Trey Lathan focusing on becoming a leader
Kansas linebacker Trey Lathan is settling into his new surroundings in Lawrence after transferring from West Virginia earlier this year. Being in the program in the spring made the adjustment to fall camp easier.
Lathan is now going through his first fall camp at KU and feels comfortable with the team and the defensive system.
“Yes, I’m doing a good job settling in,” Lathan said. “Things are getting acclimated really fast. Blending in with the guys, coming into that culture, and just taking things that they’re teaching here and just embracing it.”
Lathan brings Big 12 experience to a linebacker room filled with both veterans and young talent. He believes the group has the right mix to make an impact this season.
“I think this is a really good linebacker group,” he said. “We got a lot of young guys with potential, then some older guys that played a lot of football games. So, I think we got a lot of experience in the room. Should be a good fall for us this year.”
Known for his physical play style, Lathan said his ability to play downhill is his strength and bring a physical style of play to the room. Last year at West Virginia he started all 13 games for Mountaineers. He finished third on the team with 79 tackles and 9 TFL.
“I feel like I play downhill pretty well,” Lathan said. “A lot of guys got different coverage abilities and stuff like that, rushing tendencies. I’m feeling better each and every day,” he said. “Repetition, practice every day, and come back and walking through and stuff, so getting pretty good at it.”
Position coach Chris Simpson called this one of the deepest linebacker groups he has coached. Lathan has a good idea what a Big 12 linebacker group is supposed to look like.
“Yeah, this is a deep group,” he said. “We rotate almost every play. There’s about 10 of us in the room and all 10 of us get reps.”
Lathan stepping up as a leader
That depth also brings strong chemistry and accountability within the room. Even though there are several transfers at linebacker they have all meshed well.
“We’re playful guys and we like to joke around a lot,” he said. “Somebody has a bad play, we’re gonna be in the room talking about it, laughing about it. And that’s how we are. We’re a tight-knit, bonded, Sunday-body group.”
Lathan has also taken the opportunity to grow as a leader.
“I think I could work on it a little bit better, but most definitely a lot of guys look up to me,” Lathan said. “And I gotta do a better job embracing that. I’m more of a lead-by-example kind of guy. Kind of quiet, but when the pads come on and stuff like that, they feel me.”
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