Deondre Ford (15), Ryan Willis (13) and Montell Cozart (2) watch as Carter Stanley throws a pass during the first day of spring practice on Sunday afternoon at the practice fields north of Memorial Stadium.

Sunday evening, following the first practice of the 2016 spring season, Kansas University football coach David Beaty proclaimed his team to be “way ahead” of where it was at this point a year ago.

But there’s one area of the program that still can’t catch a break — quarterback.

Promising sophomore Ryan Willis, who qualified as one of the few bright spots from a winless 2015 season, opened spring practice with his right wrist in a cast, the product of a pick-up basketball injury that will limit what Willis can do this month.

Beaty called Willis the incumbent and it’s clear that, if healthy, the Bishop Miege graduate would have opened the spring in the top spot on the depth chart. Beaty confirmed as much after the opening practice but also took time to revisit his earn-it philosophy.

“He would’ve taken the first snap,” Beaty said of Willis. “But it would’ve meant nothing. You get what you earn. And it doesn’t matter if it’s the quarterback, the running back, the tight end or the tackle.”

Clearly, Beaty would much prefer to have Willis fully healthy this spring. But, ever the optimist, the second-year KU coach found a way to paint Willis’ setback in a positive light.

“He’ll do what he can do,” Beaty said. “It’s not necessarily the worst thing in the world that he’s not going through some of it. We don’t take as many risks there, (and) he’s still going to be able to do a whole lot, which is good. And I can train him a lot without even taking a ball under center.”

Given that Beaty already has experience at Kansas losing a potential starting quarterback for the season to injury during the spring — Michael Cummings blew out his knee in last year’s spring game — that smaller-risk bit seemed meaningful.

But it’s not just the safety-first narrative or Willis’ ability to get something positive out of practices even though he can’t grip or throw a football that has Beaty optimistic that the sophomore’s injury will wind up being good for Kansas football.

“It’s gonna give us the opportunity to give more snaps to the young guys, like Carter Stanley, and to see Deondre Ford and Keaton Perry,” said Beaty adding senior Montell Cozart into the mix, as well. “It’s gonna be good for us to be able to evaluate the other guys, whereas, if they were all there, it naturally divides the reps up. But we want to get (Willis) well fast because he’s a talented kid.”

D-tackles making a difference: Beaty said mid-year transfer junior defensive tackles Isi Holani (6-foot-3, 300-pound) and DeeIsaac Davis (6-3, 290) made their presence known during the first practice of the spring last Sunday.

“I talk all the time about turning on that tape, and when you look at that butt view of the tape you need to be seeing butts from hash to hash,” Beaty said. “That’s kind of what big-time football looks like, and those guys are really big, good-looking dudes.”

Beaty said both should have a big impact on the defense this fall.

“It’s really early to tell,” Beaty said. “But they both did a great job in the offseason and that’s usually a great indicator for big guys like that.

“(Holani) is a strong dude, and I really like DeeIsaac Davis. He was in our backfield a bunch today in the team setting. We didn’t see a lot of those tackles in that backfield last year, but they were in our backfield a lot today.”

Tuesday practice postponed: Storms that moved through the area on Tuesday forced Beaty and company to push back spring practice No. 2 to today.

The Jayhawks will conduct one more practice in helmets and shorts and a third in helmets and shoulder pads before suiting up in full pads for the remainder of the spring session.

Players of the day: The votes are in and Beaty has handed out the first awards of spring football.

Senior safety Greg Allen (defense), junior linebacker Joe Dineen Jr. (special teams) and junior offensive lineman Jayson Rhodes (offense) earned player of the day honors following Sunday’s practice.

Beaty announced the winners on Twitter, saying, “Congrats to (Greg Allen, Joe Dineen and Jayson Rhodes)!!! Stepped up BIG in practice #1. #PlayersoftheDay #EarnIt.”