Kobe Baynes sees ‘a good mindset’ in Kansas football’s approach to offensive line development
LAWRENCE — Andy Kotelnicki and the Kansas football coaching staff tested their offensive linemen during spring ball.
The depth was there, more so than it was a year ago. The intention was there, to ensure no one would think that just because they are a year older they are better. And Kotelnicki, the Jayhawks’ offensive coordinator, followed a process with offensive line coach Scott Fuchs that looked to discover what each player is physically and mentally capable of.
That meant offensive linemen getting experience at multiple spots. It meant seeing if a guy’s able to potentially play both guard spots, or both tackle spots, or one side of the line or some other combination. Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Kobe Baynes, preparing for his second season at Kansas after transferring in from Louisville last year, saw a lot of benefit in it.
RELATED: Tommy Dunn Jr.'s maturity has put him in position to contribute more for KU football
RELATED: As Ethan Vasko looks to transfer, Kansas football’s depth at quarterback takes a hit
“I think that’s a good mindset because that’s how I think it is in the NFL,” Baynes said earlier this month. “Like, I don’t think when you go to the NFL they’re just saying, ‘Hey, you can just play right tackle.’ Can you play multiple positions? Or, can you be versatile? And so, I think that coach (Kotelnicki) and coach Fuchs, (head) coach (Lance) Leipold, they all do a great job with implying that you’re not just a right tackle, you’re not just a left tackle.”
Baynes sees himself fitting in at right guard or right tackle, and being able to play both at a high level. That’s where Kotelnicki said Baynes had the ability to play. If Baynes is needed elsewhere, he said he’ll play wherever the coaching staff wants him.
It’s his versatility that Baynes felt he was able to showcase during spring ball. He considers himself reliable in both run-blocking and pass-blocking. He wants to keep improving in all aspects as he goes through the summer and heads into the fall.
Last season, Baynes only appeared in games against Tennessee Tech, Texas and Kansas State. The former 247Sports Composite three-star prospect doesn’t have the same level of in-game experience, at Kansas or in college in general, that the other Jayhawks he’s competing with have. But he has shown enough in practice for Kotelnicki to see that Baynes’ ceiling is high.
It’s just a matter of consistency, from Kotelnicki’s perspective, for Baynes and the offensive line as a whole. Baynes has the athleticism Kotelnicki wants to see. Baynes has that nastiness, Kotelnicki said, too.
“When you look for offensive line play and you look for good offensive linemen, what are the traits they all have?” Kotelnicki said just before the end of spring ball. “They have the ability to be physical. They have the ability to react really well. They have good short-area quickness, right? And they’re usually big, OK? Right? And they’re smart enough to know what’s going on up front to react to all the different stimulus that can occur in the box.”
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas football: Kobe Baynes is part of offensive line development
