Most crucial Jayhawks 2015: No. 14 – LB Joe Dineen
Kansas University freshman Joe Dineen
Today’s entry on the list of most crucial Jayhawks for the 2015 football season has a little local flavor.
Healthy and ready for his second season in the program, former Free State High standout Joe Dineen has moved back to defense and is ready to play.
When he arrived at KU he walked the line between staying lean and playing safety or bulking up and playing linebacker. After a year doing whatever it took for the team, the guy who earned the nickname “Local Boy” from the media is back on defense and has the KU coaching staff excited about his potential.
Joe Dineen, 6-foot-2, 212-pound Soph. Linebacker
The injuries mounted at running back, including a pair of season-enders in two days, and Kansas turned to the local boy freshman to fill out the depth chart. Joe Dineen was recruited as a defensive player and even though his offensive position in high school was quarterback, he had the talent to project as a running back.
He didn’t play much as a freshman, but now that he’s on defense and has added considerable muscle to his broad frame, look for defensive coordinator Clint Bowen to get Dineen on the field. He could play anywhere from nickelback to outside linebacker, where his speed, nose for the ball and attack mentality all will come in handy.
Dineen speed enables him to drop back into coverage and his naturally aggressive personality gives him a chance to develop into a force who can make plays at and behind the line of scrimmage.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds, Dineen, a sophomore, has the frame to pack on another 15, 20 pounds by the time he uses up his eligibility at Kansas. A graduate of nearby Free State High, Dineen was named Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Kansas in 2013. He wears No. 29 in honor of the late Andre Maloney, a high school foe who was a member of the same KU recruiting class.
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