Kansas’ defensive front took a major hit on the first day of fall camp, and the timing couldn’t be much worse.
Head coach Lance Leipold said projected starting nose tackle Tre’Von McAlpine will miss the entire 2026 season because of a torn ACL. Leipold added that McAlpine sustained the injury during spring workouts and won’t be available this fall. Kansas is expected to seek a medical hardship waiver that could give the Tulane transfer another season in 2027.
McAlpine arrived in January with real expectations on his shoulders. At 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, he was supposed to be the anchor in the middle of a rebuilt defensive line, especially after the departures of Tommy Dunn Jr., D.J.
Withers and Kenean Caldwell. Instead, the Jayhawks now have to reshape that interior without one of their biggest offseason additions.
The loss stings because McAlpine wasn’t just another portal pickup. He was coming off a strong 2025 season at Tulane, where he helped the Green Wave reach the College Football Playoff and posted 35 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery. Kansas also valued the fact that he already knew the Big 12 landscape from his two seasons at Texas Tech, where he played in 19 games and finished with 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss.
Now the focus shifts to who steps in. Jibriel Conde and Eamon Smalls are among the players expected to battle for the nose tackle job as Kansas gets ready for its Sept. 5 opener against Long Island University.
For a defense that struggled against the run in 2025, this is a tough blow. McAlpine was supposed to help firm up the middle right away, and losing him leaves Kansas searching for interior help before the season even gets rolling.
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Kansas Suddenly Faces A Defensive Line Question Early In Camp
Kansas defensive line took an immediate hit early in camp when TreVon McAlpine went down with a season-ending ACL injury, leaving a hole that had to be addressed fast. Defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald has already started framing the loss as a chance for someone else to claim a bigger role, and the first few practices have given him a few names to monitor.
Eamon Smalls and Marcus Calvin have been among the interior players drawing positive mention, while the edge group has also flashed some depth with Leroy Harris III and Garrett Martin working into the mix during camp sessions. For a unit that had to absorb an abrupt setback before the season even got rolling, the next stretch of practices will go a long way toward showing whether Kansas can turn an early problem into useful depth. [Read more 🡒]