Most Crucial Jayhawks 2016: No. 4 – LB Joe Dineen
photo by: Nick Krug
Kansas linebacker Joe Dineen Jr. (29) reaches for a catch during practice on Tuesday, April 11, 2016 at Memorial Stadium.
As we head down the stretch of our summer countdown of the most crucial Jayhawks on the 2016 football team, we start to find some of the most talented and accomplished Jayhawks on the roster.
Beyond that, the names at the top of this list seem to be among the best leaders in the Jayhawks’ locker room and players who will be counted on heavily for production and guidance during the 2016 season.
Today’s entry plays in the heart of the Kansas defense and figures to play a big role in just how good this year’s defense can be.
Reminder: This is not a list of the 25 best players on this year’s team. That would be much easier to pinpoint and, although still key, would not exactly demonstrate the full value that each player has in regard to the 2016 season.
This is a list of the 25 players who need to have strong seasons in order for the Jayhawks to have a chance to compete.
Tom Keegan and I came up with the list by each making our own list of 25 and then combining the results. We did the same thing for the last two years, but the amount of fresh faces made this list much tougher to put together.
Track the list every weekday at KUsports.com, where we’ll unveil the list one-by-one in reverse order. And, in case you miss some, be sure to check the links at the bottom of each entry for an up-to-date look at the list of 25.
4. Joe Dineen, Jr. Linebacker
The Lawrence native and Free State High grad has a chance to be the best player on this year’s roster. But just because people expect him to be one of the best does not mean he is the most crucial.
In fact, the bar that Dineen has set for himself has created a situation in which people are expecting a big season and therefore it will be hard for him to outdo what many think he’s capable of.
Having said that, there’s no doubt that the second-year linebacker will try.
Tough, physical, faster than you think and learning more about his relatively new position each and every day, Dineen is the perfect player to fit into the heart of the Kansas defense.
Now a junior, his leadership skills are starting to surface and his personality is one that makes him both likable and easy to follow.
He has positioned himself well to become the next great linebacker at KU on a list that features some pretty impressive names from the recent past. Late last season, defensive coordinator Clint Bowen told me that Dineen had a legit chance to crack that list and, with two years of eligibility still remaining, he appears to be well on his way.
Dineen is far from a perfect player. But his heart, desire to develop his craft and the passion for both the program and to represent the city in which he grew up helps overcome any weaknesses he has as a player.
In short, Dineen is exactly the kind of Jayhawk that head coach David Beaty is trying to sign and develop more of. And the mere thought that he has only scratched the surface on how good he can be at the position makes for an intriguing 2016 season.
We know Dineen will be a huge and crucial part of the Kansas defense. What we don’t know yet is how good he’ll be and how impressive his stats will look.
Top 25 Most Crucial Jayhawks of 2016: