Analyzing KU football’s defense with season near, with D.K. McDonald

LAWRENCE — As D.K. McDonald spoke in August, during Kansas football’s media day, KU’s defensive coordinator outlined where he wanted to see his side of the ball improve ahead of the season opener.

McDonald, whose Jayhawks are set to play LIU on Sept. 4 at home, is looking for there to continue to be quality communication — although he thought at the time the safeties could take another step there. The linebackers, McDonald noted, had been doing well in that area. As much as he’s pleased about how well the group knows the scheme, the communication needs to be there.

McDonald also pointed to having an awareness of forcing turnovers, mentioning the defense has done well in fall camp doing that and getting stops on fourth down. He would, though, like to see greater awareness in red-zone situations in certain down-and-distance scenarios. Especially because of how much situational decision-making will end up determining if the team wins or loses this fall.

KU’s Jalon Daniels wins backup QB job in NFL with Tampa Bay | reports

Here are some takeaways from McDonald’s thoughts on the defense:

Kansas likes to be able to rotate at defensive tackle, and there are some younger players who’ve shown they can provide the team with some depth. Redshirt junior Jibriel Conde has put on weight, and redshirt freshman Kevin Oatis has been playing well. McDonald thinks both can help this fall.

McDonald said the team wants to play the guys it can trust, noting that redshirt junior Marcus Calvin has impressed with how much he’s accomplished. If that’s six defensive tackles in the rotation, it’s six. If it’s three, then it’s three.

McDonald said the linebackers have performed well in camp, and the leadership with that group starts with redshirt senior Trey Lathan. Lathan’s improved in several areas, especially in his ability to get off blocks. And he’s not the only linebacker making an impression.

Redshirt senior Bam Crouch and redshirt junior Quincy Davis are two members of that group, and even redshirt freshman Malachi Curvey is, too. There’s depth and versatility. Don’t forget about redshirt senior Jibreel Al-Amin, either.

At defensive end, the most significant step redshirt junior David Santiago has made has been his pass rush. Santiago, McDonald explained, was trying to find his way in the spring. But after the work Santiago put in during the summer, the progress has been clear, and he’s had one of the best camps of anyone on the defensive side of the ball.

Santiago is set to be an asset at the position alongside junior Leroy Harris III, senior Alex Bray, and redshirt sophomore Dakyus Brinkley. From McDonald’s perspective, Harris’ potential can be as high as he wants it to be if he keeps working as he has with his pass rush and body development. Harris has impressed with his athleticism, strength and football IQ, but he’s also been a leader for this group.

This fall, Kansas wants to cause more turnovers, and the coaching staff has worked on different ways to outline how the Jayhawks can be better at it in 2026. McDonald described the effort as a combination of technique and awareness, and noted they’ve shown guys film about opportunities that could have been taken that weren’t. But it’s also important to have players who can create turnovers, and pointed to Harris and Santiago as two who could — in addition to those in the linebacker group and secondary.

McDonald has both enjoyed seeing some guys get healthier and others step up to the opportunity for more playing time. At cornerback, redshirt senior Roman Pearson has done well in camp, redshirt sophomore Austin Alexander has made improvements, and redshirt junior Jahlil Hurley has had some good days. In terms of safety, overall, the depth will be as good as the Jayhawks have enjoyed in a while.

Freshman cornerback Trey Brown is someone whose name has also come up, and McDonald detailed that it’s not just what Brown’s done in camp but what he did during the summer as well. Brown has consistently been in the building, and it’s exciting for McDonald to see that work pay off on the field. Brown is someone who could be a factor on special teams, too.

Redshirt sophomore safety Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman is someone McDonald said is capable of helping the team, especially given his previous experience in the Big 12 Conference at Iowa State. At the nickel position, Cummings-Coleman would provide a dynamic athlete who could blitz or cover. Cummings-Coleman also has a bigger body that can hold up against an opponent’s running game.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Analyzing KU football’s defense with season near, with D.K. McDonald