Jayson Gilliom has been studying the KU defense
Jayson Gilliom will be one of the recruits who reports to campus and begins his career as a Jayhawk next week. The safety from Georgia will arrive early and he’s got even a bigger head start.
Over the last couple months Gilliom has been doing film study on the defense and his position.
“I was talking to Coach Peterson about some coverages and he brought up during the official visits and phone calls,” Gilliom said. “I just wanted to go back and watch film, and just see if I could pick it up just off of what he was telling me. I just wanted to get a visual of what they do and how they run it and stuff like that.”
Gilliom was talking to his future position coach Jordan Peterson and they were breaking down some of the responsibilities he will have. He wanted to take it a step further and started watching past Kansas games.
“Oh yeah I learned a lot,” he said. “With the phone call and watching film that's been really helpful. When I get up there to Kansas, I'm just going to be a sponge and just soak everything in that I can, kind of what I've been doing now.”
Peterson started recruiting Gilliom last spring and offered him in October. It didn’t take long for Gilliom to announce his commitment for the Jayhawks.
“Coach Peterson is awesome, I love coach Peterson,” he said. “Coach Peterson has basically been telling me to be ready, come in ready, come in shape, to really put my best foot forward. He wants me to come in and compete.”
Gilliom has been doing workouts based off what Peterson has sent and is also spending extra time working out with a trainer. He’s doing his workouts twice a day that also involve position training.
He is looking forward to enrolling and going through spring football. He’s looked through the roster and knows there are upper classmen who can help with his transition into the program.
“Really I'm just coming in with the mindset of just being a sponge,” he said. “Being a sponge, soaking everything in, learning from the older guys. Kenny Logan, Ricky Tomas, Nate Betts, those returning guys. Learning from Coach Peterson and taking everything in. And then I'll go out there and compete and whatever happens, happens. I'm ready though.”
Gilliom said he is 6-foot-2, 192 pounds as he gets ready to report. In high school he played cornerback but is expected to start out as a safety. He believes he can play several positions and will do whatever the coaches need.
“Honestly in my eyes I could play anything,” he said. “I could play corner, I could play free safety, strong safety, and I feel like I can play the hawk too. During recruiting Coach Peterson told me I would be a field safety.
“If they need me at corner, I could play corner. And if they need me at strong safety, or that hawk position, I feel like I could play that too. I feel like with my game and my size is very versatile, so I can play anything and wherever they want me.”