Have a question about KU football? Then KU football beat writer Matt Tait is your guy. Matt will be answering reader questions starting at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

gregor2088

Outside of Heaps and Crist are the other QB’s on the radar or do you think they will sign one next class?

Bangkok_Jayhawk

What type of defense will be run under new DC Dave Campo?

Bangkok_Jayhawk

Who will have the title of OC?

Bangkok_Jayhawk

What are your thoughts on Victor Simmons?

gardenjay

Any possibility we beat K-State this year?

kusportsdotcom

Have you ever asked for an explanation from your bosses as to why they won’t let you say “University of Kansas”? Do they know that “University of Kansas” is the proper name for the school?

infinitedj

A friend of mine is a very big booster. Any news on the 30 million dollar stadium project the big boosters already have half the money for? Heard they were gonna close in the hill and possibly go up with another level? Just waiting to see if the product HCCW puts on the field is worth it.

KCJay

Matt, last summer or early fall, the commissioners from the Big 12, ACC and Big East met to discuss conference realignment. I’ve read your articles but have never heard any outcome from the meeting. I thought the meeting was to resume order to the conferences. Since then the Big East has been under attack. First, the ACC hit them up for two new members and then the Big 12 followed. Can you share some light from that meeting? Was the Big East ambushed or were they made aware of what was coming?
Thanks for diligence in your reporting. I always look forward to reading your column.

Bangkok_Jayhawk

How do you see our offensive line shaping up?

rockchalkjd

Hey Matt, I really enjoy reading your work. In terms of wanting the Big 12 to ultimately be more stable and a better conference in football and basketball, what do you see as the best-case scenario for Big 12 expansion? Also, are we much more likely to see a Louisville/BYU combo over some ACC school additions? Thanks.

natehawk

Any idea who is looking is the likely front runner at tailback under HCCW’s offense? Also, with these big QBs coming in, do we have any big time WR recruits (JUCO or HS) for these guys to throw to?

hawkster007

I will try and submit this early if that is allowed. Any idea who Weis’ actual first/second option was for DC, clearly Campo was not the first choice because Weis had no idea that Campo would be fired by Dallas and be available (and I assume the first several options fell through given the delay in announcing the DC job). Was it maybe a defensive coach with a college bowl team or an NFL team in the play-offs that did not pan out?

chalky

How big of an impact do you think our juco players will have on the team next year?

Jayhawk838

Hey Matt,

I was just curious if you know if KU is planning on switching back to Nike for 2013 as I have seen some pics on twitter of nike football uniforms.

Thanks

catsandwich

Do you have an inside scoop on who some of the recruiting surprises may be? If so, are you at liberty to divulge any names?

ozzzy

Is there any chance Berglund is in a KU uniform next year?

chuckberry32

what and when do you think will be the next move in conference reallingment?

d_prowess

If you were forced onto the football field during a KU game to play a couple plays, which position do you feel you would best perform at?

CRAZY4KUSPORTS

What are the chances we shock the college football world and land some 4 or 5 star players on Wed.

jaymar74

What do you expect out of WR’s Jackson and Sheppard with regards to the new offense under Weis? Who else could be a factor as we look to throw more downfield as I assume we will?

texashawk10

Do you see Michael Cummings staying at QB for the long term or do you think he will eventually change positions?

Stephan123

What is your impression of probable improvements in the defensive side of the ball for next season?

dylans

I really like the idea of adding Louisville to the big12. Who do you think would make the best 12th team if Louisville were to be added? Do you see the conference expanding beyond 12 teams? Or do you think the big12 will have 10 teams for the next 5+ years?

dylans

Who is Weis’s likely replacement? He has implied that he won’t be here more than his contract so who’s in line?

dylans

Which of the coaching hires (not Weis) was the best and why?

jayhawkintx1973

Is there any word on Andrus Peat, that he might make a visit in the next week or if there has been an in home visit?

KUAlum2000

What’s the over/under on how long HCCW is at KU? The way I see it, it’s 3 years no matter what. He’s either winning and moves on or can’t turn it around and gets moved on.

Jayhawker111

Where did you go to high school and college?

BleedingCrimsonAndBlue

Do you think the offensive line will be able to protect Crist and his bad knees effectively?

BradKU

Should we expect more JUCO recruits in the future or is this a one year trend?

Jayhawker111

I think Jimmay Mundine is really good and can be a special player…..

I think he got in a little trouble last year.

What do you know about him?

Jayhawker111

What is the latest on the quarterback recruits?

LAJayhawk

With signing day closing in, what grade would you give the new Weis administration with respect to recruiting so far, given their limited amount of time?

rokchok

With all of the recent fanfare & anticipation that is KU football…….what’s your best guess, as of this date, on the attendance of the KU spring football game?

hobbit0915

What TWO positions on the defensive side of the ball do you feel KU will be most impacted by this years recruiting class?

Pferg77

With the sudden and shocking news that Schiano is leaving Rutgers this close to signing day, any chance the Weis can use his NJ connections to steal some of their commitments?

CarlSpackler

Any news on Carlos Lozano? Is he visiting anywhere this weekend?

esque

I cannot help but feel ambivalent about the hiring of Charlie Weis. I’m having a really difficult time seeing this as the right choice, particularly beyond 3 years. I cannot help but feel like KU will be in the same predicament in terms of conducting yet another coaching search. What are your thoughts/impressions about this staff and their prospects for success?

dallasjayhawk41

Matt-

What high school senior commit do you feel can have the most immediate impact next season?

Dr_Mister

Steward Mandel from SI.com gave Kansas a ranking of F for hiring Charlie Weis in his article today. What would be your response?

LAJayhawk

For the record what, exactly, would you do-oo-oo for a Klondike bar?

OPJayhawk

I hear rumblings (from purples) that Tim Grunhard will actually be detrimental to KC area recruiting – claims that KC area coaches don’t like him. I believe its just purple hogwash, but what are your thoughts/what have you heard (if anything) on this subject? Thank you.

CUBuffturnedHawk

Who was worse in football this year… the CU Buffs or KU?

CUBuffturnedHawk

You probably know my uncle by the way… Matt Corbin

drsauce

Being a KU alum and all, I can admit I have no clue how FB recruiting works and when it is. Weis brought in Crist and Heaps, who are formally high ranked HS guys. Question is, when is peak HS recruiting season, can we expect Weis to go after top ranked QB’s out of HS, and other positions as well?

jayhawk1996

Any idea what the KU football schedule will look like if West Virginia doesn’t join the Big 12 this fall? Would that make one more Border War game more appealing? And are there penalties due if KU doesn’t complete the final year of its deal with Mizzou and Arrowhead?

rxdoc1973

Matt,

Who do you think are the names that we haven’t heard that may yet sign or transfer to KU?

ozzzy

Any chance we land the juco receiver from Hutch? I think he has a cousin that is planning to sign with us. Rock Chalk!

Kman_blue

In an article you mentioned that ND OL Trevor Robinson could be coming to KU as a 5th year transfer, but it looks like he’s played in the majority of ND games for 4 seasons already and he played in the NFLPA game a week ago. So how is it that he still has any eligibility left?

thekuinthe512

When will you get to interview Dave Campo, we have not really heard anything from him?

dallasjayhawk41

Do you see KU and Charlie Weis being in the running for some Rivals100 or ESPNU 150 recruits in the next year or two and potentially sealing the deal with a couple of them?

NebraskaJayhawk

Matt-

Great football coverage in the offseason. I love this kind of stuff. Hopefully this will help change the culture of KU football. What other things do you think needs to happen to help change our culture from a one sport school?

mikendal

A lot of KU fans are predicting five wins in 2012. How many wins do you think the Jayhawks will end up with, Matt?

Ryan2845

Can you clarify the situation with Trevor Robinson? The Notre Dame website indicates he’s already played four complete years of football. In what capacity would we be adding him?

HotToddy69

Even though it’s been said that the odds of Justin McCay playing in 2012 aren’t good. When do you think the NCAA will answer?

bvrams

Tons of visitors over the weekend, I heard of a couple of commitments to us and Crawley to CU, anything else of interest?

kustrong

If you can gain access or talk to a captain of the football team. I would like to know how the weight training staff is preparing the football players, what has changed, and how the players are adapting.

Thanks Matt.

Rock Chalk

manginorh00lz

When are KU fans going to get over their irrational fear of Tulane and accept the fact that it would be the best addition to the Big 12, given the current situation?

longtimehawk

Matt, did Charley have Dave Campo on his radar before Dave came available from Dallas, or was this a hire that was needed at the time?

mjhawkchalk

Chances of one big named recruit picking KU?

gardenjay

How are ticket sales?

gardenjay

Whst is the weakest position, IYHO, at this point in the recruiting process?

swunruhawk

When you be able to report on how HCCW arrived at his choice for Defensive Coordinator? I think it would be interesting to learn how it all played out.

.. We appreciate your fine work.
Thanks

jhawkrulz

There is talk of a stipend of $2,000 or more in addition to scholarships. Will KU be in a position to pay for this amount, or will we be separated from other universities? Are there current Big XII teams that would struggle to pay for these stipends? Is it just for money making sports or will it be required for all athletes on scholarship?

RawkChawkJHawk

What is a reasonable expectation for KU’s record next season? Will KU go bowling?

ahpersecoachingexperience

Will you watch full metal jousting on the history channel?

weaglehawk

Matt- Any idea what the thoughts of the coaches are on the young offensive line that we have right now? Coach Gill went heavy on O-Line in last year’s recruiting class and they redshirted a lot of them. Was wondering if the new staff likes having all that youth there and if they think there are some gems. Thanks.

Kyle

BPSkelly

Matt –

Love the chats and more importantly your efforts with many of all things Jayhawk.

Thanks for the most recent info on Conference Expansion. Obviously at this point, so much of this is merely speculation and innuendo.

It DOES seem like Louisville has a lot of momentum to join the Big 12. It seems beyond speculative at this point. I agree that it would be more comfortable to add a ‘pairing/matching’ team with them. But what if that team simply doesnt exist — or present itself (at least publicly) at this time? It would seem foolhardy to simply force the issue to get to 12, at least in my mind. I guess my question is do you think the Big 12 expansion committee would prefer to ‘force the issue’ with some other schools, or simply stand pat until the next best team comes up?

Also, BYU does seem to have quite a few things in favor of it, but one isnt the logistical issues which I think are significant. Its sooooo far away from the next closest Big 12 team it seems to strike me as a bit of a stretch — especially if its not ‘paired’ with another school out West. How much momentum is there for BYU at this point?

Thanks again for your work and your chats. Your doing a great job with this stuff ! ! !

gardenjay

Do you think Parmalee will be on the field this fall?

MN_Jayhawk39

Matt, I recall that Toben Oprum selected KU over Notre Dame a few years ago… a Charlie Weis coached Notre Dame. Have you heard anything about Toben’s reaction to the hiring of HCCW? (maybe a topic for a good spring football article!) Thanks!

trojanhawk

Do you think there’s any chance we’ll know the status of Justin McCay before the spring? The NCAA hasn’t been doing us many favors the last few years when it comes to eligibility issues with some of our student-athletes, but it seems like this young man should be allowed to play immediately since OU granted him full release to KU to be closer to his family.

theboehr

Matt,

How would you compare the 2012 jayhawk’s offense to the 2007 squad’s? What do they have in common, what differences are there, and overall which do you think is better?

namohcan_99

You mentioned Trevor Robinson might be a candidate to transfer to KU as a 5th year transfer. My question, how does he have any eligibility left? Thanks Matt.

Moderator

Hey, this is Jesse Newell, KUSports.com online editor. We’ve got KU football beat writer Matt Tait here to answer your questions about KU football. Matt, I’m eating a chocolate chip cookie. Are you eating anything to power you through this chat?

Matt Tait

Sounds good. I downed about a tenth of a bottle of 5-hour Energy, so I should be good to go… Let’s roll!!!

Moderator

Nice. Let’s get started.

HotToddy69

Have you heard anymore on Brian Wagner, the Akron LB who thought of transferring here?

Matt Tait

Yeah. Wagner committed to Arizona a few weeks back so KU missed out on him. Not the end of the world, but it would’ve been a nice pick-up. KU’s still in the running for Tampa linebacker Schyler Miles, who has narrowed his choices down to Florida, Kansas and West Virginia. He’s supposed to decide by Friday but won’t announce it until signing day (next Wednesday) so keep an eye on him…

JayhawkinNE

Matt, just wondering if there’s any more information available on those leaving the program? Reasons? Where they might end up? What’s the deal with Brock B?

Thanks!

Matt Tait

The reasons are all over the map. Some left on good terms and are good with what went down, others are a little bitter, and understandably so. But that’s the way these things go and life will go on for everybody…

There’s talk that Darrian Miller could end up at Northern Iowa and that’s a possible landing spot for Keeston Terry, too. Terry has even talked about heading to Mizzou, but I doubt that will happen.

As for Jordan Webb, I caught up with him briefly the other day and he’s doing great. He said he was looking at a bunch of schools and mentioned Colorado State and Wyoming as possible spots. Both would be great places for him to land.

As for Berglund, he’ll probably be released by the end of the week and then will move on to a different school. Last time I talked to him, he said he’d still love to play for Turner Gill (at Liberty) but he also mentioned Hawaii and a couple of other places. He’ll land somewhere. Too talented not to.

esubrett

What is the weirdest rumor you’ve heard about conference realignment (Big 12 specifically)?

Matt Tait

Wow. Good question. The weirdest rumor…… It’s not just one, but the fact that a few schools keep being mentioned in terms of Big 12 expansion continues to surprise me.

I’m originally from Ft. Collins, Colo., and I think Colorado State is a great school, but I don’t know why for the life of me people would think it would be a good fit in the Big 12. Stuff like that, I guess.

A lot of people are up in arms about Tulane, too. But I don’t think that one’s quite as big of a reach as CSU.

One other name that popped up last summer was Memphis, which people said could be a Big 12 target because Fed-Ex would be willing to pay big bucks to whatever BCS Conference Memphis winds up in. Maybe, maybe not, but if that’s the case, I’m surprised somebody hasn’t snagged ’em.

The realignment stuff is never-ending, it seems, but I can tell you that right now, it’s pretty quiet and yesterday’s “excitement” was a little overblown…

doolindalton

Charlie Weis is attempting to bring in a large number of JUCO kids and transfers to fill out KU’s roster. The plain fact is KU has historically had terrible luck (or exercised terrible judgment) in regard to JUCO recruits. Mangino initially tried bringing in a large group of JUCOs and failed miserably. Is there any reason to believe it will turn out differently this time?

Matt Tait

I think so. For starters, Weis is being very selective about the guys he brings in and he’s not just picking juco guys to fill spots. Beyond that, Weis is a much bigger name than Mangino and he already is attracting a whole different type of recruit to Kansas.

The thing with juco guys is this – they’re not all going to pan out. It just doesn’t happen. The key is to get a few of the guys you take to be productive for you. I think that’s particularly important for Weis in Year 1 because he wants to compete right away and it doesn’t seem like he thinks (or wants) that can be done with young, inexperienced players.

I think a couple of these D-linemen will play right away and I think the RB, Taylor Cox, the WR, Josh Ford, and the TE, Charles Brooks, all will be important parts of KU’s offense this fall.

DSommersby

Hi Matt,

Thanks for all your great KU coverage.

What do you believe are the main keys or areas that KU football and this new staff need to change, and fix in over-hauling this football program? How do we get back into being a competitive team/program that will battle to win games each and every week?

Rock Chalk!

Matt Tait

First off, thanks a lot. Glad you’re enjoying it.

As for your question, I think the No. 1 thing that needs to be addressed (and is being addressed) is the attitude. For whatever reason, things got pretty relaxed during the past couple of seasons.

Players were asked to show up for weights at 6 a.m. and they strolled in at 6:02 or 6:07 or 6:10 and that was OK. That’s not the case any longer. 6 a.m. means 6 a.m. – 5:59, really. And if you’re not there at that time, you’ll pay for it.

I think that kind of mentality and change in culture will be the biggest thing that will help move this program forward toward being competitive again.

That idea will be transferred to all areas — academics, off the field and practice – until it’s just the way things go.

All that I’ve heard so far tells me that this culture shift is off to a great start.

KU58

Hi Matt Is the date for the spring game set yet?

Matt Tait

Coach Weis announced it a week ago last Monday. Game time has not been set yet, but the game will take place on Saturday, April 28. As long as there’s good weather, I’m expecting an incredible turnout.

Bangkok_Jayhawk

Michael Cummings seems to be relatively unknown. Will you give us the “Matt Tait Souting Report” on Cummings as well as your opinion on him as a capable backup QB?

Matt Tait

First off, lemme say that I really, really like Michael Cummings. I think he’s an incredible athlete, a great kid and he has the potential to be a very talented player…

The thing you have to remember is that he was recruited hear as a QB by the old staff, which favored the dual-threat, mobile types. I’m not saying he can’t transform himself into a pro-style type of QB — he does have a strong arm — but his size (6-0, 196) really limits his ability to stand in the pocket and make throws.

I think he’ll be given a fair chance to compete for some sort of role as a QB and if it doesn’t work at that position, I think they’ll definitely find a place for him to play. He works hard, has a great attitude and is really athletic.

baldwinjhawk

Who do you think the 11th and 12th members of the big 12 will be?

Matt Tait

I think Louisville has as good a shot as anybody and I think BYU is in the running along with Notre Dame. I know people think the Notre Dame business is crazy talk, but there’s just something about it that makes sense.

I wouldn’t give up on another school from Texas being added, too, maybe an SMU or somebody like that. I know UT might not be a big fan of such a move, but don’t forget, UT doesn’t run things anymore… Or at least that’s what we’re being told.

Long way to go before we get there, though, so it’s possible another school or two could come out of nowhere.

Moderator

Time for a few more …

trojanhawk

Do you think there’s a decent chance Justin McCay could be cleared for this fall? I know it’s rare for an intraconference transfer to be allowed to play immediately, but you’d think the NCAA would make an exception since OU released him to be closer to his family.

Matt Tait

I think there’s a better than decent chance that McCay will be cleared to play in 2012. In fact, I’m expecting that to be the case. Everyone I’ve talked to who has knowledge of how these things go has said that McCay has a legit case here and that the NCAA usually rules in favor of kids in his position.

If so, it could go down as the biggest pick-up Weis made this offseason. The kid is incredibly talented, incredibly athletic and he’s one of those rare athletes who’s so good that he makes everything look effortless.

Don’t know when we’ll hear anything yet, but I’d guess sooner than later.

justinump20

Matt, What are KU’s options at safety now that Keeston is gone?

Matt Tait

KU’s in better shape at safety than people realize. First off, Bradley McDougald is back with experience and a ton of talent and I think sophomore Victor Simmons will emerge as the guy who steps up and fills the void left by Terry.

Simmons, an Olathe native, is supremely talented and showed a lot of poise and maturity during the time he played as a true freshman. I’m expecting a major leap from him, and then, of course, you’ve still got Lubbock Smith back there with a ton of experience, as well.

joshdutcher

Any idea why KU is being so difficult about releasing Berglund?

Matt Tait

I think it’s just them trying to teach the young man a lesson, so to speak. He made a lot of fuss and was in the headlines for KU for the past year and the coaches and administration were very supportive and patient with him. Now that he’s kind of thrown them under the bus by hiring a lawyer and sending out a release, I think they’re just determined to prove that 18-year-olds don’t run this program any more.

Should they have released him and been done with it? Probably. But I have total faith that he’ll get his release and be on his way and all of this will be forgotten.

It’s a bad deal and it’s too bad it didn’t work out with Brock. But he’ll move on and so will KU.

Moderator

And finally … I swear I didn’t submit this question.

ZDKC

Do you like turtles?

Matt Tait

I’m not a huge fan, but there’s really not a lot to dislike… Never really been a Maryland fan, though, so maybe that tells you something.

Moderator

All right, thanks for your time, Matt, and thanks for everyone out there for submitting questions.

Matt Tait

You bet. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and remember, we’ll be here every Thursday afternoon talking KU football so check back next week, as we’ll know then who KU signed in the Class of 2012. Should be a fun week!