Kansas defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald came away from fall camp with one clear favorite on the defensive side of the ball: Michigan State transfer David Santiago.
With the season opener closing in and Lance Leipold’s staff talking to reporters yesterday, McDonald singled out Santiago as the most impressive defender in camp, saying the redshirt junior stood above the rest of the group during preseason work.
“You talk about a guy like David Santiago, who had probably the best camp of anybody on our defense,” McDonald said. “He's a great complement to Leroy [Harris] and Dak [Brinkley] when it comes to pass rush. He's a physical guy, too.”
At 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds, Santiago brings the kind of frame Kansas can use on the edge. He played 12 games last season at Michigan State, finishing with 1.5 sacks and 24 combined tackles. Before that, he spent two years at Air Force, where he didn’t play as a true freshman before breaking through as a starter with 3.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and three passes defended.
McDonald also pointed to the way Santiago’s background has started to show up in the Jayhawks’ locker room. After time at a military academy, the edge rusher has grown into a presence the staff clearly values.
“The great thing about David now that he's getting comfortable, being a guy who was at a former military school, you can see those leadership abilities starting to come out of him,” McDonald continued. “Which is awesome to see.
He's fun to be around, and he has an infectious smile. But that smile turns into a mean growl when he turns on the field, and that's exciting to see.”
Santiago was listed as the second-string defensive end on the strong side on Kansas’ first depth chart of the year, but McDonald said the plan is to use him in a four-man rotation with Leroy Harris III, Dak Brinkley and Alex Bray. He should see most of his work in passing situations, where his ability off the edge can be put to best use.
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