KU special teams coach Gary Hyman runs through a containment drill during spring practice No. 7 on Tuesday at Memorial Stadium.

KU special teams coach Gary Hyman runs through a containment drill during spring practice No. 7 on Tuesday at Memorial Stadium.

Other than the 80-plus degree temperatures that made the Memorial Stadium turf feel like it would in the middle of a summer day, the main thing that jumped out to me at Monday and Tuesday’s sixth and seventh spring practices for the KU football program was the attention to detail and fundamentals stressed by every coach during every drill.

On Tuesday — as is the case on most days — special teams coach Gary Hyman was the man flying around the field yelling and screaming about technique, steps, shoulders and leverage.

He’s a blast to watch because he’s so passionate about what he does and he puts every ounce of what he’s got and who he is into every rep. The Jayhawks would be in great shape if they had a bunch of Gary Hymans to suit up and play this fall.

But they don’t, so he’s doing the best he can to mold them into guys who have his personality. I can’t imagine what it’s like to play for him, but it’s a lot of fun and very informative to watch him work. He’s equal parts praise and critique and you have to listen carefully to the words to determine which is which because his voice and tone rarely change.

Whether it’s “Goooood, that’s the way to do it, son,” or “Why did you let him get outside of you,” Hyman puts his signature roar on each teaching point.

Here’s a quick look at the rest of what caught my eye during Monday and Tuesday’s practices:

• One of Monday’s most interesting special teams drills involved a volleyball. Yep. A volleyball. Linebackers coach Kevin Kane was working with guys on rushing the punter and instead of using a football, the mock punter had a volleyball and simply flipped it with his hands whenever guys got close enough to get a block. They did this drill from a full 10 yards back and also did it from a couple of feet away, where they simulated running with their arms and then just flipped their hands out when Kane blew the whistle. This was just one of the many special teams drills that they did during the past two days, but it was cool to see how seriously the guys were taking it. Fundamentals reign supreme.

• In case you missed it, also on Monday, 5-star Antioch, California, running back Najee Harris, 6-2, 220 pounds, was on campus for an official visit. It was Harris’ second visit to KU in a month and, although he’s just a sophomore, the interest in the program seems to be genuine.

CCR fan and KU linebackers coach Kevin Kane keeps an eye on a group of Jayhawks working through a tackling drill during Tuesday's practice.

• Moving on to Tuesday, tackling was a huge emphasis of the portion of practice that we were able to see. I’m sure it is every day in a number of different ways, but the focus on wrapping up and bringing guys down really jumped out to me during this one. Kevin Kane ran a station that focused solely on wrapping up at the line of scrimmage. Every position group but the offensive line and quarterbacks came through it, even the wide receivers. Clint Bowen and Kenny Perry also ran tackling drills with mats and bags. The one thing Kane kept yelling over and over — other than great things like, “Holy Moses,” after a poor rep — was: “Guys, you’ve gotta get better at tackling. You’ve gotta get better at tackling.” Continued effort like they showed on Tuesday certainly won’t hurt.

• Speaking of Kane, by far the most hilarious portion of Tuesday’s practice came when “Fortunate Son” by Credence Clearwater Revival blared over the loud speaker. Kane, who must be a CCR fan, started barking at the players at his station at the time, “Who sings this?” “Who sings it?” “Who. Sings. This. Song.” Each time, the Jayhawks delivered a shake of the head and a shrug of the shoulders. I can’t say I expected any of them to know the answer, but watching Kane try to coach it out of them was hysterical. Finally, after about a minute, he gave up and told them. I’m not sure the actual answer rang any bells either. Good stuff.

• This is really nothing new, but it’s pretty impressive what kind of shape this coaching staff is in. These guys look good, they move well and they clearly have made fitness an important part of their lives. It’s easy, when you work the kind of hours that these guys work, to let that area of your life slip, but these guys — many of them young dudes — have not done that. That kind of example can only help, especially when it allows them to jump into drills and join in the conditioning elements of practice.

• As for specific players who have stood out the past couple of days, defensive end Damani Mosby continues to look like a man possessed. He goes hard every single rep (at least the ones that I’ve seen) and, physically, looks like the kind of guy who could make a significant impact on the field this fall. Another guy who looks good is Ronnie Davis. He’s still a work in progress in some areas, but, physically, he’s put together well and, like Mosby, he goes all out all the time.

• To be fair to the KU wideouts, who have struggled with drops at times this spring, there was a deep ball fade and back-shoulder drill they did while we were out there and I only saw one ball hit the turf. They ran this on one side of the field from the 40 yard line in and then lined up in the end zone on the other side of the field and ran it from the goal line out. Minor detail, but it’s this kind of efficiency that KU coach David Beaty has always been impressed by and it’s no surprise that he’s incorporating a whole bunch of it into his first practices as a college head coach.

• Now at the halfway point of spring football, the Jayhawks will be off Wednesday and Thursday and return to the field on Friday for practice No. 8 of 15 scheduled for the spring. The final date will be the annual spring game, which is scheduled for April 25.