Team Info
Kansas Jayhawks
Head Coach: David Beaty
2014 record: 3-9 overall, 1-8 Big 12
2014 Bowl result: None
2015 returning starters: 3 offense, 3 defense

Betting Info
Odds to win 2016 College Football  Championship game: 5000/1
Odds to win 2015 Big 12 title: 500/1
Regular season wins: over 1 -160 / under 1 +130
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The Kansas Jayhawks might be the worst football school in the power five conferences. An appearance in the 2008 Orange Bowl might as well have been from the leather helmet era.  The Jayhawks have won only 12 games over the last five seasons. Not even former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis could do anything with the program. He had five wins in two and a half seasons before being fired four games into the season last year even though the Jayhawks were 2-2 at the time. Kansas would go 1-7 for the rest of the season under interim coach Clint Bowen to finish 3-9.

Kansas now turns to former offensive coordinator David Beaty to run the program. Beaty had been the receivers coach at Texas A&M for the past two seasons. This is his first head coaching job in college but he did coach in high school. Bowen will stay on as the co-defensive coordinator though along with Kenny Perry.

Unfortunately, the cupboard is pretty bare for Beaty. Only six starters are back and this looks like it will be another season for Jayhawks’ fans to count down the days until Bill Self’s basketball team begins practicing in mid-October. Still, let’s take a deeper look at the Jayhawks football team.

Offense

Beaty and new offensive coordinator Rob Likens have installed the Air Raid offense that is popular in college football. The offense was terrible last year averaging only 324 yards and 18 points per game. Somehow there were ten other schools that averaged less than 18 points a game last year. There is only one way to go but up for the offense.

Senior quarterback Michael Cummings took over the offense for the last seven games from an ineffective Montell Cozart. The offense showed some signs of life under Cummings, and he entered the spring as the starter. However, Cummings suffered a serious knee injury in the KU spring game and required surgery. He will likely not be ready for the fall. Cozart, a junior, is back and will compete with a pair of true freshmen Carter Stanley and Ryan Willis for the starting job. Cummings completed 56.1% of his passes for 1,715 yards with 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions and also rushed for 4 touchdowns. Cozart threw for 701 yards with 5 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, and also rushed for 63 yards on 52 carries.

Leading rusher Corey Avery was supposed to be back after rushing for 631 yards on 151 carries and 5 touchdowns, and also making 18 catches for 217 yards and a touchdown. However, he was kicked off the team in June after being suspended for an unspecified rules violation. Look for De’Andre Mann to get the starters’ carries after rushing 399 yards on 85 carries and making 8 catches in 2014. JUCO transfer Ke’aun Kinner and freshman Taylor Martin will also get some carries.

The top six receivers are gone for Kansas, and the returnees combined for only seven catches last year. Tre’ Parmalee should be the go-to receiver but he made only four catches last year. Rodriguez Coleman was supposed to start at receiver but he was kicked off the team the same day as Avery. The receivers do get transfers Quincy Perdue from UAB and Laquvionte Gonzalez. Perdue is eligible to play right away after UAB disbanded their football program but Gonzalaez must sit out a season. Ben Johnson  and Kent Taylor are solid at tight end and could get even more targets as the receivers get their feet wet.

Only two starters are back on the offensive line including center Joe Gibson and right tackle Larry Mazyck. The line struggled in both run blocking and pass protection last year.

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Defense

The defense gave up 453 yards per game and 34 points per game last year. Those numbers were pretty bad but honestly Texas Tech and Iowa State were even worse on defense than Kansas last year in the Big 12. Only three starters are back for the Jayhawks in 2015 on defense.

Ben Goodman returns to anchor the line, and Beaty says the D-Line could be a strength of this team. T.J. Semke is a former walk-on but will be a significant contributor. Andrew Bolton left the team in Mid-July and his departure leaves a void in an already thin unit.

The linebackers took a hit when Jake Love was kicked off the team the same day as  Avery and Coleman. Look for Schyler Miles and Courtney Arnick to anchor the unit. Miles is talented but has trouble staying healthy. South Carolina transfer Marcquis Roberts is trying to get his degree from South Carolina so he can play immediately. Otherwise he will have to sit out a year.

There are all new starters in the secondary. JUCO transfer Brandon Stewart looked good in spring practice and should be one of the starting corners.

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Special Teams

Kicker Matthew Wyman is back after making 9 of 15 field goals last year. Eric Kahn and Andrew Yoxall will compete to replace all-Big 12 punter Trevor Pardula. Coleman was supposed to return kicks, but punt returner Derrick Neal might do both jobs.

Schedule

Kansas opens at home against South Dakota State and Memphis. The Jayhawks travel to Rutgers to close out both September and the non-conference schedule. October brings road games at Iowa State and Oklahoma State, plus home games against Baylor, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. In November, Kansas travels to Texas and TCU, before closing the season at home against West Virginia and rival Kansas State Thanksgiving weekend.

Outlook

There wasn’t a lot of talent on this team before the injuries and dismissals. This team will be absolutely awful on both sides of the ball. There is a good chance Kansas could win the opener against South Dakota State and not win another game after that. Even games against 2014 bowl teams Memphis and Rutgers aren’t sure things by any means. In conference, I can’t see any wins other than maybe Iowa State and Texas Tech. Best case scenario is three wins tops for the Jayhawks and even that would be a minor miracle.

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