The NFL season is here, and when the Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots on Wednesday night, five former Kansas football players will be on 53-man rosters to open the year.
Not every Jayhawk made the cut, but the group that did is spread across four teams and brings a mix of backup roles, depth pieces and one clear starter.
Jalon Daniels has earned the No. 2 job in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have him backing up Baker Mayfield after Daniels impressed in training camp as an undrafted free agent. He edged out Jake Browning and Connor Bazelak for the spot, leaving him just one snap away from being thrust into the spotlight.
Austin Booker is set up on the Chicago defensive front at left defensive end behind Montez Sweat. Chicago took Booker 144th overall in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and through his first two seasons with the Bears he has posted 56 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 3 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble. He has been dealing with a groin injury, but the expectation is that he’ll matter a lot for that defense once he’s fully healthy.
On the other side of the country, Bryce Cabeldue is in Seattle and currently sits third at right guard on the depth chart. The Seahawks selected him 192nd overall in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s behind Anthony Bradford and Christian Haynes, but he gives Seattle needed depth along the offensive line.
San Francisco has two former Jayhawks in the mix, and Enrique Cruz Jr. is one of them. The rookie is listed third at left tackle behind Trent Williams and Vederian Lowe. Drafted 179th overall by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Cruz now gets the kind of classroom every young lineman wants, with Williams a three-time First-team All-Pro ahead of him.
Dominick Puni is the lone former Kansas player entering the season as a starter. He is San Francisco’s only right guard on the depth chart and was taken 86th overall in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. After a strong rookie year that earned him a spot on the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie team in 2024, Puni heads into his third season after dealing with a concussion in August, and he’ll be tasked with protecting Brock Purdy.
In Other News...
Kansas Offense Is Taking On An Identity Defenses May Hate
Andy Kotelnicki is already putting his stamp on Kansas, and the early shape of the offense suggests this is not going to be a one-speed operation. The Jayhawks are building around the personnel they have, with an emphasis on versatility, physicality and the kind of unpredictability that can make a defense chase answers instead of dictating terms.
Lance Leipold said the installation moved fast once Kotelnicki returned, with the process beginning from square one in those early meetings, and the results have hinted at how quickly it can take hold. Kansas piled up more than 600 yards in the opener, a sign the system has real upside if it keeps finding ways to stress opponents in every part of the field. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Selfs Next Kansas Run Could Hinge On One Huge Unknown
Bill Selfs latest Kansas roster comes with the kind of uncertainty that usually gets sorted out only after a few months of real games, and Dick Vitale was among those looking at the Jayhawks next chapter with curiosity. In an ESPN piece, Vitale floated the possibility that Self might have one more deep NCAA Tournament run in him, a conversation that starts with how much talent Kansas has added and how much production it had to replace.
The Jayhawks are essentially rebuilding around a new core after losing their entire starting five from last season, so the supporting cast around Tyran Stokes will matter almost as much as the freshman himself. Kansas is counting on transfer help and more young talent to settle in quickly, with the shape of the season likely tied to how fast those new pieces come together once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri's Border War Offense Suddenly Comes With A Huge Unknown
Missouris offense is heading into the Border War with a familiar kind of uncertainty, the sort that can tilt a rivalry game before either side settles in. The Tigers should get left tackle Cayden Green back, which at least helps stabilize the front, but Kansas will still be preparing for a matchup that may look different than expected on the ground and in protection.
The bigger issue is the backfield, where Ahmad Hardy remains in question after an offseason injury, leaving Missouri with an important variable hanging over its game plan. For Kansas, that means extra time spent trying to sort through what the Tigers can and cannot lean on, even as Andy Kotelnicki continues settling back into the Jayhawks football program and shaping his offense around what this team wants to be. [Read more 🡒]