Kansas football: Can transfer corner Jeremy Webb fill the gap?

There weren’t too many highlights coming off Kansas football’s winless 2020 season, however, fans were excited about breakout freshman corner Karon Prunty. That is until he entered the transfer portal.

Unfortunately, Prunty decided to take his college career elsewhere, more specifically with the South Carolina Gamecocks. Since then, Kansas head coach Lance Leipold rebounded decently, landing 2022 three-star corner Jalon Peoples and graduate transfer corner, Jeremy Webb.

While Peoples won’t be on the scene until the 2022 season, there is some hope with Webb.

Webb is an experienced player who saw light action at Virginia Tech following an Achilles injury in 2018, and would then move to Missouri State in 2020 where he’d record 8 total tackles and a pair of interceptions, one coming against conference foe Oklahoma.

This should sound like good news to the ears of Jayhawks corners coach Chevis Jackson, who will be faced with some tough decisions on the defensive end come September. With the addition of Webb though, there’s an opportunity to lighten the load.

If Webb can carry part of the weight left behind by Prunty, Kansas’s defense may be able to hold their own when defending the air. With returning Big 12 leading passers Spencer Rattler and Jarret Doege making their way back onto the scene in 2021, the Jayhawks will need to make quick improvements to counter this conference’s passing game.

There will be some support alongside Webb in 2021, as corner Deuce Mayberry will be returning for his sophomore season after making decent contributions during his freshman year. In 2020, Mayberry was responsible for 5 solo tackles and a pair of recovered fumbles.

In addition to Mayberry’s return, incoming freshman Jacobee Bryant will have his chance to make an impact out of the gate. The three-star recruit showcased a pick-six in the 2021 spring game and should be on fans’ watchlist of breakout defenders.

Kansas has the pieces to recover defensively, but it will likely take some time before they start to find a rhythm. If enough support can be lent to Webb, there could be a solid pass defense brewing in the background.