Kansas Football 2013 Positional Previews: Flanker

The flanker position is a bit of a new spot that is being incorporated for Kansas this year but one that Charlie Weis has utilized in the past.  It's a bit of a hybrid role with a variety in terms of the type of player at the position and what they bring to the table.  So far in camp Weis hasn't tipped his hand a whole lot, but with Tony Pierson leading this group it's safe to say that there will be efforts made to get this position the ball in open space where Pierson can be very dangerous.

Starter

Tony Pierson - 5'10" 175, JR

Pierson played out of the backfield on a regular basis last year out of necessity.  He's explosive and made plays, but running between the tackles isn't necessarily where he can do the most damage.  With the added depth in the backfield, Weis has the opportunity to move Pierson out into space and leverage him a different way.  That's where we're at today.  Imagine having James Sims in the backfield with the threat of Tony Pierson in the flat or potentially taking a handoff from a less traditional set.  There are a lot of options, but it's safe to say involving Pierson will be a priority.

Option 1A

Brandon Bourbon - 6'1" 225, Jr

Is this the year we see Brandon Bourbon make some noise?  The oft injured junior came to Lawrence with some fairly high expectations but for one reason or another he hasn't been able to stay on the field consistently.  Bourbon is certainly a completely different type of player compared to Pierson which makes the two playing the same position and interesting proposition, but it does give Weis a lot of flexibility in how he uses the spot.  Bourbon has been getting very solid reviews this Fall, we'll see if that carries over into the season.

Other Notables

Connor Embree - 5'10" 180, Jr

Embree, I believe, was awarded a scholarship this year and he's been steadily improving his play on the field.  That's not to say he's going to leapfrog Pierson or Bourbon, but it does sound like there is some serviceable depth if it comes to that point.

Colin Spencer - 5'10" 180, Fr

Is this the next Tony Pierson?  Spencer is the combine freak who's athleticism alone was worth the risk for Charlie Weis.  Ideally Spencer redshirts and works in with Pierson starting next year.  But we'll have to see how things shake out because Weis does seem fond of Spencer on some level.  Still I think we'll see more Pierson and Bourbon at this spot and that's not really a big surprise at all.