LAWRENCE — There hasn’t been a shortage of things to talk about this year as Kansas football has continued to make its way through spring ball.

The Jayhawks have a few new assistant coaches on staff acclimating to what head coach Lance Leipold has put in place in Lawrence. While a number of veterans returned from last year’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl champion roster, there are also newcomers getting a taste of what it’s like to play for Kansas. And that is not all that’s been happening for the Jayhawks.

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Here are a few more takeaways from KU’s spring practices this year:

Jeff Grimes likens Matt Gildersleeve to a ‘new-age strength coach’

This is Jeff Grimes’ first spring as Kansas’ assistant head coach/offensive coordinator, and that means an opportunity to see firsthand how Matt Gildersleeve works with the players. Gildersleeve, the Jayhawks’ director of sports performance, has always been someone who’s looked to find an edge to better prepare the program’s athletes. And Grimes, as early as Gildersleeve’s eight-week offseason program, has liked what he’s seen.

Grimes noted that, in some ways, Gildersleeve is like a “new-age strength coach.” It’s not because of Gildersleeve’s age, but Gildersleeve’s approach. Grimes noted that people who don’t evolve over time in this profession typically don’t hold onto jobs for very long.

“I really like (Gildersleeve’s) approach,” Grimes told reporters back in March early on during spring ball. “He’s really smart. The players really, really like him and respect him. And he does some things I think are really, really good. And something that might be overlooked often is, that he’s not just getting our guys bigger, faster, stronger, but he’s really building our culture, building the mindset of the team. And I’ve talked to more than one player who’s said, ‘It was really (Gildersleeve) that helped me get through that hard time.’”

Jereme Robinson updates his recovery progress

Leipold said in early April that senior defensive end Jereme Robinson hasn’t been practicing, due to a surgery that addressed something from the 2023 season. But Robinson, potentially one of Kansas’ lead pass rushers in 2024, appeared to be in good spirits as he updated how he’s doing. He said he was feeling well, and that he’s still finding ways to get bigger, stronger and faster.

“Mostly, I’m training,” Robinson said. “I’m working out, just trying to get stronger really. And coaching, that’s my biggest role right now.”

Nevada hires Kansas analyst Matt Lubick as offensive coordinator

Nevada announced the hire of Matt Lubick as the school’s new offensive coordinator, and that means Kansas will now be without a senior offensive analyst. But while Leipold mentioned he’s torn, because Lubick is no longer a part of the Jayhawks’ program, he’s also happy for Lubick. Not only is Lubick someone Leipold praised as an excellent football mind, and a better person, but someone who has been fighting leukemia.

“Even through all of this, to still see (Lubick) still jump on calls and things even through his treatment and still contribute to this program, it was truly amazing,” Leipold said this month. “Late in the recruiting, on-road time in January, Jeff Grimes and (co-offensive coordinator) Jim Zebrowski and myself were in the Denver area recruiting and we had a chance to stop in and spend a few hours with Matt. So, we have seen him and his family. And again, we wish him all the best and though he’s not part of the staff anymore we’ll always be in contact with him.”

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: Here are a few takeaways as Kansas football continues spring ball