Decision Time: Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas

Why Dezmon Briscoe made the right decision to turn pro and enter the 2010 NFL Draft.

1. Program in transition: New head coach Turner Gill has big shoes to fill. Say what you want about Mark Mangino being an insensitive brute; the man completely turned around a program in ruins. In fact, since coming to Kansas in 2002, the big man engineered a high-flying and prolific offense, which led throngs of fans to donate the necessary funds to bring KU’s facilities up to Big 12 standards. While Gill inherits a good player base to remain competitive in the early-going, the former quarterback’s resume at Buffalo saw him amass a 15-18 record in conference play in a rather weak Mid-American Conference. Even in his conference-winning season a year ago, Gill’s squad was barely a .500 team, which played its best game in the conference final. The Bulls went on to lose their bowl game despite being located only a stone’s throw away from the game’s site in Toronto. Also, the fact that Gill is a Nebraska guy may dissuade top recruits from committing to the Jayhawks due to the perception that he’ll immediately jump ship to coach his old team if given the opportunity. Briscoe didn't wait to find out who the new head coach would be, but Coach Mangino had more than one foot out the door when the wide out made his decision.

2. New quarterback takes over for Reesing: Kansas fans are bracing themselves for life after Todd Reesing, who was the ring leader of an electrifying passing game thanks to his intelligence, accuracy and consistent play. Briscoe’s return to Kansas would have had him adjusting to the growing pains of the athletic, but unproven Kale Pick at quarterback.

3. It doesn’t get any better than this: While completing a four-year college education is the right and honorable thing to do, all that goes at the window when a first- or second-round selection is in the offing. Briscoe is a long, physical receiver with the ability to break tackles and change directions after the catch. Despite an occasional bout of the dropsies, the 6’3” wide out is skilled enough to contribute right now at the next level and would only risk seeing his value drop by returning to a Kansas team in transition.

Mancini’s Take: Although he’s never been accused of being a speed merchant, Briscoe has the size, strength, body control, and leaping ability to be a difference-making weapon. In addition, the playmaker possesses key intangibles that pro teams covet, such as effectiveness as a blocker, amazing balance to remain in bounds at top speed, and on-field awareness. While Briscoe may still need to improve his consistency, he definitely has an NFL body and should be able to immediately overpower smaller defensive backs at the line of scrimmage and in the red zone.

Photo Courtesy of Jeff Jacobsen, KU Athletics

Between the Hashes: Debating Season

GOOD EVENING MEMBERS of the college football nation. We would like to welcome you to this Football Forum “Debate” hosted by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.

Moderator: Lets start with the gentleman from the “Heart of America”. What is your position on APR (Academic Progress Rates)?

Kansas Coach Mark Mangino: I'm in favor of the APR. But I'm concerned about the student athletes that just didn't have the resources in high school to prepare them for the challenge of college. Does that mean they shouldn't have an opportunity to go to college? I don't think so. In fact, I know so. Every young man and young lady should have an opportunity to get an education if they want to, and if it's because of an athletic scholarship, I think that's great.

Moderator: Can we here from the gentleman from the south, Dr. T.K. Wetherall (Florida St. University President)?

Dr. Wetherall: Once you make that commitment to admit that student, I think that student deserves every opportunity that any other student would get, including while they're in high school. Now, that violates a number of NCAA rules. We have a program called “Care at Florida State”. You look at U.S. News & World Report, you'll see we're actually graduating African American students at a higher rate than we are white students at one of the highest rates in the nation. The reason we're doing that is the programs we put in place before they get to Florida State. But if I send those same counselors out to talk to a football player, I'm going to be slapped with some kind of a violation. That doesn't seem right to me. But you've got to take the chains off of us if we're going to deal with those students.

Moderator: Coach Jim Tressel, representing the great state of Ohio. What’s your take on recruiting younger players?

Coach Tressel: I know what's happening in our state, a lot of the schools from out of the state, colleges from out of state, are coming in and just offering all kinds of sophomores. We really haven't gotten to know them as well, and it puts a little bit of heat on us being the home school and all that, so it's put a little bit of -- all of a sudden now you're trying to find out more about that 010 guy or 011 guy. I'm hoping we don't get into the eighth and ninth grade deal, but everything in this world is getting faster.

Moderator: I turn to the man from the great northwest, Coach Ty Willingham. What needs to be done to increase the number of African American coaches?

Coach Willingham: We need programs of all natures to develop a coaching pool. We need programs that teach the skill sets that are needed. But you also -- we must have legislation. I think it's clear. We're not changing the numbers based on how we've done it in the past. So therefore it's necessary to have something not to mandate that a president or an athletic director hire an African-American or a minority, but at least they have an opportunity to sit down and then you expand the pool and can determine what young men are capable, and maybe they create another opportunity through that interview in itself. We've gone too long with the numbers the way they are, and to sit around and explain them and rationalize them, and we could be coming up with all the different programs, they're good, they're necessary, but we have to change the face of what we're doing, and the only way to do that is legislation.

Moderator: Lets go to the state of Texas, Coach Gary Patterson of TCU, what are your thoughts on a playoff?

Coach Patterson: If you think the playoff system is going to be fun for the kids except for the team that wins the final game, we'd all be kidding ourselves because you put the amount of -- every ballgame is a National Championship game. It's going to be -- because to get to the next round, so you're talking about six hard days of work, we let them take one day off, somewhere we'll work finals in between all of it, and then yeah, we'll end up with the National Championship winner, but there's not going to be anybody else happy.

CFI RANKINGS: #17 KANSAS JAYHAWKS

2007 RECORD: 12-1; BIG 12: 7-1
Won Orange Bowl vs. Virginia Tech 24-21
LOCATION: Lawrence, Kansas
STADIUM: Memorial Stadium (50,071)
HEAD COACH: Mark Mangino
OVERALL: 37-36 (6 seasons)
AT TECH: 37-36 (6 seasons)

Coach Mark Mangino is Exhibit A for staying the course…in sports at least. The Jayhawks broke through for 12 wins in his sixth season as head man after averaging five wins in his first five years, with just one winning season (7-6 in 2005). While no one knows if they can match last season’s win total or make it back to a BCS game, it is clear they are no one-year wonder. KU appears to have built a solid foundation and are a program to be reckoned with in the Big 12 North.

WHEN THE JAYHAWKS HAVE THE BALL

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ed Warinner (2nd Season)
OFFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 6
KEY LOSSES: Anthony Collins, Marcus Henry, Brandon McAnderson, Derek Fine, Cesar Rodriguez

The Jayhawks had one of college football’s most balanced offenses last season—Todd Reesing threw for 3,486 yards and 33 touchdowns (7 INTs) and tailbacks Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharpe combined for over 2,000 yards on the ground. McAnderson (16 TDs) is gone, as is number one receiver Marcus Henry (1,014 yards & 10 TDs), but they should be just fine at the skill positions. With Sharpe and newcomer Jocques Crawford (National JC Player of the Year) they again expect to have a solid one-two punch in the backfield. Moreover, Reesing will not lack for targets as their leading pass catcher, Dexton Fields (63 receptions) returns, while sophomore Dezmon Briscoe is ready to break out. The concern comes along the offensive line, where both tackles must be replaced—Cesar Rodriguez was a four-year starter and Collins anchored the line from left tackle.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) WR Dezmon Briscoe (SO), 2) OT Jeff Spikes (FR)

WHEN THE OTHER TEAM HAS THE BALL

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Clint Bowen (3rd Season)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 9
KEY LOSSES: Aqib Talib, James McClinton

The Jayhawks have an outstanding back seven with one of the best linebacking corps and defensive backfields in the Big 12. They will miss playmaking lockdown corner Aqib Talib, but in junior SS Darrell Stuckey and sophomore CB Chris Harris (Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year) they possess two solid building blocks. The strength of the defense is in the middle, as all three linebackers return—all three are seniors and more importantly, all three can play. Joe Mortensen mans the middle, James Holt excels at getting into the backfield from his SAM position, while WILL Mike Rivera may actually be the most talented of the trio. The toughest man to replace could be tackle James McClinton. This is a workman-like line--solid, but not spectacular. Their backup ends, sophomore Jake Laptad and junior Maxwell Onyegbule, are probably their most explosive linemen.

TOP PROSPECTS: 1) CB Chris Harris (SO), 2) OLB Mike Rivera (SR)

THE SCHEDULE

This is where it gets dicey for the Jayhawks and while the KU faithful may not want to hear this, the reality is the 2008 schedule is far more difficult than the one they navigated through last season. They trade Oklahoma St., Texas A & M and Baylor from the South Division with the trifecta of Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech—not exactly a winning ticket. They also add South Florida, No. 21 in the Coaches Poll, to the out of conference docket. Oh yeah, they still have to play that Missouri team from across the border to end the season.

PIVOTAL POINT

Don’t Stop Believing: Even if the Jayhawks are better this season, the likelihood is their record won’t be. They won their four out of conference contests in ’07 by a combined margin of 214-23—now that is a heck of a way to build a team’s confidence to start the season. What if they drop that week three contest to South Florida…how will they react? How about if they suffer a tough loss in Norman…how will they bounce back against Tech the following week? They did not suffer a loss until the final game of the ’07 regular season. When they get hit this year, how will they respond?

CFI FINAL ANALYSIS

Outside of Lawrence, not many are expecting a repeat performance from the Jayhawks…but no one is expecting them to go away quietly either. Rather than focus too much on repeating their achievements of last season, what Kansas needs to do is follow through on what they started. There is no reason why they won’t. Not too long ago nine or ten wins would be welcomed with open arms, and it should be this season as well.

Photo Credit: Jeff Jacobsen/Kansas Athletics