Isaiah Barfield, Tyler Patmon Top Kansas Depth Chart at Cornerback

There hasn't been a fresh KU football article online for half a month. It's unbearable to go so long without any sight or sound of football.

Without news, there aren't articles. Without problematic or exciting occurrences, there isn't news.  

All we fans can do is speculate as to what might be happening inside the athletic department walls.

That's what this is: good old-fashioned speculation. Just an attempt to generate some conversation for the sake of the sanity of the few remaining insane KU football fans.

This week, we'll speculate on the 2011 outlook for Kansas' cornerbacks.

This dude's been around for awhile and has played a lot of positions. Linebacker, safety, corner, and in high school he was even a running back.

Hawks is a local guy, and Kansas has always been the caliber of team that provides opportunities to his type of players. If Hawks works hard, Turner Gill is the type of coach who will reward him.

I don't want to overdo it, but I don't want the work of the scout team to go underappreciated.  If they're good in practice, our game day team is better prepared. 

Corrigan Powell was thrown into the fire of a season of high expectations as a true freshman when Isiah Barfield didn't immediately pan out. He showed hints of promise, but then seemingly disappeared.

Best case scenario, Powell learned a lot during his redshirt season last year and adjusts well to Carl Torbush's style of play. Due to injuries, the doghouse or a great spring, summer and fall, Powell gets an opportunity this season and capitalizes on it, becoming a contributor.  

His feel-good story is inspirational, and he becomes a fan favorite and a quality player for a good team in 2012.

Worst case scenario, he falls back into the nooks and crannies of the evil depth chart in 2011 and respectfully leaves the team and an open scholarship when he graduates in May 2012.

I'm not sure where I was going with that whole bit, but I do believe that in such a unique scenario, something in between would be a positive for the Jayhawks and greatly appreciated by myself, at least. 

Adonis Saunders looks like a hit-or-miss prospect as a college cornerback.  

He's got enough size and plenty of speed for the position. Whether or not Saunders develops his true cover skills will dictate whether or not he becomes a successful corner at the college level.

If that doesn't ever happen, he still has the tools to be a contributor on special teams or may even become a project at safety.  

Regardless, he'll probably spend his first year wearing a redshirt. 

Like Adonis Saunders, Chris Robinson will probably receive a redshirt in 2011.

Also like Saunders, his prospective success as a cornerback at this level seems largely contingent upon one aspect of his game.

In Robinson's case, he'll only become a quality college cornerback if he can overcome what he lacks physically. It's a cliche, but very true in his case.

Robinson's a competitive guy, but he's not a physical corner to begin with. He doesn't have to completely change his style of play, but he's got to get stronger and be aggressive when the situation calls for it.  

Hopefully Carl Torbush is a coach who can get him there.

Dexter McDonald is the biggest defensive back on Kansas' roster, and he's not done adding muscle yet either. Look for him to play at around 200 pounds in 2011.

McDonald also has the highest ceiling of any Jayhawk in the defensive backfield. He's big, fast and seems like a guy who'll get better with game experience.

If he flashes playmaking ability this spring, he'll find his way onto the field plenty in 2011 to help cover the big, strong receivers of the Big 12 (or whatever the hell it'll be called).  

Early on, he'll make the depth chart as a nickel guy, but look for McDonald to delve farther into big minutes as the season progresses.

His career didn't truly begin until Mark Mangino's final season when, as a redshirt sophomore, Anthony Davis was burned repeatedly by FCS receivers in the season opener.

Ultimately, Davis has found his way back onto the field several times since then. He's become a valuable member of the secondary, but the window is closing on his opportunity to become a truly memorable contributor.

Davis isn't super high on the depth chart to begin with, but if he doesn't improve and make plays, he could quickly fall victim to a rising Dexter McDonald.

Why is Greg Brown a cliche? Because he's the X-factor.

If Brown becomes a consistent playmaker, rather than just a stop-gap or a cushion corner, the Kansas secondary will be its greatest defensive strength.  

Brown showed signs of progression at the end of last season. If he continues to do so, Jayhawks fans will be in for a real treat. Should he grow as I hope, he could challenge for a starting spot and inspire plenty of Nickel usage.

Forget 2012; Brown will be a pivotal factor to KU's success in 2011.

Tyler Patmon grew into a decent playmaker last season, and there's no reason to believe he won't become a consistent, quality starter in 2011 and throughout the next three seasons.

Patmon is the future of this secondary, and he can prove it by helping the defense and team improve as a whole in 2011.

He's got enough size and speed to get the job done, but what makes Patmon special is he has a nose for the ball that Kansas fans haven't seen for a few seasons now.

I'm not sure Patmon will ever become a superb cover corner; his best work came as one of two box-safety types in the 3-3-5 that Carl Torbush used last season, specifically against Georgia Tech.  Fortunately, his cover skills on the edge progressed enough to make him immediately irreplaceable within the defense.

Barfield's a senior. He's only just begun to establish himself as a decent cornerback. He's coming off shoulder surgery. He's being trailed by two talented, hungry young corners.

This guy doesn't have a lot going for him, and he doesn't have a lot of time left to turn it around.

I think he will anyway.

Barfield will be a perfect leader for this group of cornerbacks. He won't pick off a lot of passes, but his coverage skills improve every week. His ball skills aren't superb, but he's very athletic and physical; he is one of the biggest hitters in the Big 12 at the corner position.  

He'll speak up and teach younger players, but he listens well and won't cause locker-room problems when his playing time or stats are threatened. He has experience in nearly every type of game against every caliber of competition.

It may not stick out on paper, but Barfield could become perhaps this team's most underrated player. It's possible that he'll become just another graduating senior from a so-so Kansas football team, but it would be sweet if he became a leader of a vastly improved Kansas football team.