Shortly after his team’s practice Tuesday, Kansas football coach David Beaty was still buzzing about two long runs by sophomore running back Khalil Herbert.
“He’s quick and he’s smooth,” Beaty said. “Really, we need him to have a big year. We do.”
Over the last two seasons, Beaty has often had to rush freshmen into playing time simply because there were few other options. That resulted in a few players making major jumps in their sophomore seasons a year ago, including all-Big 12 first-team defensive lineman Dorance Armstrong and leading receiver Steven Sims.
A similar path could be possible for Herbert, who started KU’s season opener as a true freshman before settling in as the team’s third-leading rusher with 44 carries for 189 yards.