Kansas football may not need a breakout season to help itself in the long run. In fact, the Jayhawks’ best path could be something far less glamorous: a year that lands in that awkward middle ground, where the record is ordinary but the pieces underneath it start to click.
That’s the argument here, at least, and it starts with the risks. Kansas is leaning on an undersized starting quarterback who has never started a Division I game.
Dylan Edwards, the offseason’s biggest addition, brings juice, but even at his best he projects as a player who gets around 10 touches a game. The receiving group is still thin.
The defense, meanwhile, looks a lot like a unit that was bottom-half in several categories last season and got pushed around more than once. Add in Lance Leipold’s 2-7 record in one-score games over the past two seasons, and the floor looks shaky.
The setting doesn’t help. Kansas will be playing in a reduced-capacity stadium that is still visibly under construction, with fan support already dulled and a brutal early schedule waiting after the opener.
The recruiting picture isn’t exactly popping either: the class is ninth in the Big 12 and doesn’t feature a blue-chip star. Put all of that together, and a quiet 3-9 type of season is on the table.
Still, there’s enough upside here to keep the door open on something better. Isaiah Marshall is raw, but coaches have praised the “different factor” he brings with his athleticism and competitiveness.
Andy Kotelnicki is back from Penn State to run the offense, and that matters. His last Kansas offense led the conference in yards per play during a 9-4 season in which the starting quarterback played only three games.
Edwards also has a track record worth noting, having averaged more than seven yards a touch in his last healthy season. On top of that, the defense at least brings continuity.
But a huge year could create a different problem. If Kansas somehow jumps to 9-3, with Marshall breaking out and Edwards shining, the program would then have to fight to keep that momentum - and those players - in Lawrence.
The financial situation isn’t getting better anytime soon, and the fan support isn’t either. Leipold has been steady enough, but he hasn’t exactly thrived under big expectations, and if another program comes calling for Kotelnicki or tries to pluck talent from either side of the ball, Kansas may not have the money or prestige to stop it.
That’s why the sweet spot might be a season that looks plain on the surface: 5-7 or maybe a narrow 6-6, with one memorable win - BYU is the guess here - while the important parts of the roster keep developing. A year like that can keep Kansas out of the spotlight, which may be exactly the point with 2027 in view. The Jayhawks had a similar bridge season in 2022, and that helped lead into 2023, their best campaign since Mark Mangino left.
In Other News...
Kansas Is Taking A Huge Brand Gamble Far Beyond Football
Kansas Athletics is stepping into unfamiliar territory with its football game against Arizona State at Wembley Stadium in London, turning what would normally be a nonconference road trip into a much bigger branding exercise. The move reflects how eager the department is to push the university name beyond its usual footprint, and it is leaning into the kind of international exposure that most college programs never seriously pursue.
Officials have been working through the practical side of the experiment by coordinating travel and event logistics with help from other universities and the NFL, using the sort of behind-the-scenes planning that can make or break an overseas showcase. It is a bold play for a program that has already shown a willingness to host global athletes before, and the larger question is how far Kansas wants to go in making athletics a vehicle for worldwide visibility. [Read more 🡒]
Jalon Daniels First Buccaneers Breakthrough Has Kansas Fans Watching Closely
Jalon Daniels has turned an eye-catching preseason into a legitimate first step on the NFL depth chart, earning praise in Tampa Bay after an encouraging camp as an undrafted rookie quarterback. The former Kansas signal-caller has stood out for his poise and steady development, enough to draw public acknowledgment from Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles as the organization weighs what it has in a young passer who arrived without the usual draft-day fanfare.
For Kansas fans, the appeal is obvious. Daniels has always carried a little extra attention because of what he meant in Lawrence, and now he is showing enough in Tampa Bay to keep his name in the conversation behind Baker Mayfield. The rise is still early, and the exact path ahead has yet to fully settle into place, but this is the kind of breakthrough that makes a player worth tracking closely once the regular season pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Now Turns To One Big Question About Isaiah Marshall
Isaiah Marshalls rise to Kansas starting quarterback job gives the Jayhawks a new face to build around, and it comes with the usual mix of optimism and curiosity that follows any quarterback decision in camp. The redshirt sophomore said he believes he can create big plays with both his arm and legs, while also stressing that his focus stays on the process and on helping the team succeed rather than chasing the spotlight.
What makes the moment feel a little bigger is the way it came together around the quarterback room. Marshall says his relationship with Cole Ballard has remained supportive through the competition, a good sign for a team trying to settle its most important position before the real pressure starts to mount. For Kansas, the next question is no longer who gets the job, but how quickly Marshall can turn the opportunity into steady production. [Read more 🡒]