Kansas football’s first day of preseason camp brought the usual summer buzz, but the strongest message out of Lawrence came on defense.
With construction noise rolling near David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium and practice underway at the Murfin Family Practice Fields, the Jayhawks opened camp for their 2026 season in shoulder pads and shorts. Even in that lighter setup, the energy was obvious.
“It was nothing but excitement to be back out with the fellas,” senior linebacker Trey Lathan said. “Glad to finally have the ball flying around and competing against one another.”
The offense may still be sorting out its picture, including a quarterback battle between junior Cole Ballard and sophomore Isaiah Marshall, but Lance Leipold had a much firmer read on the other side of the ball. After practice, the Kansas coach said his defense “improved a lot” from a group that allowed 26.8 points per game last season, fifth-highest in the Big 12.
“We’ve increased our size and speed of our football team overall, especially on the defensive side,” Leipold said. “I think upfront we’re better, I think there’s more depth. We definitely have more depth at linebacker than we’ve had.”
A big chunk of that upgrade is coming through the transfer portal. Kansas added 31 transfers, and 16 of them are on defense. The Jayhawks are banking on those additions to help create more disruption after a season that produced only four interceptions, second fewest in the Big 12, and six fumble recoveries, fourth fewest in the conference.
Leipold pointed to communication issues as a recurring problem last year, but he said this group has looked sharper and more confident since spring. He also singled out Lathan for the way he’s grown into a louder, more demanding presence.
“I think Trey Lathan has had a really, really good summer and offseason,” Leipold said. “He’s stepping more into a leadership role and understanding what we need from a middle linebacker and how that filters through the defense.”
Lathan backed up that assessment. He led Kansas in tackles, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries last season and earned All-Big 12 honorable-mention honors. He also briefly entered the transfer portal this offseason before returning for his senior year.
After the first practice, he said the speed is already showing.
“We’re a much faster defense,” Lathan said. “We’ve got a lot of new characters and a lot of guys who are willing to fly to the ball and make plays.”
Lathan, who called himself the fastest KU defensive player regardless of position, also said the group feels more accountable this time around.
“We didn’t have a good foundation of leadership,” Lathan said. “(This year) I would say a lot of the guys will hold each other accountable and not give other guys the opportunity to slack off.”
Kansas opens the season Sept. 4 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium against LIU, with fans hoping the confidence from camp carries into a turnaround after back-to-back 5-7 finishes.
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