3 takeaways from Kansas Jayhawks football Spring Game, which included Chris Teahan TD
Kansas football completed its spring practices on Saturday afternoon with its Spring Game in front of a few thousand fans at Booth Memorial Stadium.
Here are three observations from the team’s workout:
1. Growing up
Two of the most encouraging performances Saturday came from guys who were with KU last season but have developed in the past year: safety OJ Burroughs and linebacker Taiwan Berryhill.
Burroughs, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, had one of the game’s standout plays, stepping in front of a pass for a pick-six.
“He has excellent ball skills, anticipation, and we challenged him to gain weight and do some things. He’s really embraced it,” KU coach Lance Leipold said afterward. “He might be one of our most improved players.”
Burroughs said he’d gained 10 pounds of muscle since his freshman season while emphasizing nutrition and weight-lifting.
“I’m faster. I’m stronger. And I trust my ability, and I’m just moving around on the field quicker,” Burroughs said. “It’s great.”
Berryhill, meanwhile, is a junior linebacker who excelled Saturday after becoming more comfortable following a year in defensive coordinator Brian Borland’s scheme.
“You saw him show up a few times, didn’t you?” Leipold said of Berryhill. “You can see him playing with confidence and playing fast.”
2. Backing it up
KU walk-on tight end Jared Casey was the hero in last year’s win against Texas, then followed that up with strong efforts in the Jayhawks’ final two games against TCU and West Virginia.
If Saturday is any indication ... expect a significant role for him this year as well.
Casey was lined up with the first-team offense most of the day, with KU displaying some two tight-end sets with him and Mason Fairchild on the field together.
Once again, Casey showed he could catch too. He had one of the best offensive plays, snagging a pass over the middle in traffic before cradling it to his body.
“I already told y’all: Jared Casey has the best hands. Not only on this team. It might be the nation,” KU quarterback Jalon Daniels said. “He went out there, dove for the ball, and he was able to come down with it.”
3. All love
Leipold embraced the Kansas men’s basketball team, which won the national championship over North Carolina on Monday.
Most of KU’s basketball players watched the Spring Game from the sideline, while one — walk-on guard Chris Teahan — even participated.
Teahan, a former football receiver at Rockhurst High School, donned a red KU quarterback jersey and pads Saturday and went in for the final play of the first half.
With KU’s defensive players taking it very easy, Teahan threw the ball as far as he could down the right sideline, linking up with receiver Lawrence Arnold for a long touchdown.
KU’s football players joined in the celebration, with Daniels jumping up to side-bump Teahan before he received congrats from Leipold.
“He definitely went out there and threw a dime,” Daniels said of Teahan afterward.
Leipold said he originally had the idea to get a KU basketball player involved with the Spring Game following Monday’s championship, and the super-senior Teahan was eager to do so.
“Shoot, now I gotta go meet with compliance,” Leipold said with a smile, “and see if he’s got any eligibility that we can utilize.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2022 at 6:35 PM.
