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In this post I'll be grading the overall position group of the 2023 KU football team.
Quarterbacks- Blaine got the start in the first game against Assumption. I think Blaine was kind of bailed out by Ravenel in that game. He didn't do great outside of Kurtis. After that, Novak took the reins and never let go. Judd showed that he is a solid dual threat QB. Needs to work on his decision making as a passer. There were times he would hold on to the ball too long or tried to force a pass. He also made plenty of solid throws that had me in awe. I think he'll grow as a passer (hopefully) in this aspect. He is a solid runner, plenty of times he would rip off a big run for a first down or break a tackle to get a few extra yards. He reminds me of DiGalbo when he first started. Hopefully they'll keep utilizing him as a dual threat. Overall Grade- B+
Running Backs- This is one of the position groups that never lacks behind or drags the whole team down. Davis-McNeil was one of the key factors on offense for this team and he did not disappoint. The playoff games against Rock and Mines were the only times this season he had below 50 rushing yards a game. Jordan Davis was a good RB 2; picking up yards whenever Davis-McNeil wasn't on the field. Him being hurt for playoffs affected the run game a bit. They will not be back next season, but luckily, we got a good look at the next RB duo. Jaedyn Stewart and Steven Burkhardt both showed that they can carry the running game next season. KU never fails to have a solid RB room from season-to-season. Overall Grade- A-
Wide Receivers- It's a shame this was Ravenel's final season. Dude showed off how much of a receiving threat he was. It's been a while a WR in this program had me in awe and wondering how he made some spectacular catches. Mehki Gibson showed off why he will be the next WR 1. He has great speed and was able to rip off some big yards. Outside of those 2, the rest of the room was lacking. Hastie was ok, nothing really stands out about him. Thomas was a non-factor. This group is gonna have to make a leap this offseason. Novak can't rely solely on Gibson. Otherwise it will turn into another Kapp situation. Overall Grade- B-
Offensive Line- The O-Line was fine this season. Not as strong as other seasons. They did well when it came to making holes and giving the RB's a chance. Pass protection was fine, could've been better. The line is losing 3 guys to graduation. Not a whole lot to say honestly. Hopefully the next group will be ready. Overall Grade- B-
Defensive Line- Another positional group KU does well with on a season-to-season basis. Wilson, Retter, and Pohlman were threats along the line. Wilson had a strong start, but got quiet in late October. None the less, still a threat that teams had to watch. Retter, who is only a rs freshman, was solid throughout the season. Pohlman was a good complimentary third piece on the line. Pohlman will be back for one more season and hopefully Retter sticks for the long haul. The D-Line is gonna take a hit to depth with guys graduating. Overall Grade- B+
Linebackers- Probably the best group on defense this season. Whary, Wolfe, and Hile made their impact felt on the field. The group contributed to 256 Tackles, 25 TFL, 9 sacks, and 3 INT's. Whary especially was an absolute unit all over the field. Wolfe was a quiet factor in the LB corps as well, doing the same stuff as Whary. Hile is only a sophomore and is looking like a future leader in the LB corps. A shame Whary and Wolfe are done now. Overall Grade- A
Secondary- Not as noticeable as a group compared to other seasons (especially the group of Jake Perry and Ahkee Cox-Cowan in 2016). But they did their job effectively, even if it wasn't pretty. Antaun Lloyd and CJ Brown were the biggest standouts of the group. A lot of them are leaving so it's up to Oyame Adoga and Drew Hensor to step up. They did well this season so we'll have to see. Overall Grade- B
Special Teams- Nate Millard looks to be a really good punter like Dean Krcic. Evitts had his final season so we'll see who they'll replace him with. He had a good leg, a much needed thing for FG kicking for KU. Overall Grade- B
Coaching- This coaching staff found several ways this season to make me question their decision making. Only to turn around and make me look like an idiot, that's a good thing. Their game-planning and play-calling weren't pretty...a lot. But they found ways to recover and win. That's all that matters. Overall Grade- A-
Quarterbacks- Blaine got the start in the first game against Assumption. I think Blaine was kind of bailed out by Ravenel in that game. He didn't do great outside of Kurtis. After that, Novak took the reins and never let go. Judd showed that he is a solid dual threat QB. Needs to work on his decision making as a passer. There were times he would hold on to the ball too long or tried to force a pass. He also made plenty of solid throws that had me in awe. I think he'll grow as a passer (hopefully) in this aspect. He is a solid runner, plenty of times he would rip off a big run for a first down or break a tackle to get a few extra yards. He reminds me of DiGalbo when he first started. Hopefully they'll keep utilizing him as a dual threat. Overall Grade- B+
Running Backs- This is one of the position groups that never lacks behind or drags the whole team down. Davis-McNeil was one of the key factors on offense for this team and he did not disappoint. The playoff games against Rock and Mines were the only times this season he had below 50 rushing yards a game. Jordan Davis was a good RB 2; picking up yards whenever Davis-McNeil wasn't on the field. Him being hurt for playoffs affected the run game a bit. They will not be back next season, but luckily, we got a good look at the next RB duo. Jaedyn Stewart and Steven Burkhardt both showed that they can carry the running game next season. KU never fails to have a solid RB room from season-to-season. Overall Grade- A-
Wide Receivers- It's a shame this was Ravenel's final season. Dude showed off how much of a receiving threat he was. It's been a while a WR in this program had me in awe and wondering how he made some spectacular catches. Mehki Gibson showed off why he will be the next WR 1. He has great speed and was able to rip off some big yards. Outside of those 2, the rest of the room was lacking. Hastie was ok, nothing really stands out about him. Thomas was a non-factor. This group is gonna have to make a leap this offseason. Novak can't rely solely on Gibson. Otherwise it will turn into another Kapp situation. Overall Grade- B-
Offensive Line- The O-Line was fine this season. Not as strong as other seasons. They did well when it came to making holes and giving the RB's a chance. Pass protection was fine, could've been better. The line is losing 3 guys to graduation. Not a whole lot to say honestly. Hopefully the next group will be ready. Overall Grade- B-
Defensive Line- Another positional group KU does well with on a season-to-season basis. Wilson, Retter, and Pohlman were threats along the line. Wilson had a strong start, but got quiet in late October. None the less, still a threat that teams had to watch. Retter, who is only a rs freshman, was solid throughout the season. Pohlman was a good complimentary third piece on the line. Pohlman will be back for one more season and hopefully Retter sticks for the long haul. The D-Line is gonna take a hit to depth with guys graduating. Overall Grade- B+
Linebackers- Probably the best group on defense this season. Whary, Wolfe, and Hile made their impact felt on the field. The group contributed to 256 Tackles, 25 TFL, 9 sacks, and 3 INT's. Whary especially was an absolute unit all over the field. Wolfe was a quiet factor in the LB corps as well, doing the same stuff as Whary. Hile is only a sophomore and is looking like a future leader in the LB corps. A shame Whary and Wolfe are done now. Overall Grade- A
Secondary- Not as noticeable as a group compared to other seasons (especially the group of Jake Perry and Ahkee Cox-Cowan in 2016). But they did their job effectively, even if it wasn't pretty. Antaun Lloyd and CJ Brown were the biggest standouts of the group. A lot of them are leaving so it's up to Oyame Adoga and Drew Hensor to step up. They did well this season so we'll have to see. Overall Grade- B
Special Teams- Nate Millard looks to be a really good punter like Dean Krcic. Evitts had his final season so we'll see who they'll replace him with. He had a good leg, a much needed thing for FG kicking for KU. Overall Grade- B
Coaching- This coaching staff found several ways this season to make me question their decision making. Only to turn around and make me look like an idiot, that's a good thing. Their game-planning and play-calling weren't pretty...a lot. But they found ways to recover and win. That's all that matters. Overall Grade- A-
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