Matt Lubick makes his return to Lawrence after spending a year at Nevada as the Wolfpack’s offensive coordinator. He was an integral part of Kansas’ offense as an analyst from 2022-23, Lubick comes in and takes a new position as co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach. Lubick spoke with the media following spring practice on Tuesday, discussing the addition of Keyan Burnett, the Jayhawks’ quarterback room, and the abilities of Kansas’ offense.
Burnett is athletic and leads by example
The Arizona transfer and four-star recruit coming out of high school was a big addition to Kansas’ transfer portal class. Burnett spent three years with the Wildcats where he tallied 24 receptions for 261 yards. His athletic ability and work in both the run and pass game impressed Lubick.
“The tight end position, we want you to be an athlete first,” Lubick said. “And so he shows great athleticism, making plays in space, attacks a ball in the air, but at the same time, he does a good job when he was attached– being point of attack and blocking in space. He has a really good feel for that. And so, yeah, I mean, he can help us both in the run game and the pass game.”
Those traits have translated to Burnett’s early days in Lawrence. Lubick said Burnett’s character has also been a welcome addition.
“When you get to meet him in person, what an amazing guy,” Lubick said. “Goes out of his way to prepare. I mean, tries to do everything right and then, you know, seeing him move around and the way he attacks a football, the way he blocks, it's everything we thought we're going to get and maybe some more. So, yeah, very excited with what he's done so far.”
Lubick added that Burnett leads by example and has been a strong motivator in the weight room. He’s been able to make an impact out side of just the other tight ends.
“Everything he does it’s with a strain and a purpose to get better,” Lubick said. “When he's in meetings, he's super engaged. When he's in the weight room, he tries to lead by example and compete with other players. And so that's rubbed off not just on the tight end position, but other positions as well.”
Quarterback room has impressed
Kansas faces another spring practice with Jalon Daniels limited. Lubick said that despite the guys behind Daniels being largely underclassmen, they feel like a more experienced group.
“One of the reasons that we're able to do a lot this spring is because of what they did in the off season,” Lubick said. “They installed stuff because with NCAA rules, we’re limited on what coaches could do. And it's like we're coaching an experienced group because the way our quarterbacks have prepared them. People see what the plays they make when they watch practice or watch them in a game, but what they're doing behind the scenes is making our offense go.”
The Jayhawks’ quarterbacks Cole Ballard, and Isaiah Marshall—have all impressed with their playmaking ability. All three are capable enough, where Kansas doesn’t have to change too much, no matter who is getting the reps.
“I love our skill set at quarterback,” Lubick said. “I mean, we've got, shoot, we got three guys that are making plays that can run the football, can make fast decisions and make all the throws. So, yeah, we feel very fortunate where we don't have to change a game plan or manipulate things because a certain guy can't do this. And then mentally, all those guys, even our young guys, they know the playbook. So we're able to not slow down a beat.”
Versatility, verticality standing out among Kansas’ tight ends
Kansas has lined up its tight ends in a variety of spots within the offense. Lubick said they’re throwing everything at the guys to try and find where they fit in best.
“We're throwing basically the whole thing at them and we're trying guys in different spots and really just evaluating,” Lubick said. “And it's a daily process and we're kind of learning that as we go and hope we'll have it figured out by game time. You know, who's the most efficient, who does this the best. And the thing I feel pretty comfortable about, I think we're going to have some depth to that position where we'll be able to play multiple guys that can do different things.”
Another thing that stands out about the tight end room is length and verticality. Burnett and Deshawn Hanika both stand at 6-foot-6, with Leyton Cure with good athletic ability at 6-foot-3. Lubick likes where the group stands.
“We've got a lot of length in that room. We got guys that can run, so I'll be able to answer that more by the end of the spring,” Lubick said. “To your point, I think we're probably taller than we've been in the past. And I don't know. I know we've had some guys that can run here in the past, but I think our guys are pretty athletic. I would argue we might be more athletic, but we still got to prove that.”
