he isn't the primary backup, it's hard to imagine that any of the other backups will be able to pull snaps from Grant.
Depth
There are a lot of names here with a lot of potential, but the guys to highlight here are Andrew Russell and Akili Hubbard. Russell appeared in every game and has the history with the staff, while Hubbard comes to the Jayhawks out of Golden West College and is looking to make an impact as an upperclassman.
Coaching Staff
Jordan Peterson coaches all the defensive backs for the Jayhawks. He came to Kansas in January of 2020 under Les Miles, and was one of the staff members retained when Lance Leipold was hired. Prior to coming to Lawrence, he was the safeties coach at New Mexico from 2017 to 2019, also serving as the defensive coordinator in 2019. He also coached at Fresno State for five seasons.
Peterson's first season at Kansas saw the breakout of Kenny Logan, and his position groups have routinely been some of the best at tackling at each of his stops. The development continued in the last couple seasons with Cobee Bryant, Marvin Grant and Mello Dotson among other. These improvements give a lot of hope that he can continue to get the best out of his units this year.
Overall Thoughts
It's hard to think about this unit as anything but a strength for this team, as Bryant is getting plenty of recognition as one of the premier cornerbacks in the conference. And with the ability to be flexible and creative with the resources he has available, I trust Coach Peterson to get it figured out at the position.
It is going to be important for the safety unit to limit big plays if this team is going to be successful. That is going to require the rest of the defense to limit the need of some safety help to bail them out of bad situations. We'll either be talking about how strong this unit was, or pointing to how they were doomed to fail without any help.
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