Editor’s note: Third in a series previewing each team in the Big 12 in 2026.
Kansas has historically been one of college football’s basement dwellers, and before coach Lance Leipold got to Lawrence, the program was in bad shape.
From 2010 to 2020, the Jayhawks didn’t notch more than three wins in any season, and after an 0-9 campaign in 2020 and a placement on administrative leave “amid accusations of inappropriate behavior toward female students during his head-coaching tenure at LSU,” per ESPN, Les Miles was fired.
Leipold, who was hired from Buffalo, took over one of the most dire programs in college football, but after a 2-10 season in his first year, Leipold led Kansas to a 6-7 record the next year and a 9-4 mark in 2023. During that time period, the Jayhawks beat Texas and No. 6 Oklahoma.
The Jayhawks finished the 2023 season ranked No. 19 in the final Associated Press poll, the first time since 2007 that Kansas had appeared in the year-end poll, and expectations in Lawrence started to heighten.
Kansas rewarded Leipold with a contract extension through 2029, with an average salary of over $7 million a year, but despite things starting to look up for the Jayhawks, they have failed to qualify for a bowl game the last two seasons after finishing with 5-7 marks.
After starting the 2025 season 4-2, the Jayhawks finished the season 1-5.
Quarterback Jalon Daniels certainly wasn’t the main issue last year, but he did have a few bad games, like a three-interception game in the season finale against Utah. Kansas’ defense was in the bottom third of the nation, giving up 26.8 points per game and an average of 35.4 in the five losses in the back half of the season.
Kansas is paying Leipold a lot of money, and the Jayhawks will open a renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, which cost $448 million, this season.
The investment is there from the school; now Leipold and his players need to reward Kansas, starting with becoming bowl eligible this season.
“Obviously standards have changed and expectations have changed in Lawrence, Kansas, since we arrived, and I’m proud of that,” Leipold said. “Obviously the last couple years have not gone the way we want. We haven’t found a way to close out some close ballgames.
“We’ve had some opportunities, probably well documented, some close losses that easily put us that we could be sitting up here today talking about four consecutive bowl games and yada yada yada, but we haven’t done that.
“And where does it fall?” he continued. “It falls on the head coach to do that. Our players embrace that. They understand that we’re getting people’s better shots than we did a couple years ago.”
In 2026, can the Jayhawks get back on the winning track?
They have to replace Daniels’ production, and quarterback is the big question mark for Kansas this season.
There will be a battle between Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall this fall to be the starting quarterback. Ballard has been at Kansas for three seasons, throwing for 445 yards and rushing for 209 in backup duty. Marshall, who has been at Kansas since 2025, has a dual-threat skill set and has been used in rushing packages, similar to Utah’s Byrd Ficklin.
Kansas replaces last year’s leading rusher, Daniel Hishaw Jr., but brings in Dylan Edwards from rival Kansas State. Edwards’ season was cut short in early October with an injury, but with 546 rushing yards and 133 receiving yards in his last healthy year, he should be a good option in the backfield.
Kansas has a rebuilt offensive line through the transfer portal and brings back left guard Amir Herring and left tackle Calvin Clements, both of whom will anchor an offensive line that should be better than last season.
The big portal add for the receiver room is Buffalo wideout Nik McMillian, who had 62 receptions for 981 yards and three touchdowns. Kansas also returns Cam Pickett, who had 45 receptions for 476 yards and three touchdowns.
Former Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki returns as associate head coach, which is perhaps the biggest offseason addition. Kotelnicki was the mastermind behind Kansas’ offense from 2021 to 2023 and fans are happy to see him back in Lawrence.
On the defensive side of the ball, Kansas must improve from last season.
KU does lose its entire starting defensive line, but defensive end Leroy Harris (4.5 sacks) and Blake Herlod (43 tackles) are ready to step up, alongside Tulane transfer Tre’von McAlpine and Illinois transfer Alex Bray. If they can be improved from last year’s line that struggled against the run, it will be huge.
Linebacker Trey Lathan (51 tackles, 1.5 sacks) will be the leader of the defense.
In the secondary, Austin Alexander returns with Jalen Todd, giving the Jayhawks an experienced cornerback room, while Taylor Davis is back alongside Baylor safety Corey Gordon, who replaces Kansas’ top safety, Lyrik Rawls, who went to Arizona State this offseason.
Kansas will have to be better than last year at defending the pass, and it is hoping its players have made the necessary offseason strides.
While Leipold is far from the hot seat, his sixth year represents a vital turning point for his tenure. Kansas must get at least back to bowl eligibility, and while pundits don’t have the Jayhawks anywhere close to the top of the conference, even a six- or seven-win season would get Kansas back on the right track.
2026 Kansas Jayhawks at a glance
2025 record: 5-7 (3-6 Big 12)
Utah ties
- None
2026 schedule
- Sept. 4 — vs. LIU
- Sept. 11 — vs. Missouri
- Sept. 19 — vs. Arizona State (at Wembley Stadium)
- Oct. 3 — vs. Middle Tennessee
- Oct. 10 — at Utah
- Oct. 17 — at Kansas State
- Oct. 24 — vs. Baylor
- Oct. 31 — at TCU
- Nov. 7 — vs. UCF
- Nov. 14 — at West Virginia
- Nov. 21 — vs. BYU
- Nov. 28 — at Oklahoma State