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Jayhawks will support #TeamCole on Saturday

When the Jayhawks open up the season against Rhode Island they are dedicating the game to Cole Hayden. He is the son of Shanda and Steve Hayden. Shanda is an assistant athletics director at KU, who oversees the academic support staff and student services.

Cole, who is seven years old, was diagnosed with undifferentiated sarcoma. It is described as malignant neoplasm of uncertain origin that arises both in soft tissue and bone. Hayden works very close with the football program and the players.

“This week, our players have asked to create a special dedication for this game,” Beaty said of dedicating the game for Cole. “It's been a very long summer for her and her family, and our guys are very close to Shanda, as well as our staff. They went up and saw and spent some time with him this summer which is very cool.”

The players are wearing gold wristbands that will say #TeamCole. With Child Cancer Awareness month starting in September the football program wanted to do something to recognize Cole.

“He's going through a very difficult time,” Beaty said. “Hopefully we get some good news soon where maybe he's going to get to go home for a little while, which would be good. But it's been a very difficult road for them. He's undergone chemo. He's undergoing chemo right now. Man, what a great family and what great Jayhawks they are and our kids are proud of that.”

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Schadler, Ayinde to miss season

The Jayhawks will be without Ryan Schadler and Shola Ayinde this season. Schadler was slated to be among the leaders at kick returner until they discovered something that required surgery.

“Ryan did not get injured but we discovered some complications he had internally and thankfully we found some doctors that could get that addressed and he's on the mend,” Beaty said. “So he'll be back for us and ready to go next year, amazing guy. I went and saw him the other day and he is still jacked up after going through a major surgery, which I don't know how he's done that.”

Last week Ayinde, a true freshman suffered an ACL injury that will need season-ending surgery.

“Unfortunately we lost him and he's going to get surgery this week,” Beaty said. “He'll be sidelined for the remainder of the year.”

Quarterback competition is between three, not two

The quarterback group competing for the starting appears to be set with three. Many have assumed it was between Montell Cozart and Ryan Willis but Beaty said Carter Stanley is very much in the picture.

“Stanley is a dangerous guy with that ball in his hands and he's out on that perimeter,” Beaty said. “His dual threat ability might be the strongest of all three of them, and I don't know that I'm telling you anything that you don't know here, but that guy can do some things with his feet that the other ones can't do.”

Although Beaty won’t announce his starter yet, he said those three have pulled out in front.

“From a quarterback standpoint, it's been pretty clear for a couple weeks that those three guys would be the guys that would kind of step to the forefront,” Beaty said. “But the good news is, I mean, you know, we got several guys in that room, and I think every one of them are going to be talented player here. It was a great, great race this year, for sure.”

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