The Kansas Jayhawks are just under a month away from beginning their quest to get back to bowl eligibility and head coach Lance Leipold has already introduced the worst news possible to the public: a season-ending injury.
It was announced by Leipold earlier this week that former Texas Tech and Tulane transfer Tre’Von McAlpine was set to miss the rest of the season thanks to an ACL surgery that he underwent during the spring.
“Tre’von was injured in the spring, had surgery, and he will not play this season. We have filed a waiver and everything in place, and all things [hoping] that he'll be a Jayhawk next year.”
McAlpine was going to be a force to be reckoned with
In 19 games with the Red Raiders, McAlpine notched 32 total tackles along with 3 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
McAlpine took the risk on himself and moved to the Tulane Green Wave, where he finished his one and only season with 35 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 1 sack, with 1 fumble recovery for a team that made it to their inaugural College Football Playoff before losing to Ole Miss.
Standing at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, McAlpine was set to clog gaps in the middle, allowing edge rushers to get to the backfield.
Will McAlpine get another year of eligibility?
With the NCAA in the state of flux that it is currently in, granting McAlpine another year of eligibility should be the least of its worries, so that should mean that he is granted an extra year of playing time with the Jayhawks.
With McAlpine set to miss the entire season, Kansas’ nose tackle position is now up for grabs, which likely leaves Eamon Smalls or Jibriel Conde to take the mantle.
Eamon Smalls: Smalls joins KU from the NCAA Transfer Portal after three years at UAB. Smalls’ redshirt sophomore season saw him jump for 50 tackles 3.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack. Smalls was ranked as an 85-overall transfer and the nation’s 1,573rd best prospect in the portal.
Jibriel Conde: Conde’s final season at Grand Valley State saw him flourish, finishing with 30 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Conde was ranked as the nation’s 536th-best transfer.
What is next for Kansas’ defensive front?
Last season, KU finished with one of the worst defenses across the board. The Jayhawks allowed 184.1 rushing yards per game (105th-best in the nation); Kansas posted the nation’s 68th-best passing defense, allowing 225.4 yards per game through the air. Averaging out their total defense to 95th in the FBS with 409.5 total yards allowed per outing.
The Jayhawks have seen what a defensive line that is patched together looks like, and how quickly it can allow opposition offenses to dictate play. This is the first real test for second-year defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald to solve, and if done correctly, it could help steady Kansas’ bowl chances; however, there is absolutely no time to waste.
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