Injuries, COVID aren’t only challenges KU football faces in current numbers crunch
Start with this: Kansas football coach Les Miles says he believes his team will line up against TCU on Saturday at Booth Memorial Stadium.
“Right now, I would guess that we would have the numbers to play this week,” Miles said Monday, “and we’re looking forward to it, to be honest.”
That’s likely about as convincing as Miles can be at this point, given his team’s circumstances.
The 0-7 Jayhawks postponed last week’s home game against Texas because it lacked available players on the defensive line. Some were held out for COVID-19 contact tracing, KU reported, while others were injured.
Though Miles said Monday he feels good about that group being more whole this week, there are other worries when it comes to having available bodies.
“Our defensive line will be back, so we’re looking forward to them returning to the field,” Miles said. “Our offensive line is not necessarily in the same position, but we feel like they’ll have a good practice week and bring it to the field.”
The reality of the situation: KU’s uncertainty is a three-headed beast right now, combining COVID and physical ailments with a growing trend across the country.
KU’s program — like many others — is dealing with players opting out this season for a variety of reasons.
Miles reported Monday that at KU there had “probably been five or six” who had taken the opt-out route, with that list already including star running back Pooka Williams and starting linebacker Dru Prox. The Jayhawks’ next game roster should give some indication if the actual total has even grown higher than that.
It all makes for a strange set of circumstances. Some KU players are probably getting on the field before they’re ready. Others have to decide if it’s worth sticking things out the rest of the way with knowledge that the NCAA isn’t counting this season against their eligibility anyway.
Then there are those like senior linebacker Kyron Johnson who is trying to lead teammates while giving some indication Monday he might return to Lawrence in 2021, all because he wants to be a part of KU’s eventual turn-around.
“As you can tell, we’re not on the map. People know that. It’s good to say that,” Johnson said. “I mean it’s OK. We’re not on the map.”
So Johnson says he continually tries to uplift teammates. “This is life,” he tells them. Stuff happens. The most important part is to always fight back.
Some, though, seemingly haven’t chosen that path. Johnson said he couldn’t comment specifically for teammates who had opted out, but after conversations, he was told by many of them that their decisions were based on personal matters and not as a result of the team’s struggles.
Miles, for his part, said there would be discussions with many of those opt-outs in the offseason about a potential return.
“We would encourage them to be a part of this team, because they’re pretty special guys, and they’ve given us great leadership,” Miles said. “Now, that needs to meet with their satisfaction.”
That, though, is a discussion for the weeks ahead. For now, Miles and his coaches will be waiting on testing results and injury reports, seeing if they’re able to take on the Horned Frogs following an unexpected off week.
“We’re looking forward to playing,” Miles said, “but the decision will be made by the health professionals.”
