Taiwo Onatolu has a little more room to breathe this fall, and Kansas football’s special teams are already feeling it.
With Onatolu now focused solely on his job as special teams coordinator - instead of juggling that role with defensive ends coach duties - he said Wednesday that the extra attention has let him dig much deeper into the details during fall camp. That has helped him identify where Kansas needs to tighten things up, especially as the staff keeps hammering through drill work ahead of the 2026 campaign.
That deeper evaluation has also brought some early standouts into view. Freshmen have already made an impression, even if that doesn’t automatically translate into immediate roles on every unit. Among the names Onatolu highlighted were cornerback Trey Brown, defensive end Draeden Punt and running back Kory Amachree, along with wide receivers Corbin Glasco and Bryson Hayes, a redshirt freshman.
Onatolu also laid out how he thinks about mixing in offensive and defensive starters on special teams. In his view, the best players need to be on the field if a team wants to be successful, even if there has to be a careful balance for guys already carrying heavy workloads on offense or defense. He pointed to Emmanuel Henderson Jr., who was one of Kansas’ leading wide receivers last season and also handled more kickoff return duties.
The return game remains one of the most interesting pieces of the puzzle. Redshirt junior running back Dylan Edwards is in the mix and can help in multiple ways. Onatolu said he likes how Edwards sees the game and capitalizes on chances, and the staff is considering him for kickoff returns, among other responsibilities.
Kansas is also bringing back sophomore wide receiver Tate Nagy, who served as the team’s lead punt returner last season and is expected to get another look there. Edwards, redshirt junior wide receiver Keaton Kubecka and others are still being evaluated as options as well.
There’s been encouraging work on the kicking and punting side, too. Kyle Deween, who serves as an assistant special teams coach for kickers and punters and also works as an analyst for Kansas, drew praise from Onatolu for the job he’s done with that group. Onatolu said the players understand the scheme now; the focus in camp is simply on execution.
Freshman Matthew Gill has been performing well at punter, while redshirt sophomore Martin Connington has been doing well at kicker. And perhaps just as important, Onatolu said the added depth this year gives Kansas more breathing room, reducing the fear that one injury could create a major problem.
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