Kansas football spring ball: Star duo leads Jayhawks’ cornerbacks, with depth behind them

LAWRENCE — There was a certain level of excitement earlier this year, when Kansas football announced D.K. McDonald’s arrival as co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach.

After Jordan Peterson left his assistant job at KU for one at Texas A&M, his alma mater, there was a void on the Jayhawks coaching staff. Considering how well Peterson had done at Kansas, and the talent the team was returning at cornerback, there was a desire to keep the momentum moving forward. And head coach Lance Leipold didn’t disappoint, hiring someone in McDonald who has experience coaching both collegiately and professionally.

So with spring ball recently wrapped up, Kansas heads toward the 2024 season with as much confidence as ever in what the cornerback position can do for the team. Seniors Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson, the lead duo, have a chance to set themselves up for their own professional opportunities in the NFL next year. And there’s depth behind them that can’t be forgotten.

“It’s been really good working on the field with these guys,” McDonald told reporters in late March as spring practices progressed. “These guys really work hard. It’s been a good foundation set, even before I go there, the standard, the way which guys work. So, it’s been really good. To have great leadership like Mello and Cobee, that really also helps. They’re like having two extra coaches on the field, and they’re doing a good job of pouring into the young guys. And so, those guys’ game is really rising also.”

RELATED: Kansas basketball coach Bill Self envisions his team being as good at it’s ever been, soon

RELATED: Travis Goff had faith in Jennifer McFalls, and Kansas softball could reach NCAA tournament

Here are a few things to think about at the cornerback position with spring ball in the rearview mirror:

Kansas football defensive backfield starts with Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson

It’s unclear exactly what type of opportunities Bryant and Dotson would have had at the next level had they elected to leave college early. It’s unclear exactly what type of opportunities they would have had at other colleges had they elected to see how much they were valued in the transfer portal. But what is clear is Bryant and Dotson are both back, and Kansas’ defense will be in a much better position this fall because of it.

Bryant and Dotson tied for the team lead in interceptions last season with four. Among Jayhawks cornerbacks, they were the top two in terms of tackles and pass breakups. Kansas reached back-to-back bowl games the past couple seasons and won a bowl game in 2023, and if the Jayhawks add on to that they are set to be a key reason why.

D.K. McDonald, players are developing chemistry with each other

McDonald most recently coached in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, and prior to that his coaching experience at the college level included a stint in the Big 12 Conference with Iowa State. So, although the college game has changed a lot in recent years, McDonald can bring both professional experience and a familiarity with the league in which Kansas will be competing. And both Dotson and Bryant said during the spring they were acclimating to McDonald’s style.

Jayhawks defensive coordinator Brian Borland said McDonald was doing well developing the guys behind Dotson and Bryant, too. There’s raw skill there, Borland mentioned, that McDonald is striving to harness. As Dotson and Bryant both highlighted, they’re all receiving guidance from someone who coached defensive backs in the NFL.

Here are more names to know at cornerback

Kansas has some younger players at cornerback like freshman Jalen Todd and redshirt freshmen Jacoby Davis and Jameel Croft Jr. who could factor into things this year, and Borland did say the freshmen are standing out. Borland also highlighted redshirt junior Damarius McGhee. McGhee, who transferred in from LSU ahead of the 2023 season, is finally healthy and doing well in coverage.

McDonald described Croft as someone with a lot of talent who has the size and other attributes you’d want in a cornerback, who was working on developing what it’ll take necessary mentally to have success. McDonald described Todd as someone who loves the game, is smart and coachable. Overall, McDonald seemed pleased with how much competition there is.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas football doesn't lack depth at cornerback in 2024