Kansas coach Lance Leipold: LJ Arnold & Calvin Clements out for remainder of spring
Kansas football held its first spring scrimmage on Saturday and KU coach Lance Leipold was pleased — for the most part, at least.
“I thought a lot of good — a lot of things to work on,” Leipold told reporters on Tuesday. “Some guys were limited in some situations, continuity and mixing/matching people, but I thought there were some guys that really showed up. Some of our younger players are getting more confident.”
That said, the Jayhawks could undoubtedly be healthier.
“It’s fair at best,” Leipold said about his team’s health. “We’d probably like it to be a little healthier. That’s part of it. We look at everything — we started right after spring and tried to ease into it. Sometimes that plays a factor. Sometimes it’s bad luck. We will get there. When some are out it creates opportunities for others.”
According to Leipold, offensive lineman Calvin Clements and wide receiver Lawrence “LJ” Arnold are out for the remainder of spring due to injuries. Plus, defensive end Jereme Robinson hasn’t practiced this spring after undergoing a “cleanup surgery.”
Arnold was seen wearing a boot while riding a scooter at KU’s football practice on Tuesday morning.
Clements and Arnold missing spring football is significant for the Jayhawks.
Freshman Clements appeared to be in strong competition for the starting left tackle job with Logan Brown. Clements started in KU’s bowl game win vs. UNLV in December and for the most part held his own in his first official start.
Meanwhile, Arnold finished last season with 44 receptions for 782 receiving yards and hauled in six touchdowns. He also had a spectacular one-handed catch in KU’s bowl game.
Kansas star cornerback Cobee Bryant was also seen nursing an injury at practice as well, but Leipold downplayed the severity.
“Cobee is fine,” Leipold said. “Cobee will be fine.”
The Jayhawks are now about halfway through their spring practices, with a spring showcase set for April 12 at Rock Chalk Park.
This story was originally published April 2, 2024 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Kansas coach Lance Leipold: LJ Arnold & Calvin Clements out for remainder of spring."
