Through the Phog
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Next Kansas football coach will have talent to work with moving forward

By Dillon Davis

Oct 3, 2020; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Dillon Stoner (17) is tackled by Kansas Jayhawks safety Nate Betts (34) and cornerback Karon Prunty (9) and safety Nick Channel (41) during the first half at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2020; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Dillon Stoner (17) is tackled by Kansas Jayhawks safety Nate Betts (34) and cornerback Karon Prunty (9) and safety Nick Channel (41) during the first half at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /
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Despite all Les Miles’ shortcomings during his brief time with Kansas football, he has left a roster that – if it stays intact – will be one much better than what he inherited in 2018.

When Miles took over the Kansas program, the roster was in complete disarray.

The scholarship numbers had been ruined by former coaches David Beaty and Charlie Weis, who sought to quickly produce wins by filling gaps in the roster with junior college players instead of high school recruits.

However, Miles and his staff, to their credit, were building the roster the right way.

The three recruiting classes that Miles brought to Lawrence saw very few JUCO players. The 2020 and 2021 classes were composed entirely of high school recruits and each year their recruiting class got better and better.

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According to Rivals.com, Les Miles’ first recruiting class in 2019 was ranked No. 70 in the country. His 2020 recruiting class was ranked No. 49. And this past month, they finalized their 2021 recruiting class as the No. 42 class in the country. Not to mention, they just signed the highest-rated recruit in program history with four-star wide receiver Quaydarius Davis.

This past season, Kansas saw a ton of freshmen and sophomores play meaningful minutes. Many of them started multiple games, including freshman quarterback Jalon Daniels.

That experience at such an early stage is only going to benefit them as they head into year two or year three of their college careers. Then you add in some of the talented incomers from the 2021 class, like Davis and Devin Neal, and all of a sudden you have a roster that might be able to compete in the Big 12.

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This roster doesn’t have a clear-cut starting quarterback, but it has a lot of good surrounding players that can help lay the foundation for turning this program around – if they choose to stick around through this hiring change.

The question is – as it has been the past 10 years – can Kansas finally hire the right man to lead them?

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