Dominick Puni adjusting to competition, having good camp

Dominick Puni is one of the most interesting stories from fall camp. He entered the transfer portal when he was at Central Missouri State.

He took two visits to Kansas and built a good relationship with offensive line coach Scott Fuchs. Puni committed to the Jayhawks in the spring but the news stayed quiet until he arrived on campus in June.

That could have been a strategy from the staff to keep other schools from knowing about him. If that was the case, it looks to be a smart move.

Puni is challenging for a starting position on the offensive line and head coach Lance Leipold likes what he has seen from Puni since he arrived.

“We could not be more pleased," Leipold said. "We had good reviews that we were going to get a really good football player and he's matched all of that and exceeded our expectations and his abilities to adapt. He started off at tackle. He's playing some guard. He's going to help this football team.”

There has been an adjustment going from Central Missouri State to Kansas. It is a bigger stage, the talent level is higher, and there are more resources.

"The biggest transition is definitely resources," Puni said. "A place like this has everything you need. When it comes to people, anything to help athletic performance. That's a big difference I've noticed. A crazy transition. You got all the tools to win here."

Puni's versatility has been on display in camp rotating between tackle and guard. He admitted he played tackle most of his career but is becoming more comfortable at guard.

One reason he caught on fast is learning from Fuchs. The two started communicating about the playbook after he committed and the system is easy to learn.

"We would have some Zoom meetings and just talk about schemes and playbook," Puni said. "And then when you get here and you meet him, I was telling somebody, everything he says is so simple. It sounds so simple, like it works. And then when you get out to the field, it's like now you actually got to do it."

"He simplifies a lot for us, which is a good thing. And he's a great coach. One thing that he really hones in on is just details, details, details. So any type of technique, you've got to work. Every drill we do out there really correlates to what we do on the field. And I think that's a huge thing for me, because where I'm kind of lacking technique that some of the other guys here have. So I'm just trying to learn from him."

Playing different positions has allowed Puni to go against the defensive ends and interior defensive linemen in practice. He has had to adapt to several things since arriving two months ago, but the biggest adjustment is going against the players lining up against him.

"When you get to the live period, there is more intensity," Puni said. "You got guys like Lonnie, Malcolm, Jereme on the edge. And you're like, 'All right, these dudes. I haven't played against dudes like this back where I came from.'

"And then you go inside, you got Caleb Sampson and then Sam Burt. You have a bunch of old guys going against each other. But their IQ level is crazy. That's the biggest transition too, is everyone here is just smarter."