It’s only up from here.
It’s what makes college football so fascinating.
Despite the recent introduction of the transfer portal, annual roster turnover is still one of the most prevalent aspects of the sport. Each year, every school loses experienced starters… that’s a given. What determines the difference in talent between rosters, is what a given program does to replace those losses.
Kansas, at a glance, is in a much better position than most other Big 12 teams as it relates to returning production for the 2024 season. And the offense is the more encouraging side of the ball for the Jayhawks as the season creeps ever closer. They bring back Jalon Daniels, a legitimate NFL level Quarterback who missed most of last season with injury. With him in the backfield is Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr, the team’s statistically most productive rushers in 2023. The cherry on top is the fact that three Seniors make up the starting receiving corps; them being Lawrence Arnold, Quentin Skinner, and Luke Grimm.
It’s no secret that the fourth highest scoring Big 12 team from last year maintains the bulk of its offensive firepower. With a remarkable upgrade at Quarterback if Daniels can stay healthy (knock on wood). Although none of the aforementioned players cracked the Top 5 in individual production compared to the rest of the conference, all of them will surely elevate with an NFL caliber signal caller in Jalon Daniels in the pocket.
On paper thus far, all we see is an experienced, eclectic offense capable of reaching heights that were previously unimaginable. Typically, for Jayhawk fans, this is where there’s a caveat. But this season? There’s not much of a caveat on offense at all. The Offensive Line, albeit less flashy, was one of the best in the Big 12 last season. And although this unit loses three starters from the 8-4 2023 campaign, it reloads to a level that warrants high hopes.
Michael Ford Jr. and Bryce Cabeldue return to establish a strong core of Senior experience, paired with an incoming Senior D2 transfer in Shane Baumgardner at Center. The weakest position on the line, Left Tackle, received a boost in the transfer portal as well, with the addition of Michigan’s Amir Herring.
The most significant loss is that of Mason Fairchild, the Tight End who will not be returning for the 2024 season. Jared Casey and Trevor Kardell will hope to fill that void, and both have proven to be capable of doing so. Casey averaged a first down per reception last season as a valuable supporting cast member.
Long story short, there’s little reason to be concerned about the offense. Each position group either maintains the majority of its production, or has effectively retooled to replace what was lost. Experience across the board, in its own right, will inevitably prove useful in tight battles down the stretch of the season.
With possession of the football, Kansas is bound to be wildly entertaining, and a joy to have on our television screens from week to week. The team that was Top 3 in the Big 12 in both rushing yards and total touchdowns, with the most average yards per play, returns almost every offensive skill position player. And that team… is the Kansas Jayhawks.
What a time to be alive.