In Les Miles first year as the head coach the Jayhawks won three games, which is the most the program has seen in the last 10 years. There were also some close calls that went to the final minutes where games could have gone either way.

Miles and his staff are looking to take the next step and we take a look at the expectations, the key players, and question marks heading into the 2020 season.

1. Can progress come in year two?

The Kansas program has been in a tough position since 2010. The most wins in a year is three and Miles did that in his first year. It will be interesting to see if Miles and several new members of the coaching staff can get the program past the three-win threshold and show more progress than anyone has over the last decade.

Everyone who follows the program knew it wasn't going to be fixed in two years, but more progress this season would go a long way.

2. Who will be the starting quarterback?

Carter Stanley was the obvious winner of the quarterback battle last year and played 746 of the snaps. The most likely candidates heading into 2020 are Miles Kendrick and Thomas MacVittie. Kendrick played in four games as a sophomore before redshirting. MacVittie, was thought be a candidate for a starting job last year, but only played in two games.

They will be joined by several other players in the quarterback room, but they would be considered the two leaders in the clubhouse.

3. Recruiting

Last year Miles and his staff delivered a Top 50 class, which hasn’t happened much lately. They did it with all high school recruits for the first time we started tracking classes back to 2001. That will help build a foundation and will be even a bigger impact if they can duplicate something close to that in the 2021 class. So far they are off to a fast start offensively with five commitments and rank in the Top 30 in the early, team standings.

1. Hakeem Adeniji- The four-year starter at left tackle graduated and is projected to go in the middle rounds of the NFL draft. He was a staple and the most consistent lineman over the last four seasons.

2. The safeties- Gone from 2019 are Mike Lee, Bryce Torneden, and Jeremiah McCullough. Last year with a young linebacker group they were the leaders of the back seven. There are players returning who saw action last year, but the bulk of the leadership and experience is gone.

3. Carter Stanley- Last year Stanley had his ups and downs. There were times he looked really good. He was in the program for five years and provided a lot of the leadership. Whoever replaces him will have to bring in a level of confidence he gave the offensive side.

1. Pooka Williams (RB)- He is one of the most explosive backs in the country and can change a game any time he touches the ball. He was the first team All-Big 12 running back last year and should top any list for that spot in 2020.

2. Dru Prox (LB)- In four games Prox was leading the team in tackles and didn’t have a game where he had less than nine. But an injury sidelined him the rest of the season. He should return healthy and that will give the unit a big boost in production.

3. Andrew Parchment (WR)- Last year Parchment was the go-to guy for Stanley. He’s got size and speed to be a number one target. Parchment acted as a leading voice on offense and this year his experience should put him in a key role.

1. Karon Prunty (DB)- After turning down home schools Virginia and Virginia Tech he signed with KU and arrived on campus early. Prunty is a talented corner and getting a head start on strength and conditioning will only help. There are going to be holes to fill at cornerback and safety and Prunty has the ability to play early.

2. Duece Mayberry (CB)- Like Prunty, Mayberry holds a lot of the same qualities. He won’t report to campus until June, but he was one of the highest-rated prospects in the class. He already has a good knowledge about expectations since his brother, Kyle, has been in the program for four years.

3. Alonso Person (LB)- Person is another player who enrolled in the spring. There are a good core of linebackers returning from last season, but Person has the ability to play early in terms of physical attributes. He was an important get from the west coast after beating out Oregon, Arizona State, Arizona, and several other schools.

This is a difficult prediction to make because there are still a lot of unanswered questions with different positions. And the schedule lays out in an unorthodox format compared to most seasons.

Usually you look for the non-conference wins before the Big 12 slate starts. But 2020 is unique with a week two match-up at Baylor sandwiched in the non-con.

It makes the home game with Boston College and away game with Coastal Carolina that much more important before the conference schedule kicks back in with Iowa State.

There are some areas that need to get shored up like quarterback, secondary, certain spots on the offensive and defensive line. But there are also some key players returning.

It looks like there will be no spring football unless they decide to do something at a later date. Spring football would have really helped Kansas. With new staff members on board and it would have given Brent Dearmon his first full spring as the offensive coordinator.

Progress for Les Miles won't be judged in just two years. It would be a plus if they could find a way to win more than three games.