Kansas football: David Beaty takes action to fix offensive line
By Stan Unruh
Kansas football fans are watching the clock as we approach National Signing Day. The Jayhawks have taken action to fix an area that desperately needed attention.
Kansas football fans are counting down the hours to the February 7, National Signing day. Head coach David Beaty and staff have two weeks to take action, reassure student-athletes and get them to make a commitment. As a matter of fact, February’s National Signing Day is actually the second NSD for the incoming group of 2018 recruits. A number KU recruits used the new early signing period in mid-December.
Over the past week, coach Beaty and the Kansas football team celebrated the commitment of dual-threat junior college quarterback Miles Kendrick to the Jayhawk family. The team also welcomed a pair of Louisiana prospects in 4-Star cornerback Corione Harris and 3-star running back Pooka Williams to town. All three of these are quality additions to the Jayhawk football family.
Beaty and the Jayhawk team needs all the help they can find. These additions are significant but not the best news announced this month. The best news is that Coach Beaty found someone to coach the Jayhawk offensive line. The team also received a verbal commitment from a big offensive lineman.
Fans love to talk about quarterbacks, running backs and big potential heading to help the Jayhawks. We all know it won’t matter the number of stars given by recruiting services if the Jayhawk offensive line doesn’t block for the big names. We saw what quarterbacks Peyton Bender or Carter Stanley could do when they had time to throw the football. They put up big numbers in Doug Meacham’s Air Raid offense.
New offensive line coach has first test next month
A.J. Ricker is now in charge of coaching the Jayhawk offensive line. He has a lot of experience as an All-Big 12 player and at coaching stops in the Big Ten, Big 12 and the Southeastern Conference. I don’t care that he played and coached for the border state Tigers. Beaty believes he can help and the Jayhawk offensive line needs some hands-on attention.
Next: Staff changes may impact KU football recruiting
Ricker’s first big test is getting offensive tackle Mike Brown to sign a letter of intent on February 7. Rivals reported this week that the 6-foot-5, 340-pound Brown made a verbal commitment to Beaty. Brown stopped in Lawrence and indicated he wanted to transfer from the Eastern Arizona Gila Monsters to the Jayhawks. Ricker needs big linemen and needs to make sure Brown’s name is on the roster next month.