NamelessHusker Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 PART 1: Over the next few months, we will take a look at Nebraska's Big12 opponents and break them down position by position. That will give everyone on this board a better understanding of where our opponents strength and weaknesses are. We kickoff the breakdown with Kansas, which will visit Memorial Stadium on Sep 30th and conclude with Colorado on Nov 24th in Lincoln to end the regular season. Keep in mind, these are breakdowns of teams with guys either graduating, have exhausted eligibility or have elected to enter the 2006 NFL draft. In no way should they be considered set in stone. Over the course of the next few months, players mentioned can transfer, be suspended and kicked off the team, sustain an injury they keeps them out for the entire year. Kansas finished 2005 with a 7-5 overall record and 3-5 in Big12 play. They started 3-0 before going on a 4 game losing streak to Texas Tech (bowl eligible), Kansas St, Oklahoma (bowl eligible), and Colorado (bowl eligible) but finished the season strong and winning 4 of its 5 last games (loss to 2005 champion Texas) including a bowl victory over Houston in the Fort Worth Bowl. Kansas's strength this year was it's defense. It was anchored by 8 senior starters including Big12 player of the year OLB Nick Reid who was also first team all Big12 with fellow teammate Charlton Keith. Freshman Aqib Talib earned First team All Freshman by the recruiting service Rivals.com. Junior Defensive back Charles Gordon was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe award (given to the nations best DB). DE: Kansas will lose both defensive ends in Juco Jermial Ashley and Charlton Keith (9 sacks). Replacing them will be the duty of Senior Juco's Rodney Allen (10 games/ 14 UA, 1 Ass) and Paul Como (6 games/10 UA, 2 Ass, 1 sack) who both saw action this season as backups. Charlton Keith finished with 24 tackles for a loss of 102 yards on the season to go along with his 9 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 7 QB hurries, 1 int for a TD, and 60 tackles. DT: Kansas returns its starting defensive tackle in Soph James McClinton who played in all 12 games this season and saw action in 6 games his freshman year. He's backed up by Soph Eric Butler who also saw playing time this season on and off NT: Kansas must replace Senior nose tackle starter Tim Allen and that will fall on Juco Senior Wayne Wilder who will battle it out with incoming freshman and Juco's from the 2006 recruiting class. LB: Senior Nick Reid was argueably one of the best defensive players in the Big12 this year. Some LB's could be moved around to fill his shoes, but backing him up on the depth chart is Freshman Joe Mortensen who has yet to play a down. Kansas will also lose senior LB's Banks Floodman and Kevin Kane who helped Kansas attain the 3rd best rush defense in the nation this year. Kansas will have to rely on Senior Eric Washington and Soph. Mike Riveria to fill that gap. A tall order for a unit that ranked 11th in the nation in total defense with the likes of Ohio St, Texas, LSU, and Penn St who round out the top10. CB: Kansas will lose 1 of 2 CB's. Starting CB Theodore Baines and backup Donnie Amadi both graduate this year. Kansas will look for some help from incoming Freshman Anthony Webb and Juco Mike McCoy. On the opposite side, KU will return Freshman all American CB Aqib Talib who showed he was no pushover this year and shined. QB's learned not to throw to his side of the ball and if they did, he was there to cover. He still made Freshman mistakes and it cost Kansas after finishing ranked 59th in the nation in pass defense. Backup Ronnie Amadi (Donnie Amadi's brother) will also graduate, leaving KU inexperienced in the CB department should Talib go down with an injury next season. One guy who has elected to go early to the NFL is Junior Charles Gordon who had 9 career interceptions, leaving KU inexperienced in the backfield Safeties: Kansas losses 1 of 2 this year in Senior Rodney Fowler, and returns Senior Jerome Kemp next season. Kansas will also lose backup Marcus Hicks. Freshman Raymond Brown will battle incoming recruits for strarting position, but the lack of experience should make Kansas vulnerable next season in the backfield. Can incoming Juco Blake Bueltel shore up that inexperience? That remains to be seen. Freshman Olaitan Oguntodu will also battle for a spot on the depth chart as well as Soph. Sadiq Mohammed. Kansas plays a 4-3 defense with some Nickle D mixed into it. KU will return 3 starters on D next season. DEFENSIVE LINE: Left DE: Jermial Ashley Sr. Rodney Allen Jr. Right DE: Charlton Keith Sr. Paul Como Jr. John Larson Fr. DT: James McClinton Soph. Eric Butler Soph. NT: Tim Allen Sr. Wayne Wilder Jr. LINEBACKERS: Will (OLB) Nick Reid Sr. Joe Mortensen Fr. Mike (Middle Linebacker) Kevin Kane Sr. Mike Rivera Fr. Sam (OLB): Banks Floorman Sr. Brandon Perkins Sr. Eric Washington Jr. DEFENSIVE BACKS: Left CB: Charles Gordon Sr. Donnie Amadi Sr. Marcus Hicks Sr. Right CB: Aqib Talib Fr. Ronnie Amadi Sr. Theodore Baines Sr. Strong Safety: Jerome Kemp Jr. *Sadiq Mohammed Soph. Free Safety: Rodney Fowler Sr. Raymond Brown Fr. *Sadiq Mohammed Soph. players in bold will no longer on the roster next year *DE John McCoy who has missed the last 2 seasons while on tour in Iraq and DB Rodney Harris who missed 2005 for personal reasons will return to the KU lineup for 1 more year. Next week, we examine KU's offense, so stay tuned. Quote Link to comment
KansasHusker Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 you rule, keep the breakdowns coming! Quote Link to comment
Touchdown Tommie Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Thanks for the info!! Quote Link to comment
NamelessHusker Posted January 9, 2006 Author Share Posted January 9, 2006 Cornerback Charles Gordon made it public today he was leaving early for the NFL, giving KU 15 defensive players it will be losing this season, 8 of which are starters. and 7 backups. Gordon who doubled as a CB and WR finished with 9 career interceptions and 106 career catches for 1230 yards. He should be the last guy to leave the team. Quote Link to comment
KansasHusker Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Cornerback Charles Gordon made it public today he was leaving early for the NFL, giving KU 15 defensive players it will be losing this season, 8 of which are starters. and 7 backups. Gordon who doubled as a CB and WR finished with 9 career interceptions and 106 career catches for 1230 yards. He should be the last guy to leave the team. I honestly don't see KU's D being anything special next year with as much as they are losing...though some ku fans aren't worried of course I have read. was this a bail out why you can situation or even a situation where he didn't like being a WR to rely on all the time? haven't read much up on his annoucement...i'll have to hunt around on that. Quote Link to comment
NamelessHusker Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 In my opinion, KU's defense will take a big hit. You don't lose that many starters and not have a huge dropoff in production. KU isn't a school loaded with talent like Texas, USC, Ohio St who can have guys come in and make an immediate impact because they go up against the best WR's and RB's like USC players do. There's a reason why USC won 34 straight games and that's because the D saw everything from the good player to the freak players of nature (Lendale White, Reggie Bush) in practice. Quote Link to comment
chuckd Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Thanks for the breakdown Nameless Looking forward to the rest of them Quote Link to comment
Pedro Guerrero Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Their defense will NOT be good next year. They lose every single playmaker they have and they don't replace them with anyone that is proven. The LB's were the heart and soul of this years team and they will not be easily replaced. Didn't Gordan play mostly offense this year? Quote Link to comment
NamelessHusker Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 He played 50/50. He had 34 catches for 300+ yards and also had 28 tackles, 1 interception and 1 sack. Quote Link to comment
Pedro Guerrero Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 I thought after their offense sucked so bad they moved him to only offense. I could be wrong though. Quote Link to comment
Benard Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 is it true ks has 2 all big 12 players back that weren't even on the team last year? Quote Link to comment
KansasHusker Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 is it true ks has 2 all big 12 players back that weren't even on the team last year? don't know about that one... Quote Link to comment
HANC Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Hey, I give KU credit for beating NU this year... congrats and congrats on the bowl win.... BUT..... the time has not come when KU just "reloads" instead of "rebuilds". My goodness, they haven't stockpiled a ton of talent . They may be better than your average KU team of the past, but they will definately will not be as strong on D as this year, and without Gordon, they also lose a top "go-to" guy on offense. Welcome to Memorial Stadium KU.... and welcome to a start to another tremendoulsy long losing streak to the mighty Big Red. Quote Link to comment
Benard Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 All Big 12 DE John McCoy is back from Iraq and will be in spring drills and is already working out with the team. Also All Big 12 safety Rodney Harris is back after taking a season off for family issues. He also will be in for spring drills. Quote Link to comment
rocketlb Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 I think, when we beat them next year, we should take a picture of our team under the scoreboard and send it to them. That would be a nice christmas card or something wouldn't it? Quote Link to comment
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