Today marks the opening day of the first spring football season under new KU football coach David Beaty.

And although there’s still more than five months ahead for this program to get ready for the 2015 season, a good chunk of the work will begin starting today as the new KU coaches and players begin installing fresh offensive and defensive schemes and putting in the basis of what the program under Beaty will be all about.

There’s plenty of time ahead to learn, examine and analyze all of that, but, for now, let’s take a quick look at a dozen players I’m most looking forward to seeing this spring.

A lot of them are newcomers — big surprise – but a few of them are names you know and I’m just as eager to see what those guys have done to position themselves for more playing time or bigger roles.

Although spring football does not officially begin until the first practice at 4:20 p.m. today, this we know already — don’t expect much in the way of a depth chart at the start of the spring and maybe not even by the end of it.

The coaching staff is not interested in tossing out names of guys they know little about or ramping up expectations for specific players. They’re more interested in waiting to see which players develop, which players best fit the new offense and defense and which guys separate themselves by outworking others on a daily basis.

Just because several players did not make this list does not mean I’m not fired up to see what they look like. There are plenty of guys, both proven and unproven, who should be fun to keep an eye on this spring. This group though is likely to be the 12 guys my eyes wander to first when we’re out there at practice later today.

Enough build up. Here’s the list.

1. Safety Bazie Bates IV — The guy with one of the coolest names on the team is going to play. It’s just a matter of how much and where. Athletic dude with good size and speed should stand out quickly as Jayhawks attempt to revamp a secondary that lost four starters from last season.

2. Cornerback Brandon Stewart — One of the most highly sought after players in the incoming class, Stewart has a golden opportunity to step into the starting cornerback vacancy left by the departure of JaCorey Shepherd and Dexter McDonald. The question is how long will it take him to prove himself?

3. Wide Receiver Chase Harrell — I truly cannot wait to see this kid. Good-sized receiver who’s supposed to have good hands and ball skills, Harrell, who graduated high school early so he could go through spring ball, has a chance to emerge as an immediate contributor at an unproven position.

4. Defensive Lineman D.J. Williams — Defensive coordinator Clint Bowen mentioned Williams’ name late in the 2014 season as one of the guys who red-shirted who he was looking forward to having on the field in 2015. That’s good enough for me. KU lost a lot up front on defense so Williams’ development will be crucial.

5. Quarterback Montell Cozart — Michael Cummings may very well start out as the favorite to win the quarterback job and incoming freshmen Carter Stanley and Ryan Willis might have something to say about the battle when they arrive in the summer. But there’s just something that still intrigues me about Cozart. We already know he’s got the athleticism and a little bit of experience. The reason I’m looking forward to seeing him is because I want to see if he took the necessary steps toward becoming a true QB and not just an athlete trying to play the position. How Cozart fits into this new offense ranks as one of the most intriguing questions surrounding this team.

6. Offensive Lineman Jordan Shelley-Smith — The last time I saw Shelley-Smith he was well on his way to transforming from a tight end to an offensive linemen. I’m guessing that transformation has reached the point where he’ll almost be unrecognizable, which would be a good thing for Kansas because the Jayhawks likely will need the athletic yet equally physical Shelley-Smith to be ready to play right — maybe even left — tackle this fall.

7. Running Back Taylor Cox — This one’s more of a sentimental pick. The guy has been through two seasons worth of injuries but is still out there grinding away hoping for one last chance to help his team. That’s a cool story in itself, but add to that the fact that Cox is a fantastic young man and you’re looking at a guy you can’t help but pull for.

8. Tight End Kent Taylor — Freak athlete who could go a long way toward helping fill the void left by the departure of nearly all of KU’s impact pass catchers from 2014. Gone are Nigel King, Nick Harwell, Jimmay Mundine and Tony Pierson. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound junior who transferred to KU from Florida and sat out the 2014 season could be an option to fill in at whichever one of those positions needs him the most.

9. Offensive Lineman De’Andre Banks — I’ve heard nothing but good things about this guy’s power, size and versatility. Who knows if he’ll be ready to play right away or not, but if he is, O-Line coach Zach Yenser and offensive coordinator Rob Likens surely will view the fact that he can play multiple positions as a huge luxury and a big break.

10. Defensive End Anthony Olobia — Former junior college stud came in with some serious hype last season but arrived late and then got injured. Did the year off provide even more motivation for the No. 2 ranked juco player at his position in the Class of 2014?

11. Offensive Lineman Jacob Bragg — Another guy who Bowen mentioned as a potential breakout player who red-shirted in 2014, the highly-touted center, if he’s ready, could provide a huge lift in helping KU’s offensive line take shape sooner rather than later.

12. Defensive End Damani Mosby — Like Olobia, Mosby was one of those guys the Jayhawks expected to bolster their pass rush in 2014. However, his late arrival from junior college forced him to red-shirt. With the Jayhawks seeking to replace the terrific season turned in by departed senior Michael Reynolds in 2014, Mosby figures to get a crack at a big role provided he has put in the work during the past seven months.