Sunday • August 9 • 2026
KU Fall Sports Preview INSIDE
RB DYLAN EDWARDS KANSAS SOCCER is ready to answer some key questions when season opens on Wednesday against Utah State. C2
New and returning Jayhawks bring more physicality, strong relationships to KANSAS VOLLEYBALL. C3
WR NIK MCMILLAN
ARD QB COLE BALL
A lot of experience returns to the field in MEN’S and WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY. C4
QB ISAIAH MARSHAL L
Jayhawks looking for resurgence
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that KU, back uys believe this that g r u o t a in a sort of h t I also know ther a staff and a teamive, to understated ge tit underdog we’ve put ton be extremely compe a role, can c t year tha g.” D L exceed O P I CE LE N be surprisin A ex p e c L H C A O C S t a t ions. A S KAN
New talent and a new starting quarterback will be on deck when football returns By HENRY GREENSTEIN hgreenstein@ljworld.com
The margin between unprecedented success and undistinguished stagnation has proven very thin for the Kansas football team. Not so long ago, the Jayhawks were riding high coming out of the 2023 season with consecutive bowl appearances for the first time in 15 years. What followed were consecutive near-misses. The disappointment of early 2024 gave way to a late-season surge with three straight victories over ranked teams, only
for the Jayhawks to fall one game short of a bowl at 5-7. They then found their way to that same record in 2025 by reaching five wins on the first day of November and lost three straight to conclude the season, including some of the most agonizing defeats of head coach Lance Leipold’s tenure against Arizona and Utah. “We’ve had some opportunities, probably well documented, some close losses, that easily put us that we could be sitting up here talking about four consec-
utive bowl games and yada yada yada,” Leipold said at Big 12 media days. “But we haven’t done that.” After an offseason guided by a focus on increased depth at key positions — to ease the burden on top players and ideally provide less erratic lategame performances — Leipold and the Jayhawks will hope that his sixth season yields better results. “I also know that our guys believe that we’ve put together a staff and a team this year that can be extremely competitive, to be surprising,” he said. There are reasons to believe
Andy Kotelnicki is back after two years at Penn State, this year’s transfer class includes some of the most dynamic playmakers Leipold has had during his time in Lawrence and the Jayhawks’ multiple defense should take a notable step forward in its second year under coordinator D.K. McDonald. But questions remain at the most important position on the field, where KU will have a new starting quarterback after six straight seasons in which Jalon Daniels started at least three games. Fair or not, the battle between Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall, and the performance of whoever wins
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the job, will come to define the 2026 season. The year begins with Friday night home games against FCS Long Island (Sept. 4) and rival Missouri (Sept. 11). While there will be plenty of opportunities for the Jayhawks to bolster their record down the stretch as their schedule eases in the second half of the year, nothing will come easily. KU, which will play with reduced capacity at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium due to ongoing renovations on the east side of the venue, gave up a home game to play the Union Jack Classic against Arizona State in London on Sept. 19. A bye week will follow that game, but then the Jayhawks will play nine straight weeks without a break, including against their remaining eight Big 12 foes (beginning at Utah and at rival Kansas State, which See FOOTBALL, C6
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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2026
Soccer returns plenty of experience, but questions remain at key spots By HENRY GREENSTEIN hgreenstein@ljworld.com
In the wake of his fiveyear contract extension — a reward for a Big 12 tournament title and Sweet 16 berth in his first two seasons at the helm — Kansas coach Nate Lie met with the media back in April and expressed confidence about a number of facets of his team: its fitness, its maturity, its leadership and so on. But he also presented a couple of key questions. Can KU continue to play like an underdog, even though none of its foes will take it for granted any longer after two of its most successful seasons ever? Can it maintain an environment of competition, even as it returns quite a few key starters, most of them firmly ensconced for multiple years? “Our biggest question, when I show up in front of y’all in the fall, is like, are we going to be able to score enough goals?” Lie said. Now the time has come for the Jayhawks to deliver an answer — they open their season at home on Wednesday against Utah State — and there are a number of contenders to fill the void left by strikers Lexi Watts (who graduated) and Saige Wimes (who transferred to West Virginia). “Lexi, in particular, is just one that doesn’t come around every day,” Lie said in an interview with the Journal-World. “One that can win one-v-one, can unbalance a defense by herself. I do think we
early,” Lie said, “because I think if they came in in the fall, they would have had to have a learning curve that might have lasted a decent amount of the fall, but they took it in the spring, and maybe they come back that next level.” One of the transfers who did come in later is Hannah Palmer, who joins from rival Kansas State. The Bucyrus native scored five goals with four assists for the Wildcats; Lie said she has a similar play style to Wimes (who recorded those same stats last year). “She wants to challenge behind,” Lie said. “She’s quick, explosive, really really fast over CHANCE PARKER/Special to the Journal-World 10,15 yards. So whether that’s balls over the top, Kansas coach Nate Lie directs his team against West Virginia on Oct. 16 at Rock Chalk keeping the defense honPark. est, or isolating wide and have some players that that Kate Langfelder, an- increasing role in 58 ca- being able to get a yard have components of that, other midfielder who has reer games; Lie said he of space and serve, or is but I think we’re going to long been key to KU’s expects her to continue it just the straight pressing, I think she has the have to replace those two tactics, can play a bigger her upward trajectory. Jordan Rowan played attributes to really cause in aggregate more than role in influencing the atwe are player for player.” tack this season. Return- extensively as a fresh- some chaos.” The other spring addiOne piece of great news ing those two to occupy a man, although her proin that regard for KU is pair of midfield spots, Lie duction and minutes tion is lefty London De the retention of Jillian says, puts KU in “as good dwindled somewhat later Fini from Lipscomb, and Gregorski, the attacking a situation as almost any- in the year: “I think of any KU has to figure out explayer, she maybe took actly how to use her. The midfielder who already one in the conference.” But ultimately the Jay- the biggest jump from last junior started 22 times for put in 10 goals as a sophomore in 2025 playing a hawks do in fact have to fall to spring, and then a team that won an NCAA layer deeper than Watts put players upfront — hopefully into this fall,” Tournament match. For and the strikers Lie and Lie said. Faith Johnston, the Bisons, she spent time and Wimes. “She looks like an up- his staff select will be another young player, at left forward and left perclassman — even as a tasked with enforcing the scored in a pair of NCAA back in a 4-3-3, Lie said, which could give her a second-semester sopho- high-pressure play style Tournament games. Then there are new- chance to spell the playmore, scored in most that has helped KU get its comers like Norah Jaco- making Castans at wing of our spring matches, footing in the Big 12. Jocelyn Herrema is one men, a former Big East back. looks confident, assured “I think Caroline, it’s out there,” Lie said of of just two seniors on the adversary of Lie’s who the Connecticut native. roster, along with nation- joins from Butler, among great that she can play 90 minutes a game,” Lie “She’s always had a ally regarded wing back others. “I’m really glad we said (she averaged 84 last nose for goals, so I think Caroline Castans, to have there’s a world where she spent her whole career got Norah and (Kentucky year). at KU. The reserve for- transfer midfielder Sydni takes a step.” See SOCCER, C6 There’s also some hope ward has seen a steadily Fink) like a semester
SOCCER SCHEDULE Aug. 8 — vs. Iowa, 1 p.m. (exhibition) Aug. 12 — vs. Utah State, 7 p.m. Aug. 16 — at Missouri State, 1 p.m., Springfield, Mo. Aug. 20 — at Ohio State, 4 p.m., Columbus, Ohio Aug. 23 — at Kent State, 12 p.m., Kent, Ohio Aug. 27 — at Utah Valley, 8 p.m., Orem, Utah Aug. 30 — vs. Tulsa, 1 p.m. Sept. 3 — vs. Kansas City, 7 p.m. Sept. 12 — at Saint Louis, 3:30 p.m., St. Louis Sept. 18 — at Cincinnati, 6 p.m., Cincinnati Sept. 24 — vs. Arizona State, 6 p.m. Sept. 27 — vs. Arizona, 1 p.m. Oct. 2 — at Baylor, 7 p.m., Waco, Texas Oct. 8 — at Kansas State, 6:30 p.m., Manhattan Oct. 11 — at Colorado, 2 p.m., Boulder, Colo. Oct. 16 — vs. Iowa State, 6 p.m. Oct. 22 — vs. BYU, 6 p.m. Oct. 25 — at TCU, 1 p.m., Fort Worth, Texas Oct. 30 — at Houston, 7 p.m., Houston Nov. 5 — vs. Texas Tech, 6 p.m.
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LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2026
KAHNER SAMPSON/Special to the Journal-World
KU head coach Matt Ulmer looks to the scoreboard during the Jayhawks’ match against Arizona State on Sept. 26 at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.
DON’T PASS UP THIS OPPORTUNITY.
Jayhawks bringing strength to season New By DAVID RODISH drodish@ljworld.com
Last offseason was a challenge for Kansas volleyball coach Matt Ulmer. He moved to Lawrence, then had to get situated at his new job and fill out a roster of players he’d just met. But despite all of that, t h e ayINSIDE Jhawks still 2026 volleyf i n ball schedule. ished C6 second in the Big 12 and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. So, now that Ulmer and the Jayhawks are settled in, Ulmer has been able to focus on the most basic element of the job: coaching. “I feel like I can coach volleyball,” Ulmer said. “Just build relationships stronger with our players
and maybe work on some more intricate things on the volleyball court.” The most important thing for Ulmer to establish in his first year at KU was culture. The Jayhawks started with some difficult road games early in the season and finished strong with a 13-5 conference record. The Jayhawks continued to face tough teams and compete in the NCAA Tournament, where the Jayhawks beat No. 13 Miami at home before losing on the road to No. 1 Nebraska. “They feel a lot more experienced at this point,” Ulmer said. “They have a much better idea of where I’m trying to lead us. My hope for the program and the goals that I want them to have — they’re on board with all those things. They’ve been working hard to get as close as they can to making those goals reality.”
Culture is always important for building a consistent, winning program, and the seven returners on the roster are helping Kansas build it. “I feel like the team has the right priorities,” Ulmer said. “They’re doing everything that they need to do on their end to be successful. They’re all on the same path, they’re all doing the same thing together.” While the returners, such as first-team all-conference middle blocker Reese Ptacek and second-team all-conference pin hitter Grace Nelson, will certainly play a pivotal role for the Jayhawks this year, there are still a number of new faces that are set to round out the team. Of the 15 Jayhawks on the roster, eight are in their first year in Lawrence. Three of the newcomers are freshmen who
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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2026
Veteran rosters bring great expectations By DAVID RODISH drodish@ljworld.com
Success in the crosscountry season starts with the summer, which means getting in a good foundation of work, preparing for September and staying healthy. So far, the Kansas cross-country team has done just that, according to assistant coach Michael Whittlesey. “We go all three seasons, so they’ve had a long, long year,” Whittlesey said. “So a huge part of it is about rejuvenating themselves and getting refreshed, but certainly putting in that base work in preparation.” The Jayhawks could certainly use the rejuvenation, as both the men’s and women’s teams are full of veterans. Kansas only has a few incoming freshmen on each team. Most of the team has gone through a crosscountry season and two track and field seasons. Track is much more individual, and runners bring that individual growth and confidence into the more team-heavy sport of cross-country. “I thought we had a really good outdoor season, so they should have a lot of confidence coming in,” Whittlesey said. KU’s women’s team had a young team in 2025 with only one upperclassman, which gave the young Jayhawks a lot of experience. KU finished 11th in the Big 12 Championships and 24th in the Midwest Regional race. “It was a huge growth for them,” Whittlesey said. “They learned a lot. They learned how to battle and fight for each other. I think not just during cross, but certainly during the outdoor, we saw a lot of growth with them. So we’re certainly excited.” It helps that the Jayhawks also are bringing back Emmah Jemutai, the redshirt junior who broke out in the 2024 season and led the Jayhawks again this past year. She finished 25th in the Big 12 Championships and placed 12th
Kansas Athletics Photos
ABOVE: Reagan Kibet competes at NCAA cross-country regionals on Nov. 14 in Stillwater, Okla. LEFT: The Kansas Jayhawks women’s cross-country team competes with North Dakota State and South Dakota State at crosscountry regionals on Nov. 14 in Stillwater, Okla.
in the NCAA Midwest Regional race, which put her in the NCAA Championships. There, she placed 81st. She parlayed that success into an even better year in track, which Whittlesey believes will bring more confidence to succeed even more in 2026. What separates Jemutai are both her work ethic and how much she cares for her teammates. She’s a leader for the Jayhawks, both by example and by how she brings along her fellow runners. “Anytime you have someone who really cares about the team and is talented enough, they’re going to work really hard and help motivate everybody else as well,” Whittlesey said. Jemutai’s run in the NCAA Championships and the success she’s had personally extend to the rest of the team. Whittlesey said the team sees what it takes to have that success and will strive to accomplish it. The KU men’s team had a better collective year than the women’s team did, as the former finished fifth in the Big 12 Championships and 11th in the Midwest Regional. “The upperclassmen’s leadership did a great job of molding that focus and having that come out at the conference meet,” Whittlesey said of last year’s team. The Jayhawks lost two of their top five runners in Tanner Talley and
Quenton Walion, but KU picked up two runners in the spring to fill that void. Stephen Maroro and Barnabas Ndiwa expect to come in and make an immediate impact. “We’re expecting a lot of the men’s team this fall with the experience that we have, the knowledge that we have and the talent that we have together,” Whittlesey said. “This group has been together for a long time now, and we expect some big results for us.” Ndiwa comes from Iowa Western Community College and was one of the best junior-college runners. His team took sixth in the NJCAA Division I Cross-Country Championships, and he took 13th overall. Maroro joined KU for the track and field season and already broke a school record in the 10,000 meters, showing his potential for the cross-country season. The two newcomers will join a strong group of young runners, including two sophomores in Reagan Kibet and Paul Ngasharr, who both finished top 30 in the Big 12 Championships. Whittlesey said Kibet’s confidence grew notably between the indoor and outdoor track seasons, and that Ngasharr should improve after having a slower start to the season last year due to an injury. “So I expect (Kibet) to be chasing toward the top 10 in the conference, and Paul should be right there with him,” Whittlesey said.
Coupling the newcomers and returners with a team that has strong leadership has the Jayhawks ready to make a push in the Big 12 and regional races. Kansas starts the season at home at Rim Rock Farm for the Bob Timmons Classic on Sept. 5. The Big 12 Championship will be held in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Oct. 31 with the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships being held on Nov. 13 in Ames, Iowa.
CROSS-COUNTRY SCHEDULE Sept. 5 — Bob Timmons Classic, Lawrence (Rim Rock Farm) Sept. 25 — Gans Creek Classic, Columbia, Mo. Oct. 16 — Pre-National Invitational, Terre Haute, Ind. Oct. 31 — Big 12 Championship, Stillwater, Okla. Nov. 13 — NCAA Midwest Regional, Ames, Iowa Nov. 21 — NCAA Championship, Terra Haute, Ind.
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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
Volleyball CONTINUED FROM PAGE C3
committed to KU before Ulmer took the job, and several other freshman Jayhawks were committed to Ulmer when he was at Oregon but flipped over to Kansas after Ulmer made the switch. The six freshmen bring a physicality that Ulmer said the team didn’t have a year ago. Ulmer said it’s about the size of the block at the net that teams like Nebraska had, and that the size of the block can really disrupt an opposing team in shot selection and rhythm. With more physicality this year, the Jayhawks can attack other teams’ blocks, instead of trying to avoid them. “When you’re just trying to avoid the block, you’re really limited offensively,” Ulmer said. “We just didn’t score great (last season). For us to have as much success as we had without having much offense was a great credit to our defense.” Libero Olivia Hasbrook and setter Reese Messer are two incoming transfers who bring in a lot of experience, coming from Ohio State and USC, respectively. Ulmer looked to bring in more
Soccer CONTINUED FROM PAGE C2
“I told her in the offseason I don’t really want to play her 90 minutes a game. We want her there for the long run, and we hopefully are playing a long season.” But there is also now an opening at left center back because Olivia Page transferred in the spring.
Football CONTINUED FROM PAGE C1
could make for a challenging stretch). Their depth and resilience will be tested throughout. Below is a deeper look at each position. Quarterbacks: Ballard is a redshirt junior from Westfield, Indiana, a former walk-on who got thrown into the fire late in his freshman year and served as Daniels’ primary backup in the years since. Marshall is a redshirt sophomore from Southfield, Michigan, a well-regarded three-star recruit out of high school whose play style drew
offense to the Jayhawks, who won sets with their defense last season. The two transfers should help the Jayhawks improve their first two contacts, and therefore generate better offensive opportunities. “We’re young, but they’re hungry, and they’re used to winning and having success,” Ulmer said. “They’re all starting to realize there is going to be a lot of competition to get on the floor. They’re going to push each other, they’re going to make each other better every day.” As much as the team’s internal competition will help the team improve, so will the team’s external competition with a challenging nonconference schedule ahead of them. The Jayhawks start with an exhibition game against Creighton, a team that held a No. 3 seed in the tournament last year. After that, the Jayhawks open on the road at Pittsburgh against the Panthers and the Stanford Cardinal, both of whom will be among the top five teams nationally. “The rest of the schedule is a lot of teams that are looking to make the tournament,” Ulmer said. “Teams that are used to winning a lot of games. We get to be home for five (nonconference)
matches, which is exciting. We weren’t able to do it last year, so I think all that is a really good thing for us.” Things don’t get easier for the Jayhawks once conference play starts. Ten Big 12 teams reached the NCAA Tournament last year, and only two teams in the conference had a losing record in 2025. Ulmer said the conference has teams that come prepared, have good schemes and bring a physical presence. As much as an easy ride into the tournament would be nice, the team’s experience playing tough games early in nonconference and in Big 12 play set them up to play good teams late. This year’s schedule prepares the Jayhawks for the same thing. “You have got to go get in these matches and get the team used to that,” Ulmer said. “The more we do it, the more that will be an established thing for us and be more part of our culture. This is the type of competition that we’re used to playing, and these are the matches that we want to be in.” The Jayhawks’ season is rapidly approaching, with the exhibition game against Creighton scheduled for Aug. 22 and the official start of the 2026 season coming the following Friday.
VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE Aug. 22 — vs. Creighton, 1 p.m. (exhibition) Aug. 28 — at Pittsburgh, 5:30 p.m., Pittsburgh, Pa. Aug. 30 — Stanford, 1:30 p.m., Pittsburgh, Pa. Sept. 3 — at Lipscomb, 6 p.m., Nashville, Tenn. Sept. 4 — Florida State, 3 p.m., Nashville, Tenn. Sept. 8 — vs. Wichita State, 6 p.m. Sept. 11 — vs. South Dakota State, 1 p.m. Sept. 13 — vs. Tulsa, 2 p.m. Sept. 15 — at Wichita State, 6 p.m., Wichita Sept. 18 — vs. Ole Miss, 6 p.m. Sept. 20 — vs. Grand Canyon, 2 p.m. Sept. 25 — vs. Houston, 6 p.m. Sept. 27 — at Texas Tech, 1 p.m., Lubbock, Texas Oct. 1 — vs. Utah, 6 p.m. Oct. 2 — vs. BYU, 6
p.m. Oct. 11 — at UCF, 12 p.m., Orlando, Fla. Oct. 15 — at Kansas State, 6:30 p.m., Manhattan Oct. 18 — vs. Arizona State, TBA (Allen Fieldhouse) Oct. 23 — at TCU, 6:30 p.m., Fort Worth, Texas Oct. 25 — at Baylor, 2 p.m., Waco, Texas Oct. 30 — vs. Kansas State, TBA (Allen Fieldhouse) Nov. 1 — at Iowa State, 2 p.m., Ames, Iowa Nov. 5 — vs. Baylor, 6 p.m. Nov. 8 — vs. Cincinnati, 1 p.m. Nov. 12 — at Colorado, 8 p.m., Boulder, Colo. Nov. 15 — vs. TCU, TBA Nov. 20 — vs. West Virginia, 6 p.m. Nov. 25 — at Arizona, TBA, Tucson, Ariz. Nov. 27 — at Arizona State, TBA, Tempe, Ariz.
That could go to De Fini or someone else internally. Center back was a position of some intrigue last year before Lie moved Emily Tobin inside and shifted Livvy Moore to wing back. Playing in front of veteran goalkeeper Sophie Dawe, Tobin and Jordan Fjelstad make for a strong core, but both have dealt with some health issues during the offseason, even as Lie said his team was mostly unscathed.
“We have to have enough depth and preparation that if they’re not ready to go on day one we’re OK,” Lie said. Wing back will undoubtedly be one of the strengths of the team with Castans as a first-team all-conference returning player and Moore having spent all offseason at her new position. “We understand how dangerous we can be down the left,” Lie said. “We
should be just as dangerous down the right. Livvy has the skill set, so it’s more like can she feel free playing, understanding the system, and then there will be players up front.” The rest of the roster largely consists of young players who had periodic roles last season, like Marit McLaughlin, Mary Sola and Lydia Viets, along with another sizable freshman class, the first with which
Lie’s staff got to experience a full recruiting cycle. They’ll plunge into a challenging schedule that includes quite a lot of road matches. The Jayhawks will only play at home eight times this year. “We would rather play at Rock Chalk Park,” Lie said, “but we need the right teams to play to prepare us for the Big 12 and to position ourselves hopefully the right way in RPI.”
The Jayhawks begin against Utah State on Wednesday and then play four straight matches away from home. “We’re taking, sort of, our medicine this year,” Lie said. “As we look ahead to ‘27, it looks a lot better as far as the home-away split.” Conference play begins at Cincinnati on Sept. 18. The location for the Big 12 tournament this year has not yet been announced.
immediate comparisons to Daniels when he arrived on campus and who accrued more than 10 yards per carry as a situational rusher in 2025. The competition between these two will surely last well into fall camp. Whoever proves to be the superior decision-maker and the more consistent passer will get the chance to lead the Jayhawks into the season, although Leipold’s comments at Big 12 media days suggest both will have the opportunity to play regardless. Rice transfer Chase Jenkins, a wild card who ran a spread-option offense in his final season with the Owls after briefly converting to wide receiver, seems to be
on the outside looking in. Running backs: As much talent as KU has had at this position in recent years, it has never fielded a pair of backs with the contrasting skill sets of 6-foot-1, 225-pound bruiser Yasin Willis and 5-foot-9, 175-pound blur Dylan Edwards. Willis featured at Syracuse last season with 129 carries for 558 yards and four touchdowns, while Edwards missed most of the year at Kansas State due to injury and will look to revive his career for his former rivals. Exactly how they split their touches remains to be seen, but Kotelnicki has to be thrilled at the chance to put Edwards in space and deploy him as a pass-catching threat on key
downs. Muddling matters somewhat is the presence of a third back who was his team’s leading rusher last season, Colorado State transfer Jalen Dupree, who missed the spring due to injury. While he was gone, early enrollee Kory Amachree, a freshman from Haslett, Michigan, who has received as much buzz as any rookie in Leipold’s tenure, staked his own claim for playing time this fall. Wide receivers: It is not necessarily the deepest group of pass catchers the Jayhawks have fielded in recent years, but it is strong at the top and should make life easier for whoever starts at quarterback. The safe and familiar option in the slot
will be Cam Pickett, who caught 45 passes for 476 yards and three touchdowns last year after transferring from Ball State but could perform even better with a fully healthy campaign after early-season injuries hampered him last year. KU has high hopes for its two transfers on the outside, Nahzae Cox (Middle Tennessee) and Nik McMillan (Buffalo). McMillan is in fact a Buffalo native who had a chance to interact with Leipold’s old staff before they made the move to Lawrence. He ended up blossoming into an elite wideout who was first-team All-MAC last season after catching 62 passes for 981 yards. Cox is a contestedcatch target at 6-foot-3 who
worked his way up from the junior-college level to become a productive player for the Blue Raiders. Once a true freshman who earned reps in the final year of Kotelnicki’s first stint, now a redshirt junior looking to carve out a larger role, Keaton Kubecka remains with the Jayhawks. He caught a touchdown on opening day in 2025 and showed flashes a month later against Cincinnati but never worked his way up the depth chart. Beyond him, it’s not clear who else might find a way to get seriously involved, although the slippery Tate Nagy seems poised to earn at least occasional touches on offense
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after acquitting himself well as a true-freshman return specialist. Tight ends: Amid a high level of play-calling turnover in recent seasons, KU has remained the sort of offense that regularly deploys as many as four tight ends. It should have little trouble continuing to do so in 2026, even if there might not be a clear No. 1 option. The closest thing to it is Carson Bruhn, an imposing 6-foot-6, 259-pound redshirt sophomore who showed promise in his first extended action but suffered a season-ending injury in October after making just five catches for 55 yards. KU also brings back sixth-year senior Leyton Cure, who snagged his first touchdown at the Division I level in the 2025 finale. He’ll be vying for snaps with a pair of unproven but intriguing transfers. Jailen Butler is a former juniorcollege basketball player who started 21 games at Old Dominion but only got targeted 32 times in the passing game, according to Pro Football Focus. Carter Moses was relied on much more heavily at Albany, where he tallied 27 catches for 338 yards and three touchdowns in 2025, but hasn’t played at the FBS level until now. Offensive line: Position coach Daryl Agpalsa can feel confident in the left side of his line, which returns both starters in tackle Calvin Clements and guard Amir Herring. Clements, a Lawrence native, experienced some lows in his first year as a fulltime starter, but improved his form by season’s end and looks poised for a leap forward as an on- and offfield leader. The former
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Michigan transfer Herring is now firmly ensconced as a starter after winning a job in camp last fall. Two more spots along the line will be filled by members of this year’s transfer class. After Bryce Foster’s apparent successor Tyler Mercer left for Oklahoma State to play for his former North Texas coach Eric Morris, the Jayhawks responded by grabbing an OSU center, Kasen Carpenter. Anderson Kopp will back up Carpenter in the middle. Over at right tackle, Nick Morrow will adapt to a new angle after two years as Cal’s starter on the blind side. Uncertainty remains at right guard, where returning reserve Tavake Tuikolovatu will battle Texas transfer Connor Stroh, although both will surely rotate during the season regardless of the eventual outcome. Jack Tanner and Missouri transfer Brandon Solis are next up at tackle. Defensive line: The Jayhawks have had another offseason to adapt to McDonald’s deployment of multiple fronts and bring in the requisite personnel to smooth that transition. In the meantime, they have also cultivated some budding stars. Blake Herold, now a redshirt junior, has risen to become one of the top players on KU’s roster. The understated tackle from Shenandoah, Iowa, is growing into a more vocal presence, which is much more important now that the Jayhawks have graduated longtime fixtures at his position like Tommy Dunn Jr., D.J. Withers and Kenean Caldwell. Herold has consistently served as one of KU’s top pass rushers despite playing on the interior and is no slouch against the run either. His classmate Marcus Calvin cracked the rotation
for the first time in 2025 and has a chance to play alongside him a lot more when KU runs its four- and five-man fronts this year. Exactly how much that will happen depends on the Jayhawks’ transfer additions. Redshirt senior Tre’von McAlpine was one of KU’s earliest acquisitions in the winter, a former secondteam all-conference nose tackle for College Football Playoff participant Tulane. But a springtime ACL injury knocked him out for the season. Eamon Smalls made 50 tackles at UAB last season and is a lock for a big role, while Jibriel Conde (Grand Valley State) and the young Kevin Oatis (Arkansas) will surely get their own chances in McAlpine’s absence. At defensive end, KU has plenty of reason for excitement. Last year, Leroy Harris III came out of nowhere — or more accurately Chattanooga — to lead the Jayhawks in sacks and pass deflections. Even now that he’s up to 270 pounds, Harris has the agility to excel as an outside rusher and drop into coverage if needed. His junior season should provide him a chance to become a big name in the Big 12. Run-stopping strongside end Alex Bray had a quiet first season at KU, but his stock has risen in the offseason ahead of his senior year — and he’ll have one more season to play past 2026 due to new eligibility rules. The depth is strong too, with former well-regarded recruit Dakyus Brinkley having come on strong late in 2025 and Michigan State transfer David Santiago poised for significant snaps based on his ability to play on either side of the line. Linebacker: It might have been a totally fresh start for KU at this position had Trey Lathan not reversed course and opted
to return to Lawrence rather than enter the transfer portal. KU’s leading tackler, who played more defensive snaps than any other Jayhawk in 2025, ultimately decided he wanted to reap the rewards of a second straight year in the same scheme. Injuries plagued the linebacker room last year and made it difficult for the Jayhawks to remove Lathan from the field at any point. In revamping the room, KU acquired many transfers. Quincy Davis, a rotational player at New Mexico State, proved to be one of the surprises of the spring as he adapted quickly and showed he has a nose for the football. He’ll play extensively, as will Bam Crouch (Boston College); KU has to figure out the right combination of two players — McDonald primarily runs a 4-2-5 — which could end up being Crouch alongside Lathan with Davis the first option off the bench at either spot. Jibreel Al-Amin and Jaron Willis bring athleticism and SEC experience, respectively, and Malachi Curvey, well liked by KU’s coaching staff, returns as a redshirt freshman after spot duty on special teams in 2025. Cornerback: Jalen Todd and Austin Alexander took their lumps while starting as a true sophomore and a redshirt freshman, respectively. Todd was solid, but he had to spend some of the year playing nickel due to injuries at that position; he should be able to more comfortably return to the outside as KU’s top corner. Alexander was a bit more erratic, both as a tackler and in coverage. Exactly how the rest of KU’s corners will figure in is not quite clear; it wasn’t last year, either. Former Rhode Island and Georgia Tech transfer Syeed Gibbs
began the year backing up safety Mason Ellis at nickel and moved outside later on, while Alabama transfer Jahlil Hurley never acquired a consistent role. Now newcomers Elijah Cannon (Mississippi State) and Roman Pearson (Ball State) enter the mix, with Pearson likely a contender to challenge for significant playing time after starting over the course of his last three seasons, the first two at Bucknell. Safety: KU rebounded nicely after Lyrik Rawls transferred to bring in power-conference talent in the form of Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman (Iowa State), Corey Gordon (Louisville), Jaden Harris (Georgia) and Christian Pritchett (Georgia Tech), supplementing returning starter Taylor Davis, who should get the chance to operate more in run support and less in coverage as a boundary safety this year. Harris, a former starter at Miami, will push him for snaps, while Gordon, who has Big 12 experience from his time at Baylor, looks like a plug-and-play starter. The nickel, the fifth defensive back, looks a bit uncertain. Ellis started 2025 there but moved back to a more traditional safety role after returning from injury. He could figure in again this season, as could Cummings-Coleman and redshirt freshman Brandon Schmelzle. Special teams: It’s another overhaul in the specialist group for KU after it took a step forward in this realm in 2025. For Taiwo Onatolu, who is now solely a special teams coordinator after previously also serving as defensive ends coach, the offseason included the acquisitions of a transfer-portal kicker (Martin Connington of Michigan State) and long snapper (Rino Monteforte of Cal), as well as an
FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Sept. 4 — vs. Long Island, 7 p.m. Sept. 11 — vs. Missouri, 7 p.m. Sept. 19 — vs. Arizona State, 11 a.m., London Oct. 3 — vs. Middle Tennessee, TBA Oct. 10 — at Utah, TBA, Salt Lake City Oct. 17 — at Kansas State, TBA, Manhattan Oct. 24 — vs. Baylor, TBA Oct. 31 — at TCU, TBA, Fort Worth, Texas Nov. 7 — vs. UCF, TBA Nov. 14 — at West Virginia, TBA, Morgantown, W.Va. Nov. 21 — vs. BYU, TBA Nov. 28 — at Oklahoma State, TBA, Stillwater, Okla.
Australian punter making his American football debut in Matt Gill. Connington went 12for-16 as a redshirt freshman for the Spartans, while Monteforte has years of experience including a national-championship berth during his time at Notre Dame; Gill is an enigma coming out of the Australian Kicking Academy. All three should slide into starting roles, although KU also has a trio of walk-ons in redshirt freshman kicker Dane Efird, redshirt sophomore long snapper Hollis Moeller and freshman punter Ben Shipley. In the return game, it is safe to say the Jayhawks will attempt to get Edwards the ball however they can. Nagy is the incumbent punt returner after his successful 2025 season.
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Member FDIC . 2026 Central Bancompany ©. 1To receive the $500 checking bonus, open and maintain any personal checking account except Free Checking. Deposit $50 or more at account opening; and have at least two or more direct deposits with a cumulative total of $5,000 within 90 days of account opening. Minimum balance of $50.00 required 90 days after account opening to receive bonus. Qualifying types of Direct Deposits include any direct deposit from Payroll, Pension or Government Benefit. Bonuses are reported to the IRS as interest. Bonuses will be deposited into the checking account within 15 business days after account(s) 1) meets all requirements AND 2) has been open for 90 days. Available to new to bank checking account customers only. Offer is not available to those whose accounts have been closed with a negative balance within the last 2 years. You will receive only one new checking account opening related bonus every two years from the last date incentive was paid. Only one bonus per household. Customer must bring in mailer or use offer code to receive incentive. Only one offer may be redeemed by the intended recipient and is nontransferable. Eligibility for this offer will be verified prior to providing the bonus. The new checking account must be open and in good standing on the date any earned bonus is paid. We reserve the right not to open accounts for customers outside our market area. Please contact us for further details. Checking account promotion ends 12/31/2026. All University of Kansas and Jayhawks trademarks and copyrights used by permission. The Jayhawk debit card is issued by The Central Trust Bank pursuant to a license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard is a registered trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.