3 takeaways as Kansas football coach Lance Leipold updates team’s progress at local event

TOPEKA — Kansas football coach Lance Leipold took time Monday to catch up with fans and reporters at an event in Topeka.

Leipold, who guided his team to the program’s first bowl victory in more than a decade last season, had a lot to talk about. There’s interest in the team’s trajectory, as well as its key players. There’s interest in how its quarterbacks are progressing, as well as the other positions that will have a role in whether or not the Jayhawks are able to reach a third-straight bowl game.

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Here are a few takeaways from what Leipold had to say:

Lance Leipold highlights how confident his team is

Considering the ongoing construction to the team’s stadium and facility, as well as the changes to the team’s group of assistant coaches, the spring presented some situations Kansas has had to navigate. But Leipold expressed a positive message about what that helped the Jayhawks do, including a focus on the basics. He praised the level of confidence the team has compared to this point one year ago.

Leipold also highlighted the development of the team’s veteran offensive linemen, as well as the depth Kansas has at linebacker. At linebacker, redshirt senior Cornell Wheeler, redshirt freshman Logan Brantley and redshirt senior Alex Raich were three players Leipold named. Talking about the early enrollees the Jayhawks had this spring, among others, Leipold discussed an eagerness to see the growth they showcase as the weeks of fall camp unfold.

Optimism about Kansas football’s quarterbacks remains high

Redshirt junior quarterback Jalon Daniels continues to make his way back from an injury that ended his 2023 season early, but Leipold appeared confident about that position group as a whole. Leipold joked about how much work redshirt freshman Cole Ballard has been getting in, and reiterated how good freshman Isaiah Marshall — one of those early enrollees — looks.

Leipold, though, expanded his praise for the position group beyond those main three players. Leipold also pointed to redshirt junior Ben Easters, for how well-regarded he is by his teammates. Leipold also pointed to redshirt sophomore Mikey Pauley, who has continued to improve.

There’s a reaction to KU from those outside the program that’s caught Lance Leipold’s attention

The caliber of recruits Kansas has brought in since Leipold took over in 2021, whether that’s from the high school ranks or the transfer portal, has been one way Jayhawks fans can see how the program is improving. But that’s not the only thing that has caught Leipold’s attention. When people outside the program come around, including coaches, they’ve talked about how much the players seem to enjoy being around each other.

Leipold understands culture is a common word used in the industry, but noted the players they recruit have to be good fits. It matters, when people who aren’t around every day notice how well newcomers have fit that culture. It’s evidence both of how well they’ve built the program, and how well they’ve done retaining the players they’ve retained.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas football coach Lance Leipold likes how confident his team is