The Kansas Jayhawks<\/b> are entering Year 4 of the David Beaty era, and little has changed since he arrived in Dec. 2014. The team\u2019s win total is negligible. Quarterback consistency is non-existent. The roster still isn\u2019t even close to the 85 allotted scholarships for FBS teams.<\/p>\n
The old adage \u201cThe more things change, the more they stay the same\u201d continues to ring true in Lawrence.<\/p>\n
Kansas has more holes than arguably any other FBS program. And, unfortunately for the Jayhawks, it will be hard for them to fix many, or any, of their issues with their spring program this year.<\/p>\n
What will be different this year for Kansas is the spring game. Rather, the \u201cspring showcase,<\/a>\u201d a byproduct of the team\u2019s lack of depth. Instead of a full scrimmage game, or the various modified scrimmages Beaty has tried during his tenure, this year\u2019s event will be an open practice.<\/p>\n The reason behind this decision is Kansas\u2019 complete lack of depth. Namely, the combination of a relatively small roster and numerous offensive line injuries made a regular scrimmage a non-starter.<\/p>\n The most notable health-related issue for Kansas won\u2019t only hurt the team all year, but can\u2019t be a good omen for Beaty. Center Mesa Ribordy<\/b> left the program<\/a> due to an undisclosed medical issue.<\/p>\n Beaty: KU currently down to 8 fully healthy and available O-linemen, so that made it difficult to play a spring game #KUfball<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Benton Smith (@BentonASmith) April 18, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Without Ribordy last season, the Jayhawks were shutout in consecutive weeks by Iowa State<\/b> and TCU<\/b>, and had 127 yards of offense combined in those games.<\/p>\n The injuries and adapted spring game are just two more roadblocks in a tenure filled with them for Beaty. He survived intense scrutiny from fans after Kansas\u2019 one-win 2017 season just to make it to his fourth year. After three wins total in three years, he will need a marked win-total improvement if he wants to stay in his job again next season.<\/p>\n Consistency is a dire need for the Jayhawks this year. That\u2019s not a new concept for Kansas, just a continuing trend. It\u2019s easy to identify that problem for KU, but the difficulty is finding where to start fixing it.<\/p>\n David Beaty said Kansas is still 3 years away from getting to the 85 scholarship limit. KU is up to 70 now, which Beaty was actually pumped about. Jayhawks were in the low 50s when Beaty arrived in 2015.<\/p>\n \u2014 Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) April 24, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Offensively, it starts at quarterback. There have been multiple starters in every season under Beaty, with each making multiple starts. This year will likely continue the trend, with Peyton Bender<\/a><\/b>, Carter Stanley<\/a><\/b> and Miles Kendrick<\/b> all jockeying for playing time.<\/p>\n Bender, a transfer from Washington State<\/b>, was last season\u2019s opening-day starter. He completed 54.2 percent of his passes last year for 1,609 yards with 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was often maligned by costly overthrows and an inability to sustain drives.<\/p>\n Stanley notably made a splash in 2016 when he led Kansas to a win over Texas<\/a>. He showed flashes of impressive play last year too, including a 400-yard passing performance<\/a> against Kansas State, but his year was mired in inconsistency.<\/p>\n Kendrick is a new, interesting case. At the very least, the most interesting aspect may be that he\u2019s new blood in the quarterback room. He\u2019s a three-star JUCO recruit<\/a> who adds a more mobile option for Beaty, which could provide a new playmaking ability for the offense.<\/p>\n The biggest downside for Kansas of not having a spring game is not putting the three passers in a game situation. Spring games can\u2019t answer every question, but they can help give coaches an idea of some answers.<\/p>\n The fact that #kufball<\/a> can’t even stage a Spring Game doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in the season to come…<\/p>\n \u2014 LarryvilleLife (@larryvillelife) April 18, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Obviously, the quarterback battle will be the biggest storyline to watch in the off-season. The team\u2019s issues stretch far beyond it, though. Just on the offensive side of the ball, the aforementioned offensive line struggles will make things difficult for whoever wins the quarterback competition.<\/p>\n Additionally, the team is simply lacks playmakers. This is an issue both offensively and defensively. Whoever starts at quarterback is going to have limited known quantities at the skill positions. Wide receiver Steven Sims Jr.<\/a><\/b> and running back Khalil Herbert<\/a><\/b> will be back, but the cupboard, at least in terms of established players, is effectively empty beyond them.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the same story defensively for the Jayhawks. With standout edge rusher Dorance Armstrong Jr.<\/a><\/b> gone for the NFL draft, the talent pool is even smaller this season for a much-maligned defensive unit. Defensive tackle Daniel Wise<\/a><\/b>, linebacker Joe Dinnen Jr.<\/b> and safety Mike Lee<\/a><\/b> are the only major contributors on the defense returning in 2018.<\/p>\n One boon for the Jayhawks defense, however, is incoming cornerback Corione Harris<\/b>. A four-star recruit from Louisiana<\/a>, Harris is the biggest recruit of the Beaty era so far. He instantly becomes the best coverage option for Kansas, something the team has been lacking for years.<\/p>\n Again, though, not having a game keeps the new and competing players from getting simulated game experience.<\/p>\n The value of that simulated experience is certainly debatable. However, any new deterrent for Kansas is one that slows the program\u2019s progress even more.<\/p>\n Barring a miracle, it\u2019s likely going to be another long season for Beaty and the Jayhawks. It doesn\u2019t bode well for the least successful Power 5 team of the last decade that even their spring game is a failure to launch, even if it hasn\u2019t always been a successful event<\/a> in the past, anyway.<\/p>\n Main Photo:\n
Needed improvements<\/h3>\n
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Beyond the quarterbacks<\/h3>\n
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>