Former head coach Turner Gill’s tenure at Kansas
lasted only two years after going a combined 5-19 in 2010 and 2011.
The Jayhawks hired former Notre Dame head
coach Charlie Weis on December 8, 2012 and Kansas fans
hope to see an improvement on offense and defense to get back to being
competitive in the Big 12.
Along with Weis comes
three highly touted but unproven transfers from powerhouse schools.
Former Notre Dame quarterback and five star
high school recruit Dayne Crist and former Brigham
Young five star quarterback Jake Heaps will battle for the starting quarterback
position for the Jayhawks in 2012. Former
Oklahoma five star wide receiver Justin McKay will provide a talented target
for both quarterback in the 2012 season.
Last year’s starting quarterback Jordan Webb
left the program after Weis brought in Crist and Heaps. Webb passed for 1,884 yards on 281
attempts with 13 touchdowns, but also threw 12 interceptions and was sacked an
incredible 31 times.
Other notable departures include senior
outside linebacker Steven Johnson who led the Big 12 with 124 tackles last year. The Jayhawks also lose a productive
tight end in Tim Biere who had 322 receiving yards
and two touchdowns in 2011.
Sophomore running back and team leader in
rushing yards last year James Sims will be suspended for three games next year
for violating team rules.
Kansas will be a young team next year with
many playmakers returning from a team that went 2-10 last season but it seems
they can only improve with more experience and talent at the quarterback
position.
Freshman running back Darrian
Miller will carry the load while James Sims serves his suspension in 2012. Miller rushed for 559 yards on 136
carries and scored four touchdowns in 2011.
Junior wide receiver D.J. Beshears
led the team in receiving last year with 437 yards and three touchdowns. Beshears will
be a viable target for whoever lands the starting quarterback role in 2012.
The Jayhawks 2012 recruiting class was less
than impressive in terms of recruiting rankings, but still has some talented
players including three star DT Jordan Tavai (Torrance, CA), three star MLB Schyler
Miles (Tampa, FL) and three star DT Tyler Holmes (Sachse,
TX).
When you hit rock bottom like Kansas did last
year, there seems to be nowhere to go but up. With a new head coach, new quarterbacks
and a young team, there are a lot of questions going into the 2012 season but it
seems hard to believe the Jayhawks would do much worse than their 2011
campaign.
2012 season record predictions:
Given wins: South Dakota State, Rice, Northern Illinois
Tossups: Oklahoma State, Baylor, Iowa State
Probable losses: Texas Christian, Kansas State,
Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, West Virginia
Best-case scenario: 7-5
Worst-case scenario: 3-9
My prediction: 5-7