photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas receiver Nigel King gets high over Iowa State defensive back Sam Richardson for a deep catch during the third quarter on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014.

Finally, Charlie Weis’ strategy of recruiting transfers from four-year schools has significantly upgraded one unit of the Kansas University football program.

Receivers Nick Harwell (Miami of Ohio) and Nigel King (Maryland) have had a chance to show their talent since Michael Cummings took over at quarterback, halfway into Clint Bowen’s first game as interim head coach, at West Virginia.

Sophomore Montell Cozart played the first four games and half the fifth game, so he and Cummings both have started four-and-a-half halves.

Cummings faced tougher competition (West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Baylor, Iowa State) than Cozart (Southeast Missouri State, Duke, Central Michigan, Texas, West Virginia). The remaining three games (TCU, at Oklahoma, at Kansas State) give Kansas the toughest remaining schedule in the nation, according to computer rankings.

A look the quarterbacks’ numbers:

Comp-Att-Yds-Pct.-Yds/A-TD..KU-Opp. (points)
Cozart…… 64-128-701-50.0%-5.48-5……………. 61-128
Cummings 94-158-1,160-59.5%-7.34-5………… 103-142

Now a look at the top three receivers, including senior tight end Jimmay Mundine:

Rec-Yds-TD
Harwell In halves started by Cozart: 16-121-2
Harwell in halves started by Cummings: 21-280-2

Mundine in halves started by Cozart: 10-119-0
Mundine in halves started by Cummings: 23-281-2

King in halves started by Cozart: 6-92-0
King in halves started by Cummings: 17-276-0

Since Cummings took over at quarterback, Mundine (281), Harwell (280) and King (276) are within a five-yard span in reception yardage totals, an indication of how well Cummings has spread the wealth.

Before Harwell and King came to KU, the Jayhawks didn’t get much production out of transfers Dayne Crist and Anthony McDonald of Notre Dame, Jake Heaps of Brigham Young and Josh Williams of Nebraska. UCLA transfer T.J. Millweard remains third on the quarterback depth chart.

A pair of players who took advantage of the rule that enables graduated players to transfer without sitting out a year have done well after leaving Kansas. Defensive back Tyler Patmon played well for the Oklahoma State Cowboys and recently had a pick-six for the Dallas Cowboys.

Andrew Turzilli, who clocked the second-fastest 40 time on the team, ranking behind only Tony Pierson last spring, has used his speed to make big plays for Rutgers. He has just eight catches for the Scarlet Knights, but three of them have gone for touchdowns and he’s averaging an eye-popping 38.1 yards per catch. Four of his receptions have gone for 36 yards or more and he had a 93-yard TD catch vs. Tulane and an 80-yard catch against Michigan.

Turzilli’s a big target and deep threat, but the way Harwell and King are playing for KU, he would have had difficulty finding playing time.