Jereme Robinson, defensive end of the Kansas football team, praises Caleb Taylor
Kansas football coach Lance Leipold reacts to the spring showcase event
Check out what Kansas football coach Lance Leipold recently had to say after the Jayhawks held their spring showcase event in Lawrence.
LAWRENCE – Jereme Robinson spent a lot of time talking about his teammates during Big 12 Conference media days.
Robinson, a senior defensive end for Kansas football, highlighted other Jayhawks who could emerge this season and help him attack the pass. That group included redshirt junior defensive end Dean Miller, redshirt senior defensive end Dylan Wudke and redshirt freshman defensive end Bai Jobe, among others. Robinson even mentioned redshirt junior linebacker JB Brown.
But time and time again when Robinson talked about the subject, he named a teammate that some might not have considered an important part of the answer to the question about Kansas’ pass rush. Robinson pointed several times to redshirt junior defensive tackle Caleb Taylor. Robinson added that Taylor will prove what talent he has this fall.
RELATED: The capacity of the Allen Fieldhouse will be 15,300 spectators after the renovation, plus there is more news from KU Athletics
RELATED: Jalon Daniels brings the twist that Kansas Football’s new offensive coordinator brings
“I truly trust and believe that Caleb Taylor is going to have an outstanding year,” Robinson told reporters last Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Austin Booker’s decision to turn pro early after the 2023 season has raised big questions about Kansas’ ability to attack opposing quarterbacks. Booker, a defensive lineman who led the Jayhawks in sacks and tackles for loss last year, was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Robinson’s return to college is important, but head coach Lance Leipold and his staff know the team needs more.
Taylor wasn’t a starter for Kansas last season, but he played an important role, collecting six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks over the course of 13 appearances. He’s someone Robinson trusts, and along with redshirt junior defensive tackle DJ Withers, he’s someone who makes Robinson’s job easier. The better Taylor, Withers and their fellow defensive tackles play, the more time the younger defensive ends Robinson will play with will have to develop.
Redshirt junior Tommy Dunn Jr. and redshirt senior Javier Derritt are two other defensive tackles to think about this fall. Dunn, like Taylor and Withers, is a returning talent, while Derritt is a freshman transfer from North Dakota State. Together, they can help make the position a strength on defense as long as they play to their potential.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas athletics for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the 2022 National Sports Media Association Sportswriter of the Year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
KRX mobilizes medium-sized companies for “Value-Up” program
Maggie Nelson: “I was overwhelmed with grief when Prince died” | Essays
Health officials in the Gaza Strip say 24 people were killed in Israeli attacks
About The Author
