Here’s the focus of Kansas football as fall camp begins: ‘We know what we have to do’
Kansas football coach Lance Leipold couldn’t contain his giddiness when talking about his team’s play on the first day of fall camp.
“It’s great to be out there,” Leipold said Tuesday. “I loved their energy. You continue to see the growth of our team because of retention and rules that allow us to do more in the summer. You can see how that pays off.
“There’s a lot of little things you do — it’s Day One, but I am really happy that they understand what we are trying to do, the pace we are trying to get things done, how we want to practice and (how we) move things along. ... (There are) a lot of guys that look good — look different. This football team continues to grow.”
Fall camp marks the start of Leipold’s third season as head coach of KU football. Last season, Leipold led the Jayhawks (6-7, 3-6 Big 12) to their first bowl appearance since 2008.
Still, the Jayhawks aren’t exactly happy with last year’s success. After a 5-0 start, KU went 1-7 down the stretch — including a 55-53 triple-overtime loss to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl.
“I think they are hungry, there’s no doubt,” Leipold said. “They’re not satisfied in any way, shape or form. Then you add new people and you do things. I think we’ll have a good understanding of that. I let it be known to them as well: We are in no place of complacency in where we are at. Yes, progress has been made, but there’s still a lot ahead of us.”
KU quarterback Jalon Daniels certainly reflects that attitude.
“We know we don’t want what we had last year; we want to (be) better,” Daniels said. “It just takes those steps to be get there.”
The excitement about a new season filled with heightened expectations was evident in practice.
“There was a lot of energy around the field,” Daniels said. “The attention to detail was there. We know what we have to do to be able to take that next step. I feel like the focus on what we need to do to take the next step was there.”
KU linebacker Rich Miller emphasized that the team has high expectations for itself, but he tries to focus on one area to improve on every day.
“We came out there and did what we were supposed to do today,” Miller said. “I think this is the start of something big and we all understand that, so we are trying to do the best we can every day to find our one thing to improve upon.”
His goal for Tuesday? Force a turnover — a feat he accomplished when he stripped Daniels of the football.
Miller transferred to KU from Buffalo two years ago, so he has seen KU football, which went 2-10 in his first season, make significant strides on the field and in its mindset.
“It felt way better (compared to 2021),” Miller said. “You don’t worry about a lot of people not knowing what’s going on. Today, you say one thing and everybody knows what’s going on. Everybody knows what they are doing.
“Everybody has an idea of what the person next to them is doing, honestly. It runs way smoother. The expectation we have for each other is way higher. We hold each other to that standard.”
