While the quarterback position is almost certainly cemented as Jalon Daniels’ job, there are a few Jawhawk starting spots that will be up for grabs throughout the spring and summer practices.
As teams filter in and out of the Big 12, head coach Lance Leipold will be evaluating and reevaluating his roster to see who is the best fit for every position.
When spring practice begins at the end of February, which spots will Leipold be paying the closest attention to?
These are the three positions that I think will be the biggest battles during spring practice in Lawrence:
Jayhawk favorite Mason Fairchild headed to the pros, leaving the starting tight end position wide open for quite a few contenders.
With two returners and two fresh faces on the field, it will be a definite contest for the starting job. Without a ton of college game time between the veterans, I could see it quickly becoming a toss-up for who takes it.
The returners on the roster will be seniors Trevor Kardell and Jared Casey. Leipold also recruited three-star prospect Carson Bruhn and three-star transfer DeShawn Hanika from Iowa State.
I currently expect Kardell to earn the spot as he was usually TE2 throughout last year and is one of the more tenured players on the roster. However, Hanika and Casey both have a good shot at usurping him from the job.