2026 Season Preview
Projected Depth Chart
Head Coach: Lance Leipold
Offensive Coordinator: Andy Kotelnicki
Defensive Coordinator: D.K. McDonald
2025 Record: 5-7
2025 Big 12 Finish: 3-6 (T- 11th)
2026 Record Projection:
Ceiling: 7 wins
Floor: 3 wins
Top NFL Prospects: Jalon Todd, Trey Lathan
Biggest Impact Transfers: Dylan Edwards, Corey Gordon
Most Likely Impact Freshmen: Kevin Sullivan (TE) , Kaden Snyder (OT)
Biggest Strength: Defensive Front Depth, Cornerback Depth
Biggest Concern: Quarterback Play, Pass Protection
Biggest Game: Missouri
Trap Game: Baylor
QB: Quarterback is still unsettled heading into fall camp and there is a real three-way battle here, but Cole Ballard probably enters with the inside track simply because he already understands the offense and has meaningful snaps in this system. Kansas does not need spectacular quarterback play every week as much as it needs stability after the Jalon Daniels era finally ended. Chase Jenkins gives them another experienced option and brings some mobility that fits what this staff likes to do offensively. Isaiah Marshall may have the highest long-term upside of the room, though he still looks more like a developmental player right now than somebody ready to carry the offense for an entire season.
RB: Dylan Edwards brings the explosiveness and should be one of the more dangerous space players in the conference if Kansas gets him the ball consistently. Jalen Dupree runs with more power than people probably expect and gives the offense a tougher downhill option between the tackles. Yasin Willis adds another physical body and already has Power Four experience from Syracuse. The depth here is noticeably better than it was a few years ago and the styles complement each other pretty well. Edwards is still the player defenses will worry about most because one crease can turn into a sixty-yard play fast.
WR/TE: The receiver room has more proven production than people probably realize, especially after adding Nik McMillan from Buffalo. He gives Kansas an actual outside target who has handled a heavy workload before and should immediately become one of the focal points of the passing game. Cam Pickett also looks ready for a bigger role now that he is fully settled into the offense after transferring in last year. There is a reliability to his game that this group needs, especially with the quarterback situation still sorting itself out. Nahzdae Cox adds size on the perimeter. Tight end is less impressive overall and probably still one of the weaker units on the offense. Carter Moses arrives from UAlbany with decent receiving production and gives them a veteran option.
OL: Kansas at least looks the part up front now. There is real size on this offensive line and more playable depth than they had earlier in the Leipold rebuild. Calvin Clements is still probably the key to the whole group. He did not play especially well last season, particularly in pass protection, but the staff keeps betting on the traits because 6-foot-7 tackles with movement ability do not grow on trees. If he struggles again, Kansas finally has younger bodies capable of taking snaps instead of just surviving reps. Amir Herring brings some needed stability inside and may be the most dependable lineman on the roster right now. The transfers matter too. Nick Morrow and Connor Stroh were brought in because Kansas needed more size and more physicality against Big 12 fronts. This group should still run block better than it protects the passer, especially with Dylan Edwards behind them, but there is at least a foundation here that looks functional in conference play.
DL: The defensive line has a real chance to be one of the better position groups on the team. Leroy Harris III looks like the most dangerous edge rusher after posting 7 tackles for loss and 5 sacks a year ago, and Kansas needs that production to carry over against Big 12 tackles. Alex Bray gives them another veteran edge body with size while Dakyus Brinkley flashed enough as a younger player to earn more snaps this season. side, Blake Herold was quietly one of the more productive defenders on the roster with 43 tackles from the interior, while Eamon Smalls and Tre’Von McAlpine bring needed size to hold up against downhill run teams. This group is not loaded with elite pass rushers, but it is older, deeper, and more physical than most Kansas defensive fronts over the last decade.
LB: Trey Lathan should immediately become the leader of this linebacker room after putting up 86 tackles last season. He is active, experienced, and comfortable playing in space which matters in this 4-2-5 scheme. Quincy Davis looks like the other likely starter after recording 43 tackles last season and bringing a more physical presence against the run. Jibreel Al-Amin gives the Jayhawks another experienced option with good production and enough versatility to rotate into different situations. The concern is depth beyond the top group. There are older players in the room, but not many proven impact defenders if injuries start piling up.
DB: Corner and nickel should quietly be one of the stronger areas on the defense. Jalen Todd and Austin Alexander both played a lot of football last season and Todd in particular looked comfortable handling physical Big 12 receivers. Syeed Gibbs fits naturally at nickel in this 4-2-5 setup because he can move, tackle, and survive in space without becoming a liability against the run. Jahli Hurley gives Kansas another long athlete behind him and there are enough playable corners here that the staff can rotate bodies confidently. Safety is much less settled. Corey Gordon should help immediately after putting up 53 tackles last season and he probably becomes the steadiest player in the room. Beyond him, nearly every spot still feels open heading into camp.
Coach: The biggest storyline around the coaching staff is obvious. Kansas fans are fired up about Andy Kotelnicki coming back to run the offense after one season. The offense looked different when he was in Lawrence. The motion, tempo, misdirection, and run game creativity all disappeared at times last year. Lance Leipold still gives Kansas one of the more stable program foundations in the Big 12 and the overall roster finally looks deeper than the early rebuild years. Defensively, D.K. McDonald returns after helping improve the athleticism and depth across the roster, especially in the front seven.
Outlook: Kansas probably has enough overall roster talent to reach seven wins if the quarterback situation settles quickly and the offense starts playing like it did during the best stretches of the Leipold era. The more realistic outcome right now looks closer to four or five wins simply because shaky quarterback play is hard to survive in this conference. There are solid pieces across the roster. The defensive front looks improved, the secondary has more depth, and the skill talent is respectable. The stretch from Kansas State through BYU will probably decide whether this team reaches a bowl game or spends November trying to stay afloat.
QB
1. Cole Ballard — JR — 6'2"/220 — Kansas
2. Chase Jenkins — JR — 6'0"/205 — Rice
RB
1. Dylan Edwards — JR — 5'9"/175 — Kans St
2. Yasin Willis — JR — 6'1"/225 — 'Cuse
WR
1. Nik McMillan — SR — 6'1"/195 — Buffalo
1. Cam Pickett — SR — 6'0"/200 — Kansas
1. Nahzdae Cox — SR — 6'3"/210 — Mid Tenn
2. Keaton Kubecka — JR — 6'2"/205 — Kan
2. Tate Nagy — SO — 5'10"/175 — Kansas
2. Bryson Hayes — FR — 6'0"/190 — Kansas
TE
1. Carter Moses — SR — 6'5"/250 — Albany
2. Leyton Cure — SR — 6'3"/250 — Kansas
T
1. Calvin Clements — JR — 6'7"/325 — Kansas
1. Nick Morrow — JR — 6'8"/325 — California
2. Antonio Wilson — JR — 6'6"/320 — Kans
2. Jack Tanner — SO — 6'6"/315 — Kansas
G
1. Amir Herring — JR — 6'3"/305 — Kansas
1. Connor Stroh — JR — 6'7"/335 — Texas
2. James Livingston — SR — 6'7"/315 — Kan
2. Tavake Tuikolovatu —JR —6'6"/315 — Kan
C
1. Kasen Carpenter — JR — 6'3"/305 — Ok St
2. Anderson Kopp — FR — 6'4"/305 — Kansas
DE
1. Leroy Harris III — SO — 6'5"/230 — Kans
1. Alex Bray — SR — 6'4"/270 — Kansas
2. Dakyus Brinkley — SO — 6'3"/253 — Kans
2. David Santiago —JR —6'4"/255 — Mich St
DT
1. Blake Herold — JR — 6'3"/290 — Kansas
1. Eamon Smalls — JR — 6'2"/315 — UAB
2. Marcus Calvin — JR — 6'2"/300 — Kansas
2. Tre'Von McAlpine — SR — 6'3"/305 — Tul
LB
1. Trey Lathan — SR — 6'1"/224 — Kansas
1. Quincy Davis — JR — 6'1"/227 — NM St
2. Daveon Crouch — SR— 6'1"/225— Bost Col
2. Jibreel Al-Amin —SR — 6'3"/215 — Marsh
CB
1. Austin Alexander — SO — 6'0"/182 — Kans
1. Jalen Todd — JR — 6'1"/195 — Kansas
2. Elijah Cannon— SO — 6'0"/187 — Miss St
2. Roman Pearson — SR —6'2"/195 — Ball St
S
1. Taylor Davis — JR — 6'0"/202 — Kansas
1. Corey Gordon — SR — 6'2"/197 — Louis
2. K.Cummings-Coleman—SO— 5'11"/205—ISU
2. Mason Ellis — SR — 6'2"/200 — Kansas
NB
1. Syeed Gibbs — SR — 6'0"/190 — Kansas
2. Jahli Hurley — JR — 6'2"/185 — Kansas
K
1. Martin Connington —SO — 6'0"/198 — Mich St
P
1. Matthew Gill — FR 6'3"/195 — Australia