Kansas – Better, Worse or about the Same?

Offense – The offense should be improved. The addition of John Reagan as offensive coordinator should help the offense find an identity, something that was sorely lacking last year. Montell Cozart is a year older and should be improved as a passer. Reagan should be able to maximize Cozart’s running ability in the new offense, and while losing James Sims hurts, Kansas still has several talented running backs on the roster. Adding Nick Harwell should improve the WR corps.

Defense – The defense should be about the same as last year’s. While Kansas will have a very group at linebacker and defensive back, there are some big question marks on the defensive line, where the Jayhawks have a lot of turnover. If KU can get some production here, the defense could be one of the better units in the Big 12. That is a big “if” though.

Overall – KU should be slightly better as a team. The offense has the potential to make improvements and the defense should be steady once again. Unfortunately, the schedule doesn’t do the Jayhawks any favors. I’ll predict a 4-8 season, with two wins in the non-conference slate and two Big 12 wins.

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KU Grad 08 of Rock Chalk Talk provided the information for our Kansas Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up.  For more Kansas  football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Rock Chalk Talk on Twitter @RockChalkTalk.

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Kent State Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up 

Strengths and Question Marks

The Flashes are hoping quarterback is a strength, with sophomore Colin Reardon returning with a year as a starter under his belt. Strong-armed redshirt freshman Nathan Strock also showed promise during the spring and gives the team depth at the most crucial position. Senior Casey Pierce shined at tight end as a pass catcher, and senior Chris Humphrey seems primed to emerge as one of the MAC’s better receivers.

Defensively, junior Nate Terhune leads a solid front-four.

The kicking game is also a strength with junior punter/kicker Anthony Melchiori.

Question marks include running back. Leading rusher Trayion Durham missed all of camp after undergoing offseason foot surgery, and there’s not much experience behind him. The Flashes are also searching for a breakaway threat after losing Dri Archer.

Defensively, linebacker is still a question mark, both in terms of depth and playmakers.

Breakout Players

Elcee Refuge, So, Star (hybrid LB/S).

Nate Holley, So., S.

Ernest Calhoun, So., slot.

James Brooks, So. WR.

Position Grades

QB: B

RB: C

WR/TE: B

OL: C

DL: B

LB: C

DB: B-

ST: B+

2014 Expectations

The 2014 team lacks the star power of last year’s squad, but I see more solid players producing better overall results. 7-5.

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Allen Moff of the Record-Courier provided the information for our Kent State Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up.  For more Kansas  football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Allen on Twitter @AllenMoff_RC. 

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Virginia Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up 

Strengths and Question Marks

The secondary is a strength. There is size, depth, experience and playmaking ability. And that doesn’t even include 5-star incoming freshman Quin Blanding.

The most glaring question mark is at the QB position, but the OL, WRs and LBs are also question marks. As are the special teams.

Breakout Players

The first would be Greyson Lambert. He’s going to be the starting QB, and his play will basically determine the success of this season (and ultimately Mike London’s career).

Beyond that, the two blue-chip recruits, Andrew Brown and the aforementioned Blanding. A couple of big young WRs, such as Keeon Johnson and Andre Levrone could really come into their own this season.

Position Grades

WRs and DBs get a B. Everybody else gets a C. QBs get an incomplete.

With the format of the game, it would impossible to tell how the QBs really looked, especially from just seeing highlights. The secondary had a bunch of picks, but also gave up some big plays. The picks were largely the QBs fault and weren’t really great plays by any means. The RBs didn’t get anything going, but that’s mostly on the OL. The DL looked good, but they looked good in last year’s spring game and that didn’t help much last season.

2014 Expectations

The team should be improved. There is more experience just about everywhere. There is more talent and more depth. However, the schedule is tougher and the coaching staff is still full of question marks.

As with most seasons, success is a bowl game. If they don’t make a bowl game, London is gone. If they do, he stays. It’s as simple as that. Predicted record: 3-9.

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Paul Guttman of Streaking The Lawn provided the information for our Virginia football spring update.  For more Virginia football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Paul on Twitter @TikiUVA.

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Temple Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up

Strengths and Question Marks

The team looks more like the team that played Central Florida down to the wire and blew out Memphis in the last half of the season than the one that opened 0-6. Reason: Quarterback P.J. Walker appears poised to do for Temple what Doug Flutie did for Boston College: Put the school on the national football map.

Walker is the real deal, throwing 20 touchdowns in his true freshman year after sitting out half of the season to get acclimated to the speed of the college game. So he’s the strength of the team. Very comparable, style-wise, to Teddy Bridgewater, but is a better runner and had a better true freshman season.

Defense improved by adding two JUCO All-American safeties, Shahid Lovett and Alex Wells, and has last year’s leading solo tackler in the nation, LB Tyler Matakevich, returning.

Until proven otherwise, the weaknesses are the corners and DL on defense (DL a solid run-stopping group, but unproven pass rushers).

Breakout Players

Walker was the 2012 Newark Star-Ledger State Player of the Year in New Jersey, but Khalif Herbin was that same paper’s 2011 State POY and the slot receiver is ready for a breakout year. His teammates already know it. The team held a draft to pick the sides for the spring game and Herbin was the No. 1 pick for the White squad. Walker was the No. 1 pick for the Cherry squad and Herbin’s team won, 10-9, in part because of a long Herbin touchdown. Herbin is small (5-7, 170) but explosive and has been favorably compared to former West Virginia star Noel Devine.

RB Jabo Lee, a former Tennessee signee, was held out of spring ball but should be 100 percent by the summer. Another RB, Jamie Gilmore, who was Rivals.com’s No. 7 all-purpose back in the country as a senior at North Marion (Fla.), had a great spring and will go into the summer No. 1 on the DC.

On the defensive side of the ball, DE Sharif Finch, LBs Matakevich and Nate D. Smith (there’s another Nate Smith on the team). 

Position Grades

QB-A

RB-B

WR-C

OL-C

DL-C

LB-A

S-B

CB-D

Special teams B (if incoming kicker Austin Jones wins the job),

2014 Expectations

I think Temple has enough to win 6 games if Walker remains healthy. If not, 4-8. He’s that much of a difference-maker.

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Mike Gibson of Temple Football Forever provided the information for our Temple Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up.  For more Temple  football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Mike on Twitter @papreps.

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