Kansas football: Pair of Jayhawks make preseason All-Big 12 team

A couple of Kansas football players made the Preseason All-Big 12 team for the 2020 season, which is a good sign for the team.

Kansas football is returning a lot of their talent from the previous season despite losing a couple of key pieces. First-team All-Big 12 lineman Hakeem Adeniji graduated, and so did former starting quarterback Carter Stanley. First-team All-Big 12 running back Pooka Williams will be back though, along with receiver Andrew Parchment, who was an All-Big 12 honorable mention last season.

In the media’s Preseason All-Big 12 team, which released yesterday, Parchment and Williams were both selected. While this was completely expected for Williams, since he’s made the first-team for both his freshman and sophomore seasons, it wasn’t as predictable for Parchment.

While his numbers last season won’t absolutely blow you away, Parchment did enough to show media members that he’s one of the top three receivers in the Big 12 conference.

Last season, Parchment totaled seven touchdowns and 831 receiving yards and both of those numbers should go up in 2020 due to the graduation of Daylon Charlot. Look for Parchment, along with fellow seniors Stephon Robinson and Kwamie Lassiter II to form one of the best receiver trios in the conference, if Kansas can find a solid QB.

Of course, the Kansas Jayhawks also have one of the best running backs in the Big 12 with Pooka Williams, who’s now had back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. There’s no reason that Williams won’t be able to do it again in 2020, and if he does, he should move into the top five in career rushing yards at Kansas.

Unsurprisingly, Kansas didn’t have a single selection on the defensive team. The defense last season struggled at times, plus many of those on last year’s defense graduated. One Jayhawk to keep an eye on though is linebacker Dru Prox, who had a season-ending injury in Kansas’ fourth game of the season against West Virginia.

Kansas football is going to need more than a couple of guys on the Preseason All-Big 12 team to get the program turned around, but that’s not the point. The Jayhawks have two offensive weapons in Williams and Parchment, and the team could rally around those guys to help put points on the board.

Plus, this is just the preseason team. Guys like Prox, Robinson, or maybe Gavin Potter could step up and make an impact before the season ends.