Les Miles reveals KU football planning to have Rick Ross perform at spring game

Following his team’s sixth spring practice Tuesday evening, University of Kansas football coach Les Miles didn’t reveal much about the status of any position battles, but he couldn’t hold back a detail regarding the program’s upcoming spring game.

Fielding questions from reporters on the grass practice fields south of Anschutz Pavilion, Miles was asked if he was looking forward to having the April 13 scrimmage at night.

“Yeah, yeah. Rick Ross is playing, supposedly, after,” Miles replied.

While as of Tuesday night KU didn’t officially have a deal in place with the Grammy-nominated rap artist, a KU spokesperson confirmed that the athletic department has been in the process of setting up a performance by Ross for the event, which has been rebranded as Late Night Under the Lights.

“I can’t wait,” Miles said.

According to the former LSU and Oklahoma State coach, he never has been a part of such a production.

“New creation for here,” Miles said. “This is specific to Kansas. It’s cool.”

In recent years at the KU basketball team’s Late Night in the Phog preseason event, rappers 2 Chainz, Lil Yachty and Tech N9ne have performed.

State of offense, QB race

Through six practices, Miles and his staff have observed hundreds of throws from KU’s quarterbacks. But the head coach said right now there is no favorite in the competition.

“You really don’t — it’s too early to benefit you to make a call, OK? We’re not quite halfway,” Miles added of the 15-practice spring schedule. “So you get to halfway, we’ll see. And after the spring game will be another thought.”

The top contenders for the starting job figure to be junior Thomas MacVittie, who transferred to KU ahead of the spring semester, and redshirt senior Carter Stanley. Redshirt sophomore Miles Kendrick and freshman Torry Locklin could end up playing a factor in the race, as well.

As the QBs continue to work with offensive linemen, running backs, receivers and tight ends, Miles said they’re all constantly in learning mode at this stage of the spring.

“I think we’ve kind of introduced some of the segments where we’re going to be consistent. But what happens is you have to pay dues on those type of situations and you have to stay after it and practice that again, and practice it again, and we’re a ways away from that,” Miles said. “But we’ve got it introduced. We feel like by the time we get done we’ll have maybe 50 percent of it in — key pieces, the things we want to call on Saturday.”

The Jayhawks, of course, will have all of preseason camp in August to put in further work on the offense.

Some NFL insight?

While discussing KU football’s coaches clinic coming up Thursday through Saturday, Miles joked about some tips he’s looking forward to getting from Eric Bienemy, offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“So, now tell me. How do you coach some of these throws that (Patrick) Mahomes throws?” Miles cracked of his question for Bienemy. “That’s what I want to get to.”

Miles continued his wisecracking, saying KU’s quarterbacks had a couple opportunities during Tuesday’s practice to emulate the NFL’s MVP, Mahomes.

“We broke out on the left side of the scramble drill. If we’d just flipped our hips and made the right throw, we’d look like Mahomes,” Miles said. “But we didn’t.”

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