Marvin Grant will play an important role on the Jayhawks defense this year and it will likely be more than one position.

Grant is coming off a strong junior season where he ranked as the fourth best defender according to PFF. Last year he played safety and this season he could be called on to handle other positions.

Grant has been working as a safety and a hybrid position, where he could be asked to play a cross between the two. He has been practicing learning both since last spring and believes he has a good understanding of them.

“It's been cool,” Grant said. “I mean, I've been doing it for a minute. This is not my first year practicing it, so I mean, I've been doing it for a minute. So, it's really like secondhand.”

There are differences in the positions. When he shifts to the bigger position he is closer to the line of scrimmage and not in coverage patterns as much as the true safety.

“I mean you are more down low, of course, but I say you more in the coverage more versus like say free safety more like you're not in coverage as much,” he said. “So, I say that's the only biggest difference. But like I said, like the run game is pretty much kind of the same as free safety.”

Gone from last year’s secondary is Kenny Logan who was the vocal leader. Others are stepping up in his place to take on that role. Grant has shouldered some of that responsibility and plans to be more of a leader in the secondary in his final season.

“Pretty much really just trying to get all the young guys going in,” he said. “Just the DB group as a whole and the defensive group, using my maturity and my experience that I got, just bringing it towards this team and trying to maximize us as a whole as much as I can.”

Hear much more from Grant talking about the secondary and what he expects for the season in his interview below.