For all of the struggles the Kansas Jayhawks offense endured last year, they paled in comparison to the total futility of their defense. In a conference not typically known for prowess on that side of the ball, KU had the worst of the bunch. In fact, the Jayhawks had the worst scoring defense in America in 2015. After a full season under coach David Beaty and with a more experienced roster, Kansas will look to bounce back defensively this coming year. This KU Football 2016 Defense Breakdown will examine how the Jayhawks defense will stack up in 2016.
Kansas Football 2016 Defense Breakdown
The Kansas defensive line has taken several shots already this off-season. The team’s best front seven player last season, Ben Goodman, graduates in the spring, leaving the team without its most skilled defensive player along an already weak unit. Add to that the fact that the Jayhawks missed out on hometown recruit Amani Bledsoe Jr., a four-star prospect who chose to go to Oklahoma instead of staying at home with KU. Losing a solid defensive end and missing out on a highly-regarded recruit leaves the Kansas front seven with many holes and even more questions.
The team will likely turn to Dorance Armstrong Jr. as its new anchor on the defensive line. Despite low sack numbers in 2015, his freshman season, Armstrong showed his ability to penetrate the opposing offensive line and disrupt the quarterback frequently. His natural talent will be relied on a great deal in 2016. He will receive some help though, as defensive end Damani Mosby and defensive tackle Daniel Wise, two players who played in ten and 12 games respectively in 2015, will also be returning, giving something resembling a veteran presence to the defensive line. After netting just 26 sacks in 2015 and amassing the fourth-worst rushing defense in Division I FBS, Kansas desperately needs improvement on their front line this coming season.
Kansas’ linebacking corps should actually be a unit that Jayhawks fans have optimism for in this coming season. The main pieces of this position group will be returning, giving the group experience and a level of chemistry that the KU defense desperately needs. Led by senior Courtney Arnick, a mainstay on the Kansas defensive and special teams groups since 2013, Kansas’ linebackers have as much stability as any position group on the entire team.
The most talented linebacker KU has is Marcquis Roberts. In fact, he may be the most talented player on the entire defense, making him Kansas’ most important defensive player to watch in 2016. Roberts, a transfer from South Carolina, played in all 12 games last season, starting in 11, and made an immediate impact once he stepped on the field for the Jayhawks. Finishing second in tackles among linebackers for Kansas last season, only trailing the also-returning Joe Dineen Jr., Roberts is an athletic linebacker with a nose for the ball and strong tackling skills. Roberts will be relied on to not only stop the run but also to provide help in the passing game, something that he proved in 2015 he is capable of doing (he returned an interception 83 yards for a touchdown versus Iowa State on Oct. 3).
For as bad as their rushing defense was in 2015, the Jayhawks’ passing defense was effectively just as bad. Kansas was fifth-worst nationally last season in terms of passing yards allowed, giving up nearly 294 yards per game through the air. Despite these numbers, there is talent in the Kansas secondary. The cornerback combination of Brandon Stewart and Tyrone Miller Jr. was inconsistent throughout 2016, with incidences of both playing tight, effective coverage on the outside and also getting burned over the top throughout the season.
Miller is the younger of the aforementioned pair, as he’ll only be entering his sophomore season in 2016, and he is also the more intriguing player going forward. A corner with decent size (he stands six feet tall, weighing 180 pounds) and impressive athletic ability, Miller will be the Jayhawks’ top option outside next season, likely tasked with covering opponents’ top receivers on a weekly basis.
Safety Fish Smithson is another player to watch in the Kansas secondary. Smithson led the nation in solo tackles per game last season, accomplished with a combination of his natural tackling ability and his necessary use as the last line of defense in the run game. But Smithson is proficient in pass defense as well, providing a competent defender over the middle who has a knack for making plays when the ball is in the air (he intercepted two passes and broke up three more in 2015). A senior in 2016, look for Smithson to be a strong veteran presence in a secondary that needs drastic improvement following a dismal 2015 campaign.
Worst scoring defense, fourth-worst rushing defense, fifth-worst passing defense. Whatever way you look at it, it was a bad year defensively for Kansas in 2015. Add to that the struggles the team has faced already this off-season, including missing out on a top hometown recruit and having two players arrested on campus, and the defensive outlook for Kansas seems as bleak as ever. However, with several key players returning and with a year of experience under coach David Beaty, the Jayhawks should see at least minor, but certainly noticeable, improvements on defense next season.
