Report: Kansas Jayhawks to hire former veteran NFL coach

The Kansas Jayhawks football program has just made an NFL size splash of a coaching hire. According to Pete Thamel, sources close to the program revealed that the Jayhawks will hire Jim Paganos as the school’s next defensive tackles coach.

“Source: Kansas is hiring veteran defensive line coach Jim Panagos as the school’s new defensive tackles coach. He’s worked at Rutgers, Minnesota, Temple, Pitt, UCF and in the NFL with the Vikings,” wrote Thamel.

Paganos has spent time at both the college and NFL level over his career, dating back to 1993. His most recent NFL stop was in 2019, with the Minnesota Vikings as their defensive line coach. Afterward, he went back to the record scarlet Knights for his second go-round with the team.

Ten sleeper teams in college football in 2022

1. Houston Cougars

Houston went 12-2 in 2021. The Cougars opened the year with a loss against Texas Tech, but didn’t lose again until the AAC Championship against Cincinnati. Houston also beat Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl to pick up a 12th win. Cincinnati is interesting next season due to a tremendous amount of talent being lost to the NFL. That opens the door for Houston, a team that returns talented contributors all over on both sides of the ball. The Cougars could be a serious sleeper in 2022 not only in the American, but in all of college football.

2. Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa began the season 6-0 before losing to Purdue and Wisconsin in back-to-back weeks. The Hawkeyes then lost their final two games of the year, both coming in the postseason. Michigan dismantled Iowa in the Big Ten Championship, and the Hawkeyes lost a close game in the Citrus Bowl against Kentucky. If the offense can improve, Iowa could be a serious contender again, as they were in the beginning of 2021.

3. Pittsburgh Panthers

Pitt loses star quarterback Kenny Pickett, but they picked up a transfer commitment from former USC quarterback Kedon Slovis. The Panthers were ACC Champions in 2021, and are in line for more success in 2022. Pittsburgh might not win the ACC, but they certainly have the ability to do so.

4. Fresno State Bulldogs

Fresno State is coming off of an impressive 10-3 season that ended with a 31-24 win over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl. The Bulldogs return a ton of talent on offense and defense. Fresno State is a top contender in the Mountain West, and could factor into the top 25 with continued strong play, as well…

For the complete list check out On3’s Jonathan Wagner article