Dylan Edwards has spent every college stop arriving with the kind of buzz that turns heads fast. Colorado saw him as a top talent.
Kansas State did too after he transferred there. Now he’s with Kansas, and the big question in Lawrence is whether this time he’s landed in the right place.
Kansas coach Lance Leipold made it clear earlier this week that the Jayhawks believe Edwards can be a difference-maker.
"Dylan is a special talent," Kansas coach Lance Leipold said during his weekly press conference earlier this week. " ... He's a threat anytime he touches the ball."
The path here has not exactly been smooth. Edwards went into last season at Kansas State as the expected starter and was effectively given the backfield job.
But after a few games, Joe Jackson took over, and Edwards slipped into the background. Jackson went on to rush for nearly 1,000 yards and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.
That slide sent Edwards searching again, and this time the move took him to Kansas, giving him a third Big 12 stop and a fresh start against his former rival. What makes this chapter different is the chance to apply what he learned from the Wildcats instead of just chasing the next opportunity.
Losing the starting job should be fuel for him, and Leipold has also kept expectations in check. When Kansas released its depth chart this week, Edwards was not named the starter. Instead, he was listed alongside Yasnin Willis, who dad 129 carries for 558 yards and four touchdowns last year for the Syracuse Orangemen.
That setup should at least give Edwards plenty to work with as the season approaches.
Kansas basketball is also lining up another notable recruiting visit. Class of 2027 guard Parker McDaniel is expected to be in Lawrence for an official visit during the weekend of Sept. 11-12, according to 247Sports recruiting analyst Eric Bossi.
McDaniel is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 96 overall player in the 2027 class and the No. 15 shooting guard nationally.
In Other News...
Kansas Football Faces A Season Fans May Need To Judge Differently
Kansas football enters this season with a different kind of expectation hanging over the program, one that is harder to sell but maybe more realistic to live with. The Jayhawks are trying to navigate an inexperienced quarterback situation, a receiver room that looks thin, and a defense that did not show enough improvement last year to inspire easy optimism, even with some encouraging pieces still in place.
There is at least reason to believe the offense can look more organized, especially with Andy Kotelnicki back guiding that side of the ball and young talent like Isaiah Marshall and Dylan Edwards giving the staff something to work with. Still, the bigger question around Kansas is not whether it can flash at times, but whether a season that looks merely decent can actually be viewed as a step forward for a program still trying to build toward something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Fans Face Another Year Of A Different Booth Experience
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The changes are not close to finished, either. The main stadium project is slated to wrap in August 2025, but the area around it is still set for more work after that, including a hotel, retail space and parking. For now, the fan experience will continue to reflect a program in transition, with the familiar Booth atmosphere replaced by a version of the stadium that is still very much under construction. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Opens With A Different Look Fans Will Want To See
After a long offseason and months of anticipation, Kansas finally gets back on the field Saturday when it hosts Long Island at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The opener brings the Jayhawks their first game action since last November, and the early focus is less on the opponent than on how the offense will look in a live setting, with different schemes and formations expected to be part of the plan.
Isaiah Marshall is set to get the start at quarterback, giving Kansas a fresh look under center as it tries to settle into the season. The Jayhawks should be in position for a comfortable result, but the more interesting part for fans may be watching how the new pieces fit and how much variety shows up early in the playbook. [Read more 🡒]