Three Kansas football starters missed practice on Monday as Jayhawks prep for OSU
The Kansas Jayhawks, who were down their starting quarterback once again in Saturday’s win over UCF, were missing at least three starters as Monday’s practice kicked off a week of prep for Oklahoma State.
Kansas coach Lance Leipold shared a full injury update on Monday, which included that starting defensive ends Hayden Hatcher and Jereme Robinson also did not practice. Hatcher has started five games for KU, while Robinson has been the listed starter in all six.
The two have been a pivotal part of an improved KU pass rush. The Jayhawks rank No. 24 nationally in sacks (17). Hatcher has made 14 tackles with three tackles for loss. Robinson has five tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
Austin Booker, not mentioned in Leipold’s update, leads KU with eight tackles for loss and five sacks.
As for Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels, who is continuing to nurse a back injury that has kept him out of two straight games?
“Jalon did not practice today,” Leipold said on Monday. “I haven’t gotten an update yet.”
Daniels has missed three games this season, including Kansas’ season-opening 48-17 win over Missouri State, due to a back injury. Leipold said the Jayhawks kept Daniels off the sideline against UCF to protect from any “quick movements and things” that could apparently aggravate or worsen his injury.
Beyond the injuries, the Jayhawks did receive some positive news on Monday, with punt returner Trevor Wilson being named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week.
Wilson returned a punt for an 82-yard touchdown in the second quarter of KU’s 51-22 win over UCF. The return is tied for the fifth-longest in Kansas football history and is the longest in the Big 12 this season.
Wilson is the first Kansas player to return a punt for a touchdown since Nick Harwell did so in 2014 vs. West Virginia. He is the 16th Jayhawk to be named the Big 12’s Special Teams Player of the Week and first since Pooka Williams earned the honor on Oct. 19, 2020.
“It’s a pretty play,” Leipold said on Saturday of Wilson’s return. “He made a lot happen.”
No. 23 Kansas (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) will travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to face Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday.
This story was originally published October 9, 2023 at 3:18 PM with the headline "Three Kansas football starters missed practice on Monday as Jayhawks prep for OSU."
