Freshman defensive lineman D.J. Williams goes through a drill with the rest of the D-Line during Monday's KU football practice.

Freshman defensive lineman D.J. Williams goes through a drill with the rest of the D-Line during Monday's KU football practice.

We’re getting closer to seeing what this team looks like in full pads…

Monday marked the first day with shoulder pads at KU football camp and, starting Tuesday, they’ll be allowed to suit up in full gear.

Coaches have said for decades that the one sure way to tell if a guy can play or not is to get him in pads and then see. So many players look good running around in shorts and jerseys but then lose a step or more when they slap on the full attire.

As an aside, I’ve always wondered why the NFL combine doesn’t take that into account and make the guys run the 40 and do those drills in full pads. To my knowledge, no football game outside of the lingerie bowl has been played with the athletes wearing underwear.

Anyway, I’m not saying a full transformation from great to good or good to bad will be the case with any of the Jayhawks, but you can bet that’s when the real evaluations will begin.

With that in mind, here’s a quick look at what caught my eye at Monday’s practice….

Several KU defensive linemen wait for their turn in a drill at Monday's practice.

• It was defensive linemen that jumped out at me today and all in a good way. In a relative sense — understanding that these guys are naturally bigger than most other positions — I’d say the D-Line is probably the most lean and mean looking group of any out there. These guys are all significantly more cut and most of the newcomers, freshmen and juco guys alike, are starting from a fantastic spot. Here are a couple of specifics on what I’m talking about.

• Keon Stowers has continued to mold his body and he now looks like the kind of guy who could play defensive end or on the interior. He’s big but in all the right ways, cut almost everywhere and looks to be in the best shape of his career. Perhaps the best part? He doesn’t appear to be letting up.

• Andrew Bolton looks fantastic, too. No. 1, he looks healthy. Beyond that, he just has a different style about him. Maybe it’s a different gear. Maybe it’s his crazy powerful lower body that makes it look like he’s working on a different playing surface. Or maybe it’s just that this is the kind of player that’s supposed to be at defensive end. Either way, he looks good and hungry.

• Ben Goodman, Tedarian Johnson and Michael Reynolds all look more lean, as well. Reynolds told me the other day that even though he’s added weight and strength, he actually feels like he’s faster. That’s the kind of thing you want to hear at all positions.

• As for the newcomers, several of them are pretty impressive, too. Freshmen Daniel Wise, D.J. Williams and Lay’Trion Jones are big bodies who seem to be the ideal specimens for a guy like Scott Holsopple to mold. Both look like they could get out there right now. Obviously the mental part of things is a different story and may hold them back slightly, but who knows?

• As far as juco guys on the D-Line, Kapil Fletcher has a really nice blend of power and quickness and Anthony Olobia looks like a wild animal. His lower body just never stops moving and it looks as if he never goes less than 340 percent on any rep. It was just one day of watching him, so that might not be a fair assessment. But his energy impressed me today. I’ll keep an eye on if that’s the norm.

• A couple of non-D-Line things that jumped out today: Tony Pierson is going to be used all over the formations. I think I saw him in five different spots during the opening drill and that was just a quick-hitter, get the offense moving type of drill. Good luck to defensive coordinators who are trying to keep tabs on him.

• Keyon Haughton jumped over to left guard when Jacob Bragg got his shot at center. KU coach Charlie Weis said last week that Bragg would get a legitimate look and it appears he is. Haughton, who has played guard and center, gives the O-Line some nice options.

• Finally, a quick update on freshman running back Corey Avery, who I noted looked thicker than I anticipated the other day. It’s because he is. The rosters were updated today and Avery is up 25 pounds from signing day, from 170 to 195. That’s a good thing for him and KU football and also a good thing for me because he sure didn’t look like a 170-pound player when I first saw him. Turns out I was right. That time.

As I mentioned, full pads tomorrow. Should give us all kinds of new things to look for. Check back then and be sure to check out Benton Smith’s video of interviews with offensive leaders and the latest Spodcasters episode from Tom Keegan and me.

http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2014/aug/11/35930/