Kansas enters the 2026 season with plenty still unsettled, and oddsmakers have responded by parking the Jayhawks in the middle of the Big 12 pack.
BetMGM gives Kansas +3000 odds to win the conference, which is 11th-best in the league. The sportsbook also set the Jayhawks’ regular-season win total at 5.5, a number that points straight at the uncertainty surrounding Lance Leipold’s team as opening day gets closer.
The biggest question sits under center. Redshirt junior Cole Ballard is still the favorite to win the starting job, but redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall has kept the competition alive throughout fall camp. Rice transfer Chase Jenkins is also in the mix, leaving Kansas with multiple options as it tries to find a replacement for Jalon Daniels.
There’s more clarity on the offensive side in other spots. Former Kansas State standout Dylan Edwards leads a rebuilt running back group that also includes Syracuse transfer Yasin Willis, Colorado State transfer Jalen Dupree and freshman Kory Amachree. At tight end, Carson Bruhn and Leyton Cure bring back experience, while Cam Pickett, Keaton Kubecka and Tate Nagy return at wide receiver with Nahzae Cox and Nik McMillan joining them as transfers.
The bigger concerns are still up front and on the other side of the ball. Kansas has work to do on the offensive line, and the defense is facing a major reset after losing several key pieces. Improving against the run is part of that challenge after an uneven showing last season.
The Big 12 odds reflect a conference hierarchy that still has room in the middle. Texas Tech is the clear favorite at +100, with BYU next at +550. Arizona and Arizona State sit around +2000, while Kansas is among the teams viewed as capable of getting to bowl season without being considered serious title threats.
The 5.5-win number also tracks with what’s ahead on the schedule. Kansas should be favored against Long Island and Middle Tennessee, which gives the Jayhawks two likely wins before league play really tightens the screws. Missouri, Utah, Kansas State and BYU all look like games Kansas will probably need to steal to build a stronger season.
Then comes the stretch that could define everything. Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Baylor, UCF, West Virginia and TCU all project as competitive, and Kansas likely needs to win at least four of those six to move comfortably past the over.
If the quarterback battle settles quickly, the offensive line comes together and the defense makes a real step forward, Kansas has enough talent to beat expectations. If the turnovers, penalties and defensive inconsistency hang around, another season in the five-win neighborhood is well within the range of outcomes.
For now, the Jayhawks look like one of the Big 12’s clearest wild cards: a team with bowl potential, but still carrying too many questions to be lumped in with the conference’s top tier.
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