Freshman cornerback Trey Brown has been one of the names popping up all camp, and the buzz around him keeps circling back to the same traits: mature, high-IQ, football junkie.
Those labels have come from both players and coaches, and they fit the kind of impression Brown has made in a short time. Even before his strong stretch over the last few weeks, and before he enrolled early at KU, Brown was coming in with a foundation built by two high-achieving parents who pushed him toward the kind of habits that show up in a football building.
His mother attended UCLA, and Brown grew up seeing both parents set the tone with work ethic and a commitment to doing things the right way. That background has mattered as he’s started to separate himself.
Once he enrolled early, Brown’s diligence only kept showing up. He spent the summer building on what he’d started in the spring, trying to get ahead before camp ever opened. That meant time with coaches, conversations with other Jayhawks, and long stretches in the film room.
For defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald, none of this has been a surprise.
"He's one of those guys who is constantly in this building," McDonald said. "I know his fingerprint has probably been used more than anybody coming in this building, and so that's been really exciting to see a guy putting in all that work, and then it pays off on the field. It's really not a coincidence that he's playing really well."
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Kansas Suddenly Has One Huge Frontcourt Question For Bill Self
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Mbiya appears to have the inside track for the starting job, especially with Reeves coming off recent shoulder surgery, and Self has been encouraged by the progress Mbiya has made. Even so, both big men are expected to play meaningful minutes, which leaves Kansas with size and depth, but also with one major unanswered question about how much production the Jayhawks can count on in the paint. [Read more 🡒]
Cole Ballard Just Gave Kansas Fans A Reason To Watch This Battle
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Now Ballard is back in preseason workouts at Kansas, where the real test is getting those lessons to show up in a live competition for the starting job. For the Jayhawks, that makes his summer trip more than a feel-good development story - it is part of a bigger battle that will help shape the offense before the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Former Kansas DE Nearly Set Up An Awkward UCF Reunion
A former Kansas defensive end came close to creating a familiar Big 12 subplot in Orlando, but his bid for one more season ran into a setback before it could become a reunion story. Dean Miller asked for his year at College of the Canyons not to count against his eligibility, hoping to gain a fifth year that would have allowed him to suit up for UCF.
Instead, a judge from the Orange County Ninth Circuit Court denied the request, leaving Miller without the extra season he was seeking. The ruling stands in contrast to other recent eligibility cases, including one that went in favor of former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, and it serves as another reminder that these decisions are far from uniform as players try to extend their college careers. [Read more 🡒]