This KC-area standout expected to start for KU Jayhawks football — at a new position
Longtime center Colin Grunhard says there are times where he catches himself.
The Kansas football team will be going through a walk-through, and Grunhard — out of habit — will fake snap the ball.
That would be fine ... if he wasn’t the team’s right guard.
“It’s obviously new and a little bit different, but I’ve had a lot of fun doing it,” Grunhard said of the position change. “I’m just excited to play football.”
The Mission, Kansas native figures to get plenty of playing reps Friday when KU opens its season at home against South Dakota.
Grunhard — a redshirt junior who transferred in after playing four seasons at Notre Dame — was listed as KU’s first-string right guard in the team’s first-released depth chart Monday.
Coach Lance Leipold, when asked about Grunhard this week, said his grit, toughness, coachability and humility stood out.
“I love being around the guy,” Leipold said. “You can build around guys like that.”
Grunhard’s progression up the depth chart came following an eventful past few months.
He originally committed to KU and former coach Les Miles in January; it was assumed then he’d have the inside track on the starting center position.
Miles left the program in March, however, with Leipold replacing him in late April. Shortly after, former Buffalo center Mike Novitsky — a Pro Football Focus honorable mention All-American at the position — announced plans to rejoin Leipold at KU.
Even with those circumstances ... Novitsky said he and Grunhard became close immediately. That started with Novitsky’s first team meeting at KU, when Grunhard was the first one to come up and introduce himself.
“It showed that he’s a very, very good person. And he wants to do what’s best for the team, not just himself,” Novitsky said. “That’s what I love about him, is he’s a team guy.”
Grunhard, at 6-foot-1 and 290 pounds, says he has taken great pride in being able to play multiple positions on the interior of the offensive line, including this shift to right guard. He pointed out during KU football’s media day two weeks ago that, when fans look at the KU roster, it won’t list him as a “center” or “right guard.” He’ll be labeled — like the rest of his teammates — as an “offensive lineman.”
This particular offense also could play to his strengths. With many of KU’s run plays designed to get offensive linemen running and blocking on the perimeter, there’s potentially more wiggle room to play interior guys that aren’t 300-plus pounds.
“I have a lot of fun doing it. It’s kind of right up my alley,” Grunhard said of the offense. “I love running on the football field. I love making blocks in space.”
Novitsky also lauded Grunhard’s work ethic when it came to studying the game. He says the two are in constant communication — whether pre-practice, during drills or in the film room — about how they can best work together with their particular blocks.
“He’s good with the techniques. He used to play center, so he has a center’s mentality as well,” Novitsky said. “So he can see blitzes. He can see different alignments and stuff. And he’s very sharp.”
Grunhard played in 13 games during his Notre Dame career, which included three contests last season. Before that, he made 50 consecutive starts for Bishop Miege in Kansas while being nominated for numerous KC-area awards his senior season.
Colin also is the son of Tim, a former Kansas City Chief who previously was KU’s offensive line coach from 2012 to 2013.
Leipold said he’s been impressed by Grunhard’s “blue-collar mentality” since he arrived at KU.
“He comes in here obviously ... everyone knows about his father. Everyone knows he’s at Notre Dame,” Leipold said. “He just comes in like one of the guys, each and every day. Those are the types of guys you want in your program.”
This story was originally published August 31, 2021 at 2:48 PM.
