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23 Days Until Kansas Football: The Ultimate KU Depth Chart

What would an all-time roster of KU football players look like?

Kansas V Missouri

Remember on some of the older NCAA Football video games where they had all-time great teams? I feel like I remember that, although I couldn’t tell you what editions. At the very least, some of the more recent versions had historical teams that you could play with.

Anyway, the other day, friend of mine - a K-State fan - showed me this list of K-State players. This list appears to be limited to the Bill Snyder era, which, let’s be honest, makes sense. But it got me to thinking that it’s time to try and piece together an all-time team for KU football.

However, my list won’t be restricted to the last 30 years. This is an ALL-TIME team. So in EA Sports depth-chart style, here is my recommendation for the All-Time Great Kansas Football Roster. (All that’s left is to come up with player ratings, EA Sports. Let me know if y’all need any help with that.)

NCAA Football 14 limits you to 70 roster spots, so without further ado:

The Ultimate KU Football Depth Chart

POS PLAYER CAREER
POS PLAYER CAREER
QB1 Todd Reesing 2006-09
QB2 John Hadl 1959-61
QB3 Bobby Douglass 1966-68
QB4 David Jaynes 1970-73
RB1 Gale Sayers 1962-64
RB2 June Henley 1993-96
RB3 Laverne Smith 1973-76
RB4 Tony Sands 1988-91
FB1 John Riggins 1968-70
FB2 Curtis McClinton 1959-61
WR1 Dezmon Briscoe 2007-09
WR2 Kerry Meier 2006-09
WR3 Willie Vaughn 1985-88
WR4 Steven Sims Jr 2015-18
WR5 David Verser 1977-80
WR6 Emmett Edwards 1972-74
TE1 Otto Schnellbacher 1942, 46-47
TE2 Larry Brown 1967-70
TE3 David Lawrence 1978-81
LT1 Mike McCormack 1948-50
LT2 Anthony Collins 2004-07
LT3 Tanner Hawkinson 2009-12
LG1 Bob Hantla 1951-53
LG2 Steve Lawson 1968-70
LG3 Dick Tomlinson 1947-49
C1 Fred Hageman 1957-59
C2 Hessley Hempstead 1991-94
C3 Justin Hartwig 1998-01
RG1 George Mrkonic 1950-52
RG2 Dave Scott 1973-75
RG3 Don Fambrough 1946-47
RT1 Oliver Spencer 1950-52
RT2 Keith Loneker 1989-92
RT3 Peter Mehringer 1931-33
LE1 John Zook 1966-68
LE2 Dorance Armstrong 2015-17
LE3 Curtis Moore 1987-90
DT1 Gilbert Brown 1989-92
DT2 Dana Stubblefield 1989-92
DT3 James McClinton 2004-07
DT4 Daniel Wise 2015-18
RE1 Mike Butler 1973-76
RE2 Jake Laptad 2007-10
RE3 David McMillan 2001-04
LOLB1 Algie Atkinson 1998-01
LOLB2 Galen Fiss 1950-52
LOLB3 Kyle McNorton 1978-81
MLB1 Willie Pless 1982-85
MLB2 Nick Reid 2002-05
MLB3 Ben Heeney 2011-14
ROLB1 Ron Warner 1996-97
ROLB2 Emery Hicks 1967-69
ROLB3 Mike Rivera 2004-08
CB1 Ray Evans 1941-42, 46-47
CB2 Aqib Talib 2005-07
CB3 Leroy Irvin 1976-80
CB4 Gil Reich 1952
CB5 Charles Gordon 2003-05
CB6 Dorian Brew 1992-95
FS1 Nolan Cromwell 1973-76
FS2 Darrell Stuckey 2005-09
FS3 Carl Nesmith 1999-00
SS1 Kurt Knoff 1972-75
SS2 Kwamie Lassiter 1992-94
SS3 Fish Smithson 2014-16
K1 Bruce Kallmeyer 1980-83
K2 Dan Eichloff 1990-93
P1 Bucky Scribner 1979-83

Unlike the K-State list, only 26 of our 70 guys played in the last 30 years, which in a way speaks to the state of Kansas football over the past three decades. But, it also speaks to some of the really strong teams KU has put on the field post-World War II.

Overall, what do you think? Do you go full Mike Leach Air Raid? Or maybe go full triple option and get as many of those halfbacks and fullbacks on the field as possible?

In today’s college football, you would probably have to go with the second-string offensive line, simply due to the sheer size and strength of opposing defensive lines. But if you could play another historical team, I think you could do quite well with any of those guys.

And let’s be honest - if you’re going with a 4-3 base defensive scheme, you’re starting all three of those middle linebackers. A 3-4 is probably the way to go, and a 4-2-5 shouldn’t have any trouble shutting down anything today’s spread Air Raids could throw at you.

You could make arguments for some snubs, maybe along the third string. I could understand pitches for Gabe Toomey or James Holt or Bradley McDougald and probably a few others. But overall I think this all-time team could hold its own against just about any other school out there. Your thoughts?