photo by: AP Photo/Colin E. Braley

Kansas linebacker JB Brown (28) during an NCAA football game on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, in Lawrence.

The format of Kansas football’s fall camp, with its interviews with numerous assistant coaches and athletes in rapid succession, tends to result in a lot of different players’ names getting brought up.

Some are young prospects with a ways to go before they contribute meaningfully; others are established veterans. But eventually, between discussions with head coach Lance Leipold, KU’s coordinators and its position coaches, a few start to recur.

Here are some of the players the staff has universally praised in the early days of camp, with notes on what awaits them during the 2024 season and what still remains to be determined.

photo by: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht (3) throws a pass over Kansas linebacker JB Brown (28) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Ames, Iowa.

JB Brown

What coaches are saying: “In terms of being a vocal leader, I think he’s earned the respect of the locker room,” linebackers coach Chris Simpson said. “If he says something, it carries some weight, and guys listen. So he’s showing up. I’d say in terms of camp right now, he’s the guy that’s probably showed up the most.”

His outlook for 2024: Brown is the most established returning performer of practically any Jayhawk in the front seven outside of Jereme Robinson, and the common refrain since the spring has been that he has evolved from a “see ball, get ball” player to one with a better understanding of scheme and responsibility.

That understanding has arrived at an ideal time as he enters his senior season in a linebacker room in need of some leadership, which he and Cornell Wheeler will hope to provide.

Brown is already getting some preseason buzz in the form of all-conference honors from various publications, and the comments from not only Simpson but Leipold — “You can tell he’s really comfortable with what he’s supposed to be doing within our defense” — portend a potential breakout.

What remains to be seen: The main question is just how high his proportion of defensive snaps will be. KU has another veteran at weak-side linebacker in Taiwan Berryhill Jr., and Simpson suggested he might be inclined toward an on-field “committee” approach at his various linebacker spots this season. It could be a pretty large committee given how many linebackers are cross-training at the “Will” spot.

Shane Bumgardner

What coaches are saying: “I thought he had a solid spring,” offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes said. “It looks to me thus far that he’s had a really good summer.”

His outlook for 2024: At least in terms of public perception, it’s been a topsy-turvy offseason for Bumgardner, who when he committed to KU in the winter as the reigning award winner for NCAA Division II’s best center seemed poised to slide in and replace Mike Novitsky right away. Then in the spring, Bumgardner didn’t immediately seize that role and found himself in a battle with KU’s reliable guard, Michael Ford Jr., for the center spot. And then the offseason acquisition of Texas A&M transfer Bryce Foster seemed to render that battle moot.

What remains to be seen: Instead, though, a new competition is ongoing between Bumgardner and the late-arriving Foster, as Leipold has emphasized in the early days of fall camp. It’s a high-stakes fight for Bumgardner as, unlike Foster, who can apparently play guard, Bumgardner hasn’t necessarily been mentioned as a candidate to fit in elsewhere on the offensive line. But he’s making a strong impression: Grimes said he’s demonstrating “a little bit more confidence, just a certainty about what he’s doing and a real focus.”

photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Journal-World photo

Kansas safety Marvin Grant celebrates a tackle Friday, Sept. 1, 2023 against Missouri State.

Marvin Grant

What coaches are saying: “Marvin Grant has played some of his best football,” Leipold said, “It was towards the end of last year, even, that I felt, ‘Wow, he’s finally gotten healthy,’ because he was moving so much differently than he did almost his first year and a half in this program. I’m excited to see Marvin play a full year.”

His outlook for 2024: Grant will be one of the most important players for the Jayhawks in 2024 and unlike most of this list, his role is not only assured but will be greater than ever before. He was already set to serve as one of the starting safeties alongside O.J. Burroughs and leaders of the secondary. With the graduation of Craig Young, though, Grant is also stepping in to play the “Cinco” role as a safety-linebacker hybrid, specifically when KU is in its 4-2-5 nickel alignment.

All indications are that it’ll be easy for him to take on the task; defensive coordinator Brian Borland said “I do think he’s got good natural traits at both of the spots,” and Grant stressed that he’s been practicing the position for a while and the only real difference is being in coverage more than when he plays free safety.

What remains to be seen: There is one potential impediment to Grant filling both these roles. If Grant is playing Cinco, another safety, such as Devin or Jalen Dye, will have to step in for him at the back end of the defense. KU could ultimately determine that the arrangement of Grant at safety and one of the Dyes at Cinco would be more beneficial than the other way around, particularly given that the Dyes won’t see as much time at safety in non-nickel packages.

photo by: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Iowa State offensive lineman Darrell Simmons Jr. (55) looks to make a block during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma State, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, in Ames, Iowa.

Darrell Simmons Jr.

What coaches are saying: “We see a different Darrell than we did in the spring,” Leipold said. “He seems more comfortable, he seems understanding, his body’s better.”

His outlook for 2024: Particularly now that Nolan Gorczyca has been working primarily at tackle in the fall, Simmons seems poised to serve as KU’s next option at guard behind Ford and Kobe Baynes. He certainly has the experience, as a sixth-year senior who started 38 games at Iowa State, to back it up. He has moved past a wrist injury that Leipold said hampered him in the spring. And considering that three guards saw significant time for the Jayhawks last season — Baynes got 439 snaps as the ostensible third guard in 2023 — he could get on the field a fair amount.

What remains to be seen: One development that could potentially set Simmons back is Bumgardner’s resurgence at center. If he improbably wins that starting job despite the offseason acquisition of Foster, Foster could surpass Simmons in the pecking order at guard.

photo by: Henry Greenstein/Journal-World

Kansas kicker Charlie Weinrich goes through practice at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan., on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024.

Charlie Weinrich

What coaches are saying: “Charlie continues to be very consistent,” Leipold said on Monday. “Owen (Piepergerdes) has a very powerful leg. In the practice here today, Charlie made his, Owen did not.”

His outlook for 2024: KU didn’t add a kicker in the offseason to replace Seth Keller, and at least based on Leipold’s public comments, Weinrich seems to have a slight edge for KU’s starting kicker spot, after he got the first go at a field-goal try in the Spring Showcase in April. The Leawood native, who attended Blue Valley High School, is a redshirt sophomore who started his career at Nebraska and has yet to attempt a field goal at the collegiate level. He did hit a 57-yarder in high school to set a school record, and was a protégé of Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.

What remains to be seen: Weinrich still has work to do to start for the Jayhawks. He missed a field goal in KU’s scrimmage at Rock Chalk Park on Wednesday night, and Leipold said afterward that he feels the Jayhawks have three capable options (those two as well as kickoff specialist Tabor Allen).