Enrique Cruz Jr. adjusted quickly after arriving in the summer
When the Kansas staff added Enrique Cruz Jr. from Syracuse this past summer, the offensive line gained a transfer with Power Four experience. Cruz has emerged as one of its most reliable pieces. Just a few games into his first season with the Jayhawks, Cruz has become the highest-graded starting offensive lineman on the team.
He said the transition into the program has gone smoothly.
“I feel like settling into my role and just getting to know the offense and the team, it’s been going very smoothly. Yeah, I feel like it’s been going good,” he said.
The confidence of knowing his assignments has been a major part of his growth. He did not have a lot of time to learn arriving in the summer.
“I’ve seen it translate big time on a confidence level,” he said. “Just knowing what I’m doing and the ins and outs has really helped me out.”
One of the biggest areas of improvement for Cruz has come in pass protection. He credits offensive line coach Daryl Agpalsa with helping sharpen his skills and settle into the system since arriving.
“The work that I put in with Coach A, he really emphasizes the tackles, pass sets and everything like that,” Cruz said. “The confidence he put in me and also the work he’s put into all of us has made a big difference.”
He added that his biggest personal progress since joining Kansas has been in hand technique and in the mental side of the game.
Coming off a tough loss to Cincinnati, Cruz described this week of practice as intense. He also talked about the weather still being hotter than normal with temperatures in the mid to upper 80’s.
“It’s been intense. It’s been very intense. You know, this weather,” he said. “One thing about Kansas, I never knew this weather would be this crazy. I’m from Chicago, I’m from the Midwest, so I thought I knew. But it’s been some good practices, some real fun.”
Offensive line coming together
The Jayhawks have also seen steady progress in the running game since the Missouri matchup, something Cruz points to the attention to detail and preparation.
“The point of emphasis is really just understanding the runs and understanding going against different defenses and what my job is,” Cruz said. “Just putting more detail into my performance has really been the biggest part.”
That improvement has been combined with growing chemistry along the line. The Jayhawks are averaging 158 yards a game on the ground and still rank in the upper half of the conference.
“I feel like we’re gelling very well together,” he said. “The synergy and the chemistry is coming along.”
Next up is the challenge of going on the road for a night game at UCF. This will be their first road game flying after driving to Columbia for their non-conference game. Cruz said they need to trust their practice.
“Really just be ourselves, honestly,” he said. “We practice hard, we have great coaches who put us in great positions. So, it’s really just going there and being ourselves.”
As for game-day routine, Cruz prefers to keep it simple. They will have to occupy their time getting ready for the evening kick off.
“We practice so hard I don’t even want to get in my mind and get anxious,” Cruz said. “I just sleep the whole time so I know I’m perfectly rested for the game. They have a very good team, a very good squad. So we just have to go out there and play.”
