Kansas is headed into 2026 with a backfield that looks built around two different kinds of problems for defenses.
Dylan Edwards and Yasin Willis have both moved into co-starter territory for the Jayhawks, and the first official depth chart backs that up with both names listed at running back and Jalen Dupree sitting behind them. Rather than force one runner into a feature role, Kansas seems ready to lean on both and let the matchup decide who gets the heavier load.
That setup gives head coach Lance Leipold and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki a lot to work with. Kotelnicki has already praised the idea of having Edwards and Willis available, pointing to two backs who can both handle meaningful snaps.
The contrast between them is the real draw.
Edwards brings the speed. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound redshirt junior from Derby, Kansas, started his college path at Colorado, then moved to Kansas State before landing at Kansas. He’s expected to be used as both a runner and a receiver, which gives the Jayhawks a back who can stretch the field in more ways than one.
Willis brings the muscle. At 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, the junior arrives from Syracuse with a different kind of profile and a résumé that includes more than 500 rushing yards in the 2025 season. He gives Kansas a more physical option, especially on runs between the tackles.
Put together, the pairing could make Kansas’ offense tougher to game-plan for. Edwards can create stress in space, while Willis offers a downhill answer when the Jayhawks want to challenge a defense inside.
The two also seem to be on the same page off the field. Since arriving in Lawrence, they’ve talked about making the most of the 2026 season and keeping NFL aspirations in view. Willis summed up the spring with one phrase: “grind mode”.
That attitude may matter even more with Isaiah Marshall stepping in as the Jayhawks’ starting quarterback. Kansas will likely need the run game to shoulder some of the pressure while the new starter settles in, and Edwards and Willis give the offense two experienced options to do it.
Kansas opens the season against Long Island, and the spotlight in the backfield will belong to both runners. The job ahead is simple: produce, push each other, and help Kansas get back to winning football.
In Other News...
Devin Neals NFL Path Just Hit An Early Setback
Devin Neals first NFL chapter has already run into a familiar kind of camp-season trouble. The former Kansas running back was part of a crowded New Orleans Saints backfield and had been trying to carve out a role after turning pro, but a lingering hamstring issue made that climb more difficult as the preseason wore on.
Neal was eventually moved off injured reserve and is now in limbo as the league sorts out his next step. Other teams can claim him, and if no one does, he becomes a free agent, leaving the next phase of his pro career to hinge on who still sees enough upside to take a chance. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces One 2026 Pressure Point That Could Define Everything
Kansas enters 2026 with a familiar mix of hope and hard questions, and the answers may start with continuity. Isaiah Marshall is positioned to run the offense with Andy Kotelnicki back in charge, giving Lance Leipolds program a chance to settle into a clearer identity after the kind of offseason that can either steady a team or expose everything it lacks. The schedule, though, is not going to be kind, and there is little margin for a group that still needs to prove it can stack enough wins to reach bowl eligibility.
The pressure point is obvious because the rivals on the calendar keep reminding Kansas where it stands. Missouri and Kansas State both bring long winning streaks against the Jayhawks into games that will shape the seasons tone, and every step through that stretch will carry more weight because of what it means for the bigger picture. For Leipold, the stakes go beyond one fall, since how Kansas handles those matchups could end up defining not just the record, but the direction of the program itself. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Fans Can Finally Start Planning For The Next Border War
The Border War is officially on the calendar again, giving both fan bases a concrete date to circle after years of waiting for the rivalry to return to the football schedule. Kansas and Missouri are set to meet in a matchup that will draw plenty of attention well beyond the region, with the game landing in the middle of a 2026 slate that already has a full season of checkpoints for both programs.
For Jayhawks fans, the bigger picture is simple: this is the kind of game that changes the feel of a season, especially when it comes at home and carries the weight of history. The ticket market is already reflecting that demand, and with both teams' schedules now laid out, the only thing left is the long lead-up to a fall night that figures to have no shortage of interest on either side of the border. [Read more 🡒]