Kansas Jayhawks Football

What kind of world do we live in where one of the top five greatest college basketball programs of all-time gets thrown to the curb?

Lost in the shuffle of all of the conference realignment madness has been the Kansas Jayhawks.

That’s because the football team isn’t on par with the likes of Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma State in the Big 12.

Basketball-wise, no team in the league comes close to the dominance of KU. Clearly we live in a football-obsessed world that puts basketball on the back burner.

Just listen to the comments of Ed McKechnie, the leader of the Kansas Board of Regents:

We want the Big 12 to stay together. It's the right conference for KU and K-State. In the end, this is going to work out.

He sounds like a boyfriend who has a much hotter girlfriend and is happy just to be considered the significant other.

This is a team whose first-ever coach was James Naismith. A program ranked second on ESPN’s list of most prestigious basketball schools in the modern era.

They have 28 consecutive winning seasons, the most conference championships in Division I history and the second most wins of all-time.

Yet in 2011 they are looked at as a deterrent more than anything else in the grand scheme of conference realignment.

Texas and Oklahoma could care less about the tradition in Lawrence…they are too busy watching dollar signs bounce through their heads at the thought of jumping ship to the Pac-12 (a story that is far from over).

They don’t care about how their decision impacts the rest of the conference.

It’s not right how all major decisions are being based on football (see Syracuse and Pitt to the ACC), and it seems as if there is absolutely nothing bad football schools can do. They are the prisoners of the presidents with big football schools, and the entire college sports landscape is changing in order for the guys at the top to maximize the size of their wallets.

Meanwhile players are getting suspended for taking $100 from boosters who shove it in their face asking them to take it.

It’s a cruel setup that the NCAA has going right now, and they are doing the Kansas Jayhawks an extreme injustice by pretending a school like Texas A&M is more valuable than one of the most storied programs in the history of college sports.

You deserve better, Jayhawks.

With Texas A&M seemingly always one step closer to the SEC and Oklahoma looking to head west, the future of the Big 12 is in serious doubt.

If the Sooners depart for an expanded Pac-12 along with Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech, the remaining Big 12 schools will be left without a conference.

The Big East could put the final nail in the coffin by adding Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri. This expansion would give the conference 12 football members and 20 for basketball.

Before superconferences became a thought, Big East basketball was the first to have 16 members. This expansion would allow the Big East to continue having the largest hoops conference in the nation by a substantial margin.

The Big East sent a record 11 teams to the NCAA Tournament this year. That amount could be equaled or surpassed every year with the addition of three more strong basketball programs. In fact, why not give the conference it's own region on the bracket if it happens?

The Jayhawks are part of college basketball's Mount Rushmore and will be a national powerhouse no matter what conference they play in.

The Wildcats don't have as much to boast about as their rival from Lawrence, but Frank Martin has turned Kansas State basketball from an afterthought into a tournament regular.

Missouri has made the last three NCAA tournaments and went to the Elite Eight as recently as 2009.

All three schools have impressive resumes on the court, but the Big East is not trying to further corner its hoops dominance. It's trying to improve its weak football league and possibly save it from extinction. 

The Big East is by and far the weakest BCS conference in college football and by some accounts, even weaker than the Mountain West.

Expanding the conference to Missouri and Kansas certainly won't put Big East football on par with the SEC or Pac-16, but it would certainly increase its respectability. 

Missouri is a common sight in the AP rankings and would instantly become one of the best teams in the conference.

The same can't be said about the Kansas schools. The Jayhawks football program doesn't have much to brag about aside from its 2008 Orange Bowl win. While the Wildcats haven't been impressive lately, they were a national title contender throughout Bill Snyder's first tenure as head coach.

West Virginia (ranked 19th) and South Florida (ranked 21) are the only teams from the conference in the current AP Top 25 (an amount equal to the ACC). Missouri was ranked 21st, future Big East member TCU was ranked 25th and Pittsburgh received some votes.

With 12 schools, the Big East would finally be able to host a conference championship game and create divisions (in some geographical way, shape or manner).

West Division

Cincinnati

Kansas

Kansas State

Louisville

Missouri

TCU

East Division

Pittsburgh

Rutgers

South Florida

Syracuse

UConn

West Virginia

Again, not exactly a powerhouse, but it's a step in the right direction and makes the Big East's BCS appearance more legitimate.

Even if the Big East manages to get these former Big 8/Big 12 members, schools like Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia will still be expansion targets for other conferences.

The SEC will need at least one more school to go along with Texas A&M. West Virginia is a possibility, along with ACC members like Florida State, Virginia Tech and Maryland.

If the SEC is able to get an ACC member or three (for a 16-team conference) to go along with the Aggies, the ACC could react by going after multiple Big East schools.

However, they might not be the only ones with that thought. The Big Ten could have its sights on the Big East as well if Jim Delaney is having second thoughts about further conference expansion.

If the Big East does lose members after expanding to 12, that amount could still be maintained by going after Conference USA schools such as Houston and Central Florida.  Baylor could become a factor, as well, if any current Big East members are lost.

Or if no current members are in danger of leaving, the Big East could become a superconference of its own by extending four more invitations once Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri join.

The Big East could also bring in Baylor, Houston, Central Florida, along with another Conference USA member like East Carolina or Memphis. Big East Football would go from endangerment to being one of the benefactors of superconference expansion.

West Division

Baylor

Cincinnati

Houston

Kansas

Kansas State

Louisville

Missouri

TCU

East Division

Central Florida

East Carolina or Memphis

Pittsburgh

Rutgers

South Florida

Syracuse

UConn

West Virginia

The West Division is a hybrid of former Big 8/SWC schools and the East Division is mainly made up of current conference members.

One of those schools could be ruled out (likely East Carolina or Memphis), if Notre Dame finally joined the conference as a football member. Temple or Xavier could then be invited as a basketball member to have an equal number of teams. The Fighting Irish will be an interesting factor in how conference expansion plays out, regardless of what happens to them.

A 16 team basketball league seemed large in the pre-superconference era, but a 24 team basketball league seems fitting in the era of superconferences.

Many college football fans are forecasting an era of four superconferences in which there will be the Pac-16, an expanded SEC, a Big Ten that is more like the Big Twenty, and a Big East/ACC hybrid.

The Big East could dramatically alter those forecasts by expanding its footprint to Missouri, Kansas, and possibly beyond that. Otherwise, Tobacco Road and Madison Square Garden may soon be connected to the same conference.

The Big 12 is finished.

There's no way around it. It looked as if it were going to happen last summer, but somehow—somehow—Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe pulled a rabbit out of his hat following the defections of Colorado and Nebraska and managed to sell the 10 remaining members on sticking with the conference.

That rabbit turned out to be a mega-TV deal with Fox to broadcast the league's games into the 2020s with a kazillion-dollar pot that would have to be split only 10 ways instead of 12. But the deeper underlying issue remained: Who runs this conference?

The answer, of course, should be that no one school dictates a conference's course of action. Members should work collectively for a common good, certainly enjoying the accolades and success earned as individuals, but in turn sharing the financial benefits of those achievements with the other schools that made it possible. Think of it as, "Yeah, you beat us like a drum—now go win that BCS game and bring home the bacon." This is the nature of conference athletics. Collective, guaranteed money, among like-minded universities assembled under the umbrella of a conference's security and bargaining power.

But the Big 12 has devolved from this model—and done so publicly, for all to see. The most fundamental shift, and the one that portends certain doom for the league, is that the conference-first mentality mentioned above has been abandoned. Texas fans don't want to hear it, but the development of The Longhorn Network is the smoking gun of the new order. If Texas had used its leverage to push the creation of a Big 12 Network, we likely would not be where we are today.

Instead, you now have university presidents announcing their intentions to pursue what's in their institutions' best interests. On the surface, that may sound like common sense—reassuring to each school's fans, alumni and donors. But it is not the kind of talk that saves a conference.

So where does Kansas go from here? Last time around, I was worried about the Jayhawks' future. Would they land in another BCS conference or be forced into some kind of mid-major conglomeration? The uncertainty was disconcerting.

This time, however, I like Kansas' chances to land on its feet. The university brings a lot to the table in any realignment scenario. Now, I'm not blind to the fact that football accomplishment and football dollars are at the top of other schools' resumes in this reorganization—and there, Kansas comes up short. Yet, what the Jayhawks offer further down in their resume is more than enough to warrant a place in the expansion discussions of numerous conferences. This would include tangible traits that appeal to university presidents, such as research funding, endowment, library size and the performance of the debate team (2009 National Debate Tournament champs!). It also includes intangibles, such as a passionate core of fans who travel well throughout the nation and turn out to support their team at home even in the leanest of seasons.

If there is one thing that Kansas could do to make itself more attractive, it would be to find an "expansion partner"—another school with which to present a joint bid for inclusion. For Kansas, that school should be Missouri. The two represent bordering states with deep historical ties—though not always pleasant ones. They each enjoy strong support in the Kansas City area, and Missouri also brings St. Louis into the fold. In regard to academics, athletics and overall bearing, the two are virtually identical, further nurturing their mutual animosity. Even with this cool relationship, the Tigers would make good partners with which to venture forth into the unknown of realignment.

With these things in mind, here's my take on the current speculation:

Big East—This seems to be the scenario getting the most attention from Jayhawks fans. Part of that comes from revelations that Kansas had been in contact with the conference a year ago. Basketball would appear to be the primary motivation for this move, though football would likely benefit as KU would seem to measure up a little better against this league's competition. But on the whole, this is an odd fit for Kansas. A large school on the Great Plains squaring off against the likes of Seton Hall and Providence on the hard court and Pitt and Connecticut on the gridiron? It just doesn't stoke the imagination. I'd term this outcome a disappointment, but certainly less so if it's the only option to remain in the BCS.

Pac-12—This option is more palatable, but at the same time far-fetched. The Pac-12's attention appears to be firmly set on Oklahoma and points south, with BYU a possibility if expansion fever sweeps the nation. Kansas might be considered, but only if other schools were to decline the league's overtures. Like a move to the Big East, the travel distances are great—the Pac-12 would at that point span three time zones.

ACC—Certainly another basketball-motivated move that could help football as well. But like a Big East option, would matchups with Virginia and Wake Forest fire up fans? Granted, annual series with Duke and North Carolina would be a basketball-lovers' dream (myself included), but it's one of the few bright spots from this result. It would be better than a move to the Big East, but just barely so—something KU fans will realize as they travel to Charlotte or Atlanta for that first conference basketball tournament.

Big 12—Well, it's not dead yet, so the idea that the Big 12 limps along like a three-legged dog must be considered.  The conference needs a home run addition to remain viable, yet short of Notre Dame, there are no available schools that would even approach that designation. As it stands, a reconstituted Big 12 would be a glorified Mountain West or the WAC—a carousel of teams patched together with the thinnest of ties lobbying for attention on the national stage. And all this knowing that the oblivion of irrelevance was just one or two defections away. (A note about three-legged dogs: Are they lovable? Yes. Are they show-worthy? No.)

Big Ten—Far and away the best option that could occur for Kansas. This is where the KU brass should be concentrating all of their efforts. If mega-conferencing occurs, the Big Ten will need four schools to reach 16. Kansas is a better fit than you might think: Large state school, close proximity to a metropolitan population center (Kansas City), AAU membership, a loyal, supportive fanbase, and a Midwestern location. With Missouri as their wingman, the Jayhawks would look even better, establishing a solid geographical link with the rest of the conference when coupled with Nebraska on its northern border. A schedule with names like Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and Minnesota makes much more sense than any of the other realignment possibilities previously discussed. For Kansas fans and for the university, this is the best-case scenario.

The key question is whether the Big Ten is interested in Kansas. The answer to that question—and the need to have it answered—is much closer than you think. With any luck, the important people are already talking.

It seems that the next dominoes to fall in the conference realignment and expansion mess will be the teams selected out of the dying Big 12 to move into the Pac-12.

The initial report was that the four teams being targeted were Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Now there is talk that the fourth team might actually be Kansas rather than Texas Tech. The Jayhawks would bring much more to the table and should be the choice of the conference.

The first reason is simple geography and not in the traditional sense when it comes to athletic conferences. Generally when we discuss geography, we are talking about how well a new team fits with the teams that are already there.

In this case, we are talking about the conference's geographical reach. If the Pac-12 were to snag Texas, which we assume will be their first choice, there is no need to take Texas Tech.

The amount of fans and in turn, viewers, you would add from bringing Tech in would be small compared the amount of fans you would be bringing in by just adding Texas.

Then there is the media market issue. You aren't adding much by bringing in a team based on Lubbock, Texas. Granted, Stillwater and Norman, Oklahoma aren't big markets either but both the Oklahoma City and Tulsa markets cover the schools extensively.

You can't say the same about Tech. They are so isolated that the larger Texas markets don't give them much coverage.

Adding Kansas would open the Kansas City market to the conference. It's a fairly large media market and Pac-12 coverage would start to really cut into coverage in Big Ten country.

The biggest reason, though, is about the level of competition. By adding Texas Tech, you are adding a middle of the pack football team and a middling basketball program. With Kansas, you have a poor football team, but a historically good basketball team. Football drives these decisions, but the Pac-12 could really use a new basketball power.

If you think the college football world has been shaken up, you haven't seen anything yet. The next move will be huge as it will establish the first 16-team super conference. If the Pac-12 is smart, they will make Kansas, not Texas Tech part of that conference.

Just how distracting is Facebook and Twitter to college students? Do students put their social networking priorities higher when they make the switch from high school to college?

Kansas head coach Turner Gill has made it clear that his football players are not allowed to use Twitter. Many might wonder why Gill is so concerned about banning the players from using a social networking website. Can it really make a difference for an individual if a student athlete sacrifices using Twitter?

In the past, the University of Kansas has been known as one of the top party schools in the nation. While it hasn’t been ranked high recently, it is still known for its heavy party scenes that take place every night.

A lot of students come to Lawrence, Kan. and hope to have a good time while being enrolled as a student in Kansas.

Gill knows his players have the same expectations when they come to Kansas. However, Gill not only wants good football players, but also gentlemen. He wants the football program at the University of Kansas to be known as one of the best, however, he's willing to sacrifice that to give these kids an attitude adjustment and also build a football team with class.

Maybe Gill won’t lead the Jayhawks to a title with this type of strict coaching. However, if I was a parent, I’d rather have my kid receive an attitude adjustment from his football coach rather than be ranked in the top 25. Especially if the kid ran into problems in high school.

Maybe in the long run, Gill’s players will buy into the rules and respect him. Do players who show good character on the field and in the classroom find success on the field? That won't happen to every student athlete, but it's probable they'd find better results.

Not every head coach feels the need to place a ban on cell phones or the usage of social networking. However, Gill knows that the university he is coaching at can be famous for parties.

According to The Kansas City Star, some KU players claim the social networking was never a distraction. We’ll see if it makes a major difference when the team takes the gridiron.

For now, Gill wants a football program in which the football players come off as gentlemen and not just celebrities of the school. It’s likely that he feels in the end, it will lead to great success.

Football is back!  And with its return comes a feeding frenzy of free agency.  Could it be that Kansas Jayhawk fans have good news from KU Football?

As first reported by Matt Tait of KUSports.com via his Twitter account, ex-Jayhawk Chris Harris is supposed to sign a free-agent deal with the Denver Broncos.  Harris confirmed Tait's reported on his Twitter account as well.

For Kansas Jayhawk fans who have put the 2010-2011 football season in their rear-view mirror, finally something positive comes from that group of Jayhawks.

Harris, a 5-foot-10 defensive back from Bixby, OK, was a captain for the Kansas football team last season.  He saw playing time all four years at KU and was a part of the 2007-2008 Orange Bowl championship team.  Harris was also named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team by The Sporting News in 2007.

Although somewhat lacking size, Harris makes up for it with speed, agility and athleticism.  After going undrafted in the NFL, it seems as if the NFL will give him a chance to shine.  Harris will be the first Jayhawk of the 2011 class to sign with an NFL team.

Kansas went 3-9 last season with wins coming from Georgia Tech, New Mexico State, and Colorado.  Kansas head coach Turner Gill is entering his second season as the leader of the Jayhawks and will need a drastic improvement to win over his critics.

This won't be an easy task as the KU schedule is brutal for a rebuilding squad. Kansas has to play at Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M.

KU returns leading rusher from last season James Sims as well as bringing in four-star running back Darrian Miller.  The offensive also returns lineman Jeremiah Hatch, wide receiver Daymond Patterson and quarterback Jordan Webb.

For live updates from the Big 12 Media Days and Kansas Football, check out KUSports.com and KUAthletics.com.

Kip is on Twitter at @KipReiserer.  For more of his articles, click here.  Kip's blog here. 

Pat Lewandoski is going through the logistics of changing positions from defensive end to defensive tackle. This may be taken as a sign of Lewandowski's abilities, but it seems more to me like a sign of defensive set-ups to come.

Last season Kansas employed a three-front defense more and more as the season progressed.  

Occasionally Defensive Coordinator Carl Torbush used a 3-4, but more often it was a 3-3-5. Torbush utilized two corners, one deep safety, two box safeties (set up almost like wide outside linebackers) and a three front consisting of two defensive tackles and one defensive end. Usually the defensive end, Toben Opurum, was set out wide to the defense's right side and the linebackers stayed mainly toward the left, giving the setup an almost 2-4-like look.

Remember, Lewandowski isn't the only defensive end to switch positions since Turner Gill arrived on campus. Former ends Keba Agostinho and Kevin Young are already listed as defensive tackles and Randall Dent has moved to the offensive line.

Lewandowski certainly didn't move to the defensive tackle position to offset depth problems. These switches leave the defensive tackle position stuffed with seven potential contributors.  

Defensive end, however, now shows only the transitioning Toben Opurum, the inexperienced Tyrone Sellers, the non-experienced Jaqwaylin Arps, perennial scout-teamer Josh Richardson, recovering leukemia patient D.J. Marshall, and a wealth of newcomers.

Hopefully the switch indicates that last year's late qualifier Julius Green and Toben Opurum are really impressing the coaches in camp.

If not that, then perhaps it indicates a gradual transition of defensive schemes. Maybe the lopsided levels of experience at the two positions is a sign that Torbush plans on needing less talent at defensive end and more at defensive tackle.

Switching more permanently to a 3-4 would not only explain the transitioning defensive tackles, but would also explain the increased emphasis on linebackers this offseason. Former safety Prinz Kande has switched to linebacker, and Turner Gill talked six new linebackers into signing on with Kansas this spring.

To me, all this says is to look out for more 3-4 and 3-3-5 defenses.

In the 3-3-5, look for Opurum to line up wide again with two true tackles (any combination of Richard Johnson, Patrick Dorsey and John Williams) next to him.  

Look for two defensive backs to stay in the box (not necessarily safeties; last year the job fell to Tyler Patmon, Lubbock Smith and occasionally Greg Brown) and a third deep safety, probably one of the converted wide receivers Keeston Terry or Bradley McDougald.

In a true 3-4, something I expect to see more of this season, look for a bigger defensive end like Julius Green and either Kevin Young, Keba Agostinho or Pat Lewandowski playing on either side of one of the fore-mentioned true defensive tackles

Behind the line, Darius Willis and Steven Johnson could be a nasty tandem as inside linebackers with super-walk-on Malcolm Walker and Huldon Tharp patrolling the edges.  

Not much depth beyond that, though. Prinz Kande is little and learning the ropes, and I haven't heard much about redshirt freshmen Ed Fink or Jake Farley, though both have some potential. Hopefully Tunde Bakare and any of the four true freshmen coming in August can supplement this group.

Even in a four-front the Jayhawk defense should be better in 2011. The options are there at defensive tackle, and Toben Opurum and Julius Green provide a diverse look on the ends.

Overall, the talent-level of the Jayhawk defense hasn't gone up immensely; talent is something one offseason can hardly fix.  

However, there is youth, potential and even a little depth at most of the defensive positions. Not only should we see some interesting position competitions, but we could also see a diverse array of defensive looks.

Sometimes it's tough not to have a single defensive identity. Here's hoping that at least one of these schemes works out.

Because my first 'state of Kansas' college football article was met with moderate success, I've decided to try my hand at a second. This time, let's talk running backs.  

Former No. 1 recruit Bryce Brown (rSo.) and fellow former Wichita, Kansas standout Demarcus Robinson (rFr.) are likely to demand the bulk of Kansas State's carries. It'll be interesting to see if Brown can capitalize on all that potential and become the dominant force on a run-first team.

There aren't many touted names behind them, but Bill Snyder is the best at finding diamonds. I could see a little guy like Destin Mosley (rFr.) carving out a small niche for himself. Being a South-Central Kansas native, it would be cool if Deveon Dinwiddie's (rFr.) name popped up, too.   

Regardless, this is a young, explosive backfield. However, unlike the quarterback situation, the Jayhawk backfield provides the better storyline.  

James Sims (So.) and Brandon Bourbon (rFr.) are my early favorites. Rell Lewis (rSr.) is a wildcard (see below), and Deshaun Sands (rSo.) may land in a difficult situation in terms of opportunity, because these four are only the guys already on the roster.

Darrian Miller, Anthony Pierson and Dreamius Smith are among Kansas' best runningback recruits of the decade. Miller's Spring opportunities could put him in the driver's seat. Opportunities (and redshirts) given to these true freshmen largely depends on the guys listed before them, namely Lewis (who is understandably difficult to evaluate right now, which is why he's the wildcard).

That's seven FBS-caliber runningbacks (I hope). It's okay news now, but would be excellent news if a few of these guys separated and established themselves for the sake of Turner Gill and continuity. 

The Jayhawks have a slight edge on the offensive line. Gill returns starting experience at every position as well as a great infusion of youth and depth. The line is also significantly larger and has the highest ceiling of any Kansas group in years.

The Wildcats' synergy, on the other hand, may be out of sync in the early going. Snyder must replace three interior linemen in front of runningbacks who are talented but have little college experience and absolutely no Kansas State gameday experience.

Both teams return capable options at tight end and fullback. Kansas may have a very slight advantage, though. I'll take Tim Biere (Sr.) over Travis Tannahill (rJr.) and nearly any other tight end in the league. Prepare to be surprised at the impact a fullback like Kansas transfer Nick Sizemore (rSo.) can have.

Overall, I'll give Kansas State the edge. It's hard enough for any coach to out-run Bill Snyder when he's got talent at his disposal, and Turner Gill is still in an adjustment period. Regardless, both squads will feature prominent ground attacks this season.

If you like good quarterback competitions, Kansas is the state for you this football season.  They’re not getting the same press as many major competitions, and deservedly so, but it should certainly be of interest to Big 12 (or 10 or whatever the hell it’s called now) fans.

I’m a KU fan, so naturally I don’t follow Kansas State as well, and if anyone has any good information or insight on the quarterback competition, please chime in.  I’m here because I’m ready for good football talk.

It seems to me that, for the Wildcats, it would be the most immediately beneficial if junior Justin Tuggle won the job.  The grade-A JuCo product has good size, a quality arm, Bill Snyder-quarterback legs and some experience to boot. 

True freshman Daniel Sams features the cliché combination of great elusiveness and undeveloped tools as a quarterback.  He could have an instant impact on the return game and start immediately, along with fellow quasi-quarterback Collin Klein (6’ 5”, 230 pounds), at the receiver position within an otherwise ho-hum corps.

If senior Samuel Lamur is capable with the second team, Bill Snyder could afford to use Sams (and Klein) elsewhere.  Squeezing in some reps and formations at quarterback could help Sams develop, during the next two seasons, into the future full-time signal-caller. 

Kyle Klein and Angelo Pease are the other two names that might get mentioned in the Wildcats’ quarterback battle.

In contrast, Kansas’ competition has only one true bright spot.  Improvement on the offensive line, in the running game and within the offensive system overall will help every Jayhawk quarterback in 2011.

Senior Quinn Mecham is mentally light years ahead of the competition, but was cursed with a noodle for an arm.  True freshman Michael Cummings is a raw prospect who’ll be recovering from an injury through August; his name should pop up again in a year or two.

A super-developed freshman Brock Berglund or improvements from sophomore Jordan Webb are the best the Hawks can hope for.  Still, I have two pieces of advice for us hopeful KU fans.

No. 1, don’t give up on Webb yet.  His first campaign was bad, but the situation around him was tumultuous.  He’s only a red-shirt sophomore, after all.  Even if he doesn’t progress, he and Mecham will make nearly acceptable stop-gaps while the younger quarterbacks learn the ropes.

No. 2, don’t expect too much too early from those young quarterbacks, especially Berglund.  Only the most wishful thinkers should expect a game-changer immediately out of high school in an offense that’s still working its kinks out, like Kansas’. 

Ideally, growth from Webb will earn him the starting spot, and early maturation from Berglund will make him competitive for minutes down the road.  Super ideally, one of the three young quarterbacks will separate and distinguish himself as a quality starter for years to come.

All things considered, it looks like the quarterback scenario at Kansas State has a more positive vibe for the moment.  Kansas has a lot of youth behind center, though, and things could change down the road.