Kansas football’s defense still has plenty of questions, but one group is already giving the Jayhawks reason to feel better about what’s coming next: the linebackers.
Early in fall camp, that room has reportedly been the strongest unit on the defense. Head coach Lance Leipold pointed to several players who have made their presence felt right away, with Quincy Davis, Bam Crouch and Jibreel Al-Amin drawing attention.
"We've talked about some of these individual guys like Quincy Davis that have continued to show up," Leipold said. "Bam [Crouch] is healthier, playing more confidently, feeling good about things.
And Jibreel [Al-Amin], this is the heaviest he's ever played in his career, but he still moves extremely well. "[Linebacker coach] Chris [Simpson] and DK [McDonald] continue to give guys opportunities at multiple spots to show what they can do to continue to add to the position, get our best players on the field," Leipold added.
"The depth of the position, we look different at that position than maybe we have in years past with guys that can play a lot of snaps for us."
That depth is part of what makes the group stand out. Kansas appears to have more linebackers who can handle meaningful workloads, and that gives the defense a different look than it has had in recent seasons.
Nick Springer, who hosts the Pay Heed podcast for KCSN, was at camp Monday and came away especially impressed with Quincy Davis. The New Mexico State transfer was flying around and bringing physicality to the field during Monday’s session, though Springer also noted there’s still a step Davis needs to take.
"With Quincy Davis, who's coming from a G5 level, understanding that he's going to have to increase his physicality and strength as well to match what's at the Power 5 level and Big 12."
The progress of Davis and Bam Crouch figures to matter a lot for Kansas in 2026, and so does the return of Trey Lathan. Lathan was the 2025 team’s leading tackler, briefly entered the transfer portal this offseason and then decided to come back.
The Jayhawks still have issues elsewhere on defense, especially in the secondary and along the interior defensive line. But the linebacker group is giving Kansas something real to build on, with a blend of coverage ability, run support and experience that could make it the defense’s most valuable weapon.
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