Highlights from today's press conference w/Coach Mangino and KU Players...

Head Coach Mark Mangino

Opening remarks:

“Looking back on last week, Nebraska made more plays than we did to win the game. We had opportunities and didn’t always capitalize. We didn’t make stops when we needed to make stops. We have got to improve our tackling. We have got to play a lot more sound in our inside run game. There were a few bright spots. Dezmon Briscoe had a big day and looked really good. Todd Reesing had a good day, although his numbers didn’t show that he did. James Holt is really playing good defense for us right now.”

“This week we have Texas, who is a very good, ranked, top-five program. They have a lot of weapons on both sides of the ball and on special teams. Defensively they are very stout. They are only allowing 86 yards per game rushing. They have a very athletic defensive line with very quick, athletic guys who can move around. Their linebackers seem to be the heart of their defense. They are an outstanding group of linebackers. Their secondary is very athletic as always.”

“On the offensive side of the ball they run the ball with a number of different tailbacks. Their big playmaker is obviously Colt McCoy at quarterback, both running and throwing the football. He has a bunch of excellent receivers to throw to, led by Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby. Shipley is also a very dangerous player on special teams.”

“It is a very good Texas team that is coming here and we are planning on having a good week of preparation and getting ready to play them. It is an opportunity for us to play a top-five team here at home and we want to play well.”

More Coach and Player Quotes after the Jump...

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As we dive straight ahead with our position previews, who somehow will be finished on time for the season opener, we move to the outskirts of the offensive formations; the outside receivers. We will have to replace Marcus Henry on the outside, but are returning Dezmon Briscoe as the other starter.

Honestly, I see a lot more depth in the slot than here on the outside. While the outside receivers are, usually, on the field more often (there has to be an outside WR on that side for there to even be a slot receiver, by the definition of the word), this unit seems thinner and less talented as a whole than the slot. Briscoe is a stud, obviously, but Jon Wilson is fairly unproven and Harris is the only other member of the five-pack of WRs that excites me. Raymond Brown is a wild card who has come out of nowhere; according to SB Nation's roster, he is listed as a safety. Still, the fifth-year senior appears to be in line for a potential role in the WR rotation, slotted as Dez' backup as of right now.

With all of that said, here is a glance at the depth chart at the OWR position for the next three years:

--- Italics denote projected redshirt year

--- Bold denotes open position on the depth chart

Obviously, the top tier talent of this unit are all young and figure to be Jayhawks for awhile. And, you get the feeling that they have separated themselves from the rest of the pack and figure to get the vast majority of snaps at the OWR position. After those three it gets pretty sketchy, with a ex-safety that's never really threatened for PT at any position in Raymond Brown and another fifth-year senior, Marcus Herford, who never could really make the successful transition from high school QB to outside WR.

Player-by-player previews after the jump...

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