Ky Thomas enters portal

Leopold was a great hire for them. I agree with you that Kansas is a program that should take a step toward mediocrity (maybe like our Jerry Kill).

For Ky, Kansas isn't an ideal fit either. They had a really productive RB (Freshman) and they will likely be losing in a lot of games. Their RB last year had fewer carries than Ky Thomas and he wasn't splitting carries.

I'll die on this hill because it would impossible for anyone to prove but I think Ky would have gotten more carries for the Gophers next year than he will with Kansas.
I would have thought Sanford & Colorado. Their RB in the portal?

Getting closer to home must have been a factor.

Could very easily be true if Mo and Potts aren't able to do what they and we all hope they're able to do next season.
 


K-State fans are a weird bunch. It's kind of like Texas A&M (which is a full on cult). I don't even mean it as an insult, it's just a unique fan base and school.
They are a pretty good group of fans. Small group but extremely loyal and friendly. I can’t say anything bad about them.
 

That’s a good pick up for Kansas. Good luck running all over the Big 12, Ky!
 



Our offense lacked big play ability last year; taking it to the house from long distance. Thomas got caught a lot and doesn’t have an extra gear, Irving does. Will be more useful going forward.
Bryce Williams doesn’t have the vision of Ky (or Bucky or Mo) but he certainly does have the acceleration/speed to take it to the house if given a seam. Watch Bryce’s “house call” against Nebraska. Hope he comes back in 2022 … and still has the extra step after his knee injury. Bryce is the only RB we have who pulls away from pursuers.
 
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Bryce Williams doesn’t have the vision of Ky (or Bucky or Mo) but he certainly does have the speed to takeout to the house if given a seam. Watch Bryce’s “house call” against Nebraska. Hope he comes back in 2022 … and still has the extra step.
And the two TD versus the Budgies.
 





They are a pretty good group of fans. Small group but extremely loyal and friendly. I can’t say anything bad about them.
Yeah, I didn't mean for that to sound negative. They have an intense loyalty that doesn't come from something simple like winning national championships. They are a small group of die hard fans that kind of feel cult-like in an unharmful way. I actually like A&M fans and they are the same way, it's just a larger fan base.
 

Bryce Williams doesn’t have the vision of Ky (or Bucky or Mo) but he certainly does have the speed to takeout to the house if given a seam. Watch Bryce’s “house call” against Nebraska. Hope he comes back in 2022 … and still has the extra step.
Bryce looked pretty good at times last year. I always thought vision was one of those things that couldn't be improved much, but Bryce looked more comfortable running last year than he did in previous seasons.

One big thing that he brings is that he blocks his ass off.
 

Well, I’m not going to lose sleep worrying about him squaring off against the Gophers in a bowl game. Good luck to him.
 





Bryce looked pretty good at times last year. I always thought vision was one of those things that couldn't be improved much, but Bryce looked more comfortable running last year than he did in previous seasons.

One big thing that he brings is that he blocks his ass off.
Bryce also is a very good pass receiver, but our OC didn’t call many passes to backs. He also is very good at bouncing outside, where his acceleration becomes evident (pursuers taking wrong angle). He isn’t the best RUTM guy. He is a valuable contributor to the team in the right role, and he is very level headed. Hope he comes back, esp. with Mo and Trey currently unknown as to ultimate health/recovery, and with Ky opting to play for a losing team behind a mediocre offensive line. (Ky might find out how intertwined a RB’s success is with a good OL.)
 

And the two TD versus the Budgies.
Funny thing about Bryce: because he is a little quicker/more fleet than Mo, Trey, etc., I think that pursuers sometimes take the wrong pursuit angle with him. They are used to our other power backs, who can be run down from behind. Take the wrong angle on Bryce, as the badgers did twice, and he is gone. Bryce isn’t a star back; maybe not a “bell cow” back. But he is a very valuable contributor and team leader. I assume/hope he will be back for the 2022 revenge tour to Iowa, Illinois, etc.
 

Will Kirk Ciarrocca, Kenni Burns, and Matt Simon tweak the Offense take advantage of Bryce Williams' and other running backs' pass-catching ability?

It may make it more fun for the RB Room if the RBs have more opportunities to be on the field and contribute.
 

Thomas probably sees the chance to be the number 1 feature back at Kansas and a real chance to shine with less competition in the running back room.
He is a good running back, and this is a chance to play in front of a lot of friends and family, probably for a coach he has some familiarity with. Chance to turn the program around like when Mangino had it going, and make himself and Kansas a name in the Big 12. I wish Thomas nothing but the best, he was a good player for us.
 

Our offense lacked big play ability last year; taking it to the house from long distance. Thomas got caught a lot and doesn’t have an extra gear, Irving does. Will be more useful going forward.
Irving should watch some Barry Sanders tape. He has a lot of that Barry Sander's shiftiness and can do a ton of damage with a little opportunity.
 

Leopold was a great hire for them. I agree with you that Kansas is a program that should take a step toward mediocrity (maybe like our Jerry Kill).

For Ky, Kansas isn't an ideal fit either. They had a really productive RB (Freshman) and they will likely be losing in a lot of games. Their RB last year had fewer carries than Ky Thomas and he wasn't splitting carries.

I'll die on this hill because it would impossible for anyone to prove but I think Ky would have gotten more carries for the Gophers next year than he will with Kansas.
Their back up rb was a former Michigan commit and was only a freshman as well. Plus they got another transfer in former four star Sevion Morrison from Nebraska who was also a freshman. So might actually have more young competition than he had here.
 

Will Kirk Ciarrocca, Kenni Burns, and Matt Simon tweak the Offense take advantage of Bryce Williams' and other running backs' pass-catching ability?

It may make it more fun for the RB Room if the RBs have more opportunities to be on the field and contribute.
Could be a nice new wrinkle...
 

Bryce Williams doesn’t have the vision of Ky (or Bucky or Mo) but he certainly does have the acceleration/speed to take it to the house if given a seam. Watch Bryce’s “house call” against Nebraska. Hope he comes back in 2022 … and still has the extra step after his knee injury. Bryce is the only RB we have who pulls away from pursuers.
Only? Not Bucky?!
 

Only? Not Bucky?!
I’ve seen Bucky dance and cut in a way Bryce can’t. But I’ve seen Bucky caught from behind. Don’t remember him breaking a 50 yard TD and outrunning the pursuit. I could be wrong; just going on memory.
 


My keen eye. It became very apparent for me at the Maryland game that Ky was just different...really liked him in the Gopher system. Hope it's a moot point and Mo is 100% in 2022.
A game where Irving averaged 7 ypc and Thomas averaged 6.6 led you to believe Thomas is far better?
 

A game where Irving averaged 7 ypc and Thomas averaged 6.6 led you to believe Thomas is far better?
I really like the way people are treating this like we could keep one or the other. In reality it doesn’t matter which of the two is better because one wanted to stay and the other wanted to go.

If I’m deciding between two guys I take the one that wants to be on the team over the one that doesn’t want to be on the team 10/10 times
 

Bryce looked pretty good at times last year. I always thought vision was one of those things that couldn't be improved much, but Bryce looked more comfortable running last year than he did in previous seasons.

One big thing that he brings is that he blocks his ass off.

He is, what he is. An experienced back who does some things well, but will never be our bell cow.
 





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