LAWRENCE — Jim Panagos has told reporters during fall camp he’s been pleased with how his position group has progressed.
Panagos, Kansas football’s defensive tackles coach, does have to deal with the fact redshirt senior Tre’von McAlpine is out for the season due to injury — a blow for a position group that could have really used the Tulane transfer, who also has experience from his time at Texas Tech. But there have been positives as well.
Redshirt junior defensive tackle Blake Herold is developing as a leader, and finding a way to do so that stays true to who he is. As Panagos would note, Herold’s learning things like when to speak up, and what tone to use.
Redshirt junior defensive tackle Marcus Calvin has improved as well for the Jayhawks, not just as a leader but when it comes to how he uses his hands, rushes the passer and more. The years of development Calvin has had in the program are paying off, and even from the spring Calvin’s confidence is growing.
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Here are a few more takeaways from what Panagos had to say on Aug. 13:
How have Eamon Smalls, Jibriel Conde been progressing?
Eamon Smalls, a redshirt junior defensive tackle, is a transfer from UAB. Panagos thinks Smalls is progressing well and gaining confidence. It’s refreshing, in Panagos’ mind, for someone who’s played as much football as Smalls to still be devoted to getting in extra work.
Jibriel Conde, a redshirt junior defensive tackle, arrived at Kansas as a transfer from Grand Valley State. What Panagos said they’re working on with Conde, who’s shown flashes of quality play but needs more consistency as he makes the jump up from Division II to Division I, is to see a lot by seeing a little. That means helping Conde narrow his focus so he doesn’t get overwhelmed by everything that’s happening on the field, and instead key in on what he’s being asked to do in KU’s scheme and make an impact.
How does Jim Panagos decide how many guys to use in his rotation?
How Panagos decides how many defensive tackles to rotate in throughout a game depends on trust. If he doesn’t think you’re going to be where you’re supposed to during a game, he’s not going to put you on the field. That’s what the Jayhawks are determining right now, figuring out when things get difficult during a game if that individual can still execute.
How much more familiarity does Jim Panagos have with his newcomers?
Panagos has a much better understanding now of his group of newcomers, which includes more than McAlpine, Conde and Smalls, when it comes to their strengths and weaknesses. That means he can develop plans to help them continue to improve, because while you can watch film on a player you don’t really know a guy until you coach him. Panagos emphasizes not just improving what a player should look to improve, but enhancing what they already do well so it can become even more of a strength.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Without Tre'von McAlpine, how are Kansas football's DTs progressing?