The Turner Gill Era at Kansas: What Can We Expect?

Kansas was an offensive powerhouse under former head coach Mark Mangino, but now he’s gone and Turner Gill is in. 2010 looked to be a transition year even before the coaching change was made, with a lot of youth stepping into prominent spots in the offense.

How well the Jayhawks can fare in the Big XII, and what shape the offense will take are hot topics in the college football world.

Cast of Characters
Kale Pick (QB) (So)
Quinn Mecham (QB) (JC Transfer)
Jordan Webb (QB) (R-Fr)
Toben Opurum (RB) (So)
Ray Lewis (RB) (Jr)
Deshaun Sands (RB) (R-Fr)
Daniel Porter (RB) (JC Transfer-2009 redshirt)
Rell Lewis (RB) (Jr)
Brandon Bourbon (RB) (Fr)
Johnathan Wilson (WR) (Sr)
Bradley McDougald (WR) (So)
Daymond Patterson (WR) (Jr)
DJ Bashears (WR) (R-Fr)
Chris Omigie (WR) (R-Fr)
Erick McGriff (WR) (R-Fr)
Keeston Terry (WR) (Fr)
Brian Maura (WR) (Fr)
Tim Biere (TE) (Jr)

What’s the Scoop?
In November several current and former Kansas football players made allegations that head coach Mark Mangino had demonstrated abusive behavior toward members of the football team.  By early December the pressure on Mangino forced his resignation. Ten days later Turner Gill was named the new head coach. Gill spent the last four years turning around the Buffalo football program and led them to a conference championship in 2008.

Who’s Gone?
Four of the team’s top offensive producers are gone for 2010. Here’s a look at their 2009 stats:

QB – Todd Reesing (3749 total yards, 28 total TDs)
RB – Jake Sharp (695 total yards, 7 total TDs)
WR – Dezmon Briscoe (1356 total yards, 10 total TDs)
WR – Kerry Meier (983 total yards, 8 total TDs)

Who’s Back?
It is slim pickings when it comes to returning offensive weapons. Quarter back Kale Pick is the leading passer with a total of 5 pass attempts. Running back Toben Opurum evolved from back-up to workhorse as Jake Sharp battled injuries in 2009. Opurum rushed for 554 yards with 9 scores, as well as added 105 yards and 1 touchdown through the air. Johnathan Wilson is the leading wide receiver that’s back for 2010 as he had 35 receptions for 449 yards but was unable to reach the endzone.

Offensive Emphasis
Turner Gill hired Chuck Long to serve as his offensive coordinator. Long was not a part of Gill’s staff at Buffalo. Long served as the head coach at San Diego State University from 2006-2008, and before that was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma from 2002-2005.

Long’s Oklahoma offenses utilized a mix of spread passing with I back formation running and play-action. We won’t know exactly what shape the offense will take won’t be known until spring camp begins., but you could expect to see many similarities to Long’s offense at Oklahoma.

We looked into the offensive production of Gill’s Buffalo teams and Long’s Oklahoma teams during seasons where a new quarterback was taking the helm. To try and get a feel for how the Kansas offense will look in 2010, we took the average production of Gill’s Buffalo offenses and Long’s Oklahoma offenses and created an average that can serve as a rough estimate:

Pass Comp	Pass Att	Pass Yds	Pass TDs	INT	Rush Att	Rush Yds	Rush TDs
210	360	2,520	18	11	427	1,794	19

The passing attempts break down to 30 attempts per game, which is right around what you should expect from a Big XII team. The addition of more I formation running plays should help take some of the pressure off of the new QB, but Kansas doesn’t have Long’s Oklahoma offensive linemen. Kansas does return all 5 starters on the line, and it will be key that they step their play up if the offense is able to create the type of balance the coaches desire. 

The one statistical area that fluctuate the most is touch downs. These numbers where inflated a bit from Long’s powerfully talented Oklahoma teams. If the Kansas offense can find its identity early in 2010, then they should be able to take advantage of the poor Big XII defense and maintain the touch downs numbers that our statistical generation provided. 

Trying to Fill Todd Reesing’s Shoes
This is the on-field area of change for the 2010 Jayhawks that will receive the most attention. Reesing holds the #1 spot in all passing records in Kansas football history, so filling his shoes will be no easy task. With no returning players that have significant playing experience, the quarter back position will be up for grabs as spring practice begins.

Kale Pick is the only returning QB that registered stats during the 2009 season (4-5 for 22 yards).  Jordan Webb was redshirted during the 2009 season, but it’s uncertain if he can push for the starting job. The third player in the quarter back battle is Quinn Mecham, a junior college transfer. The fact that Mecham has game experience from the JC ranks makes it hard to count out his chances to show more consistency in the line of fire compared to the other candidates.

The player that can demonstrate the most consistency should ending up winning this battle.

Delivering the Mail
Toben Opurum stepped into Jake Sharp’s role as the feature back over the course of the 2009 season. If the running game receives more attention than it had under Mark Mangino, then it’s hard to believe that one running back will shoulder the entire load.

Ray Lewis is the second leading returning ball carrier from 2009, but he hasn’t been unable to show that he has the ability to be counted on come Saturdays. Redshirt freshman Deshaun Sands had a huge spring in 2009, but was left on the bench to keep his redshirt intact. He can be a real player for significant playing time.

Daniel Porter was a JC transfer in 2009, and he volunteered to redshirt last season. He has legitimate speed and could be a factor in the battle for carries. Junior Rell Lewis and in-coming freshman Brandon Bourbon could also work their way into the running back rotation.

Receiving Options
The wide receivers will have to help out the eventual winner of the quarterback battle in order for the offense to produce a balanced attack. Johnathan Wilson is a game hardened senior that has all the big play ability to be the #1 offensive weapon in the passing game. 2010 should be a breakout season for Wilson’s final year as a Jayhawk. But Wilson will need someone else to step up in order to keep defenses from playing double coverage schemes against him.

Wide receiver Bradley McDougald was a talented youngster that earned his way onto the field. McDougald was able to show that he can be productive during the 2009 season by accumulating 33 receptions. McDougald will be complimented by junior tight end Tim Biere who will most likely see a larger role in 2010 than the 14 receptions he totaled in 2009.

Junior Daymond Patterson played corner back in 2009, but he did spend time on offensive when he first arrived in Lawrence. He has moved back to receiver in 2010. In his second game playing WR he registered 8 receptions for 130 yards and 2 TDs, making him one to watch this spring.

Redshirt freshmen DJ Bashears, Chris Omigie, Erick McGriff, and in-coming freshmen Keeston Terry and Brian Maura will be right in the mix for playing time at wide receiver.

If Your Fantasy Draft Was Today (02/28/10)
Wide receiver Johnathan Wilson and running back Toben Opurum will be solid fantasy producers in 2010. Wilson probably has the most upside, but his overall production will depend on the development of the quarterback position. Opurum could serve as a TD vulture though, and that could hold Wilson’s TD total in check. If Wilson can’t find a way to score by the big play, he will most likely be a mid-level fantasy WR.  Opurum is the safest bet, but he must be able to stay healthy for his workload to remain high enough to make him a good fantasy option.

If there is news that one of the three quarter backs is in the lead for the starting job, then its best to wait until later in the draft to take a stab at them. You must forget Todd Reesing’s production when drafting a Kansas QB as a sleeper this year, since inconsistency will most likely keep the eventual winner out of your starting fantasy line-up. But if the rushing game is not emphasized too heavily in the new offense, then the QB winner will be a good keeper selection for 2011.

Since there is such a lack of fantasy talent at TE, taking a mid-late round chance on Tim Biere might be a move that pays off. With the lack of experience at the receiver position, and the addition of what we imagine to be more TE formations to help the running game; it only makes sense that the junior should see a rise in his role within the new offense.

As for the other back-up running backs and wide receivers, its best to wait until someone emerges once games begin in the fall. There are too many questions around these guys to make it worth spending a draft pick on them. Play it safe and wait for someone to step up in game action.

Joe Arpasi is the co-owner of CollegeFootballGeek.com, your premier resource for college fantasy football information. Check us out.