Beaty declines to release depth chart, opts for mystery in opener

By foxsports
Published

The goal, according to Kansas coach David Beaty, is not gamesmanship or crafted subterfuge. But then again, that’s sort of how it looked Tuesday when Beaty said he would not release a two-deep depth chart in advance of KU’s season opener.

The game against South Dakota State is set for at 11 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Across college football, it’s common for programs to release a depth chart during the preseason — or at the very least in the days leading up to the opener. Beaty has done neither, and it has created a mild vibe of mystery as the Jayhawks prepare to open the Beaty era.

Beaty, though, says the decision to not release a depth chart is not about a competitive advantage. It’s an honest attempt to promote more competition as the season begins.

“The reason we’re not going to do it, honestly, is because we really need our guys to still be in the mindset of trying to earn their spots,” Beaty said Tuesday. “We don’t want those guys to take a lazy step from this point moving forward.”

To be fair, Beaty has not hidden all aspects of the depth chart. Many preseason practices have been open to reporters for various lengths of time, and many position coaches have confirmed position battles.

One example: the offensive line. Senior Larry Mazyck and junior Jordan Shelley-Smith are set to start at the tackle positions, while senior Bryan Peters and juco transfer De’Andre Banks are running first team at guard. The center position appears to belong to senior Keyon Haughton.

Other positions are more fuzzy. Although junior Montell Cozart will start at quarterback, Beaty has declined to name a backup. It appears to be down to juco transfer Deondre Ford and true freshman Ryan Willis.

“We really have not made those final decisions across the board yet,” Beaty said. “It’s really kind of a fluid deal for us in this first year. It’s going to be fluid all year long until somebody stabilizes in a position and really kind of earns it.”

(h/t Kansas City Star)