photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas head coach Charlie Weis heads off the field as the Baylor student section sings their Alma Mater following the Jayhawks' 41-14 loss to the Bears, Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.

With three games remaining in the season and few questions — other than will the Jayhawks win again — left to be answered, it makes sense to look ahead a little for this week’s Monday Rewind.

I’ve been asked for weeks now if KU will win another game this season and my answer always has been yes. It still is, but time is certainly running out.

I once thought both Texas Tech and West Virginia were unwinnable games, but with Tech falling to UT this past weekend and WVU falling apart, I’m not so sure any more. KU certainly will be heavy underdogs in both games, and if the offense can’t find a way to score some more points, the Jayhawks will have no shot. But both teams look a lot less invincible today than they did a couple of weeks ago.

That leaves Iowa State at home as KU’s other chance at victory, and this is one many Jayhawk fans have called KU’s best chance for weeks. It probably is, but Iowa State may be the best of the three remaining teams on the schedule. They’re certainly the toughest.

Enough about that, though. For this week’s Rewind, I’m taking you back to halftime of the Baylor game, when a 45-minute lightning delay forced us to wait on the outcome and inspired me to have a little fun on Twitter. In addition to answering dozens of questions thrown at me by a bunch of informed and engaged KU fans, I tossed one out to them: Which current KU player are you most excited about for next season?

I must have received nearly 100 responses, and while most went to one or two players, eight different guys were mentioned, which led me — and hopefully many of you — to the realization that even though things have been rough this season and the team’s record of 1-8 overall and 0-6 in Big 12 play is certainly worse than fans had hoped for, there’s still plenty to be excited about when looking to the immediate and far-off future.

Here’s a quick look at who garnered mention in this impromptu Twitter exercise, listed in order of the player people picked the most:

1. Jake Heaps — Heaps was, by far, the most mentioned player, and with good reason. KU’s quarterback play has been bad this year and it’s not getting any better. Heaps, who I was told was the best QB on KU’s roster entering this season, represents hope for the future. The fact that he has the shiny five-star label and the Div. I experience only makes him a more attractive option at the game’s most important position.

2. James Sims — While most who named Sims said they couldn’t wait to see what he would do for an encore, some even mentioned their concern about whether Sims would still be here in 2013. Sims certainly has an NFL future, but coming back for his senior season and playing another year under Charlie Weis while backing up what he’s done this year would significantly increase his stock.

3. Justin McCay — People started missing McCay before he even put on a uniform. Thanks to the NCAA’s poor decision not to grant the Oklahoma transfer immediate eligibility this season, the WR from Bishop Miege has spent the season sitting out. He has big-time potential, though, and we’ve been told he and Heaps have developed a solid bond.

4. Jake Love — Love has been one of the surprise stars of the KU defense this season and it seems only natural for many to wonder what the young linebacker who plays more like a moving vehicle will be able to do in the future. He’s physical, ferocious and not afraid to get physical.

5. Ben Heeney — Heeney came less out of nowhere than Love this season, but what he’s done at middle linebacker has been no less impressive. He’s among the Big 12 leaders in total tackles and has taken that wild and reckless style that made him a force on special teams to defense, where he looks to have a very bright future.

6. Tony Pierson — Pierson was the man at tailback during the season’s first three games. But an injury and the return of James Sims have slowed him down a little these past few weeks. That’s a shame but it shouldn’t do anything to change Pierson’s long-range outlook. The guy’s a weapon and once he gets his confidence back and if the Jayhawks get a passing game to complement him, he has the chance to reemerge as one of the most dangerous one-play weapons in the conference.

7. Josh Ford — Ford has done well on special teams this season but he’s been a non-factor at wide receiver. The fact that he was mentioned in this poll speaks to the team’s desperate situation at wide receiver. I talked to Ford a week or so ago and the junior still has his head screwed on tight and believes he will be a factor in the passing game here before he leaves.

8. Eric Kahn — Weis said this Spring Hill, Kan., native and Mid-America Nazarene transfer could be a weapon on kickoffs. I’ve taken a look at him in practice and he certainly has that look. He’s long, tall and his legs look spring-loaded.