Kansas entered Big 12 Media Days with a familiar dose of optimism, and Phil Steele’s latest preseason rankings gave the Jayhawks another reason to feel better about where things are headed.
Steele’s 2026 preseason poll, which ranked all 138 teams, slots Kansas at No. 48 nationally. That puts Lance Leipold’s team in a spot that feels a little more encouraging than some of the recent chatter around the program, especially with the season still carrying a few major unknowns.
There’s still plenty to sort out before Kansas opens on September 4th against LIU inside David Booth Memorial, starting with a quarterback battle that remains unresolved. The Jayhawks also brought in a No. 53 overall transfer portal class that includes 31 new transfers, so this roster still has some moving parts. But there’s also real reason to like the pieces KU does have in place.
The backfield looks especially intriguing with Dylan Edwards, Yasin Willis and Jalen Dupree all in the mix for bigger roles. At receiver, the losses of Emannuel Henderson Jr. sting, but the additions of Nik McMillan and Nahzae Cox help keep that group from looking thin while the quarterback situation plays itself out.
Defensively, Kansas got a major boost by keeping Tre Lathan and surrounding him with four transfer linebackers. That matters for a unit that finished No. 95 nationally last season and gave up 409.5 yards per game.
Steele’s Big 12 rankings also paint Kansas in a decent light within the conference. Texas Tech leads the league at No. 13, with BYU right behind at No.
- Kansas checks in as the ninth-best team in the Big 12, ahead of Kansas State, which lands at No. 59 nationally.
Iowa State sits at No. 100 and takes the conference’s last spot in Steele’s list.
The teams ahead of Kansas in the Big 12 are Texas Tech, BYU, Utah at No. 26, Houston at No.
31, TCU at No. 37, Arizona at No.
38, Baylor at No. 43 and UCF at No. 45.
Rankings like this don’t decide a season, but for Kansas fans, this one offers a welcome change of pace from the usual preseason skepticism. For a program trying to avoid a third straight bowl-less year, being viewed as a top-half Big 12 team is at least a step in the right direction.
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That contrast has reopened an old discussion around Bill Selfs usage of Peterson and whether the Jayhawks ever found the best way to deploy him. Selfs side of it was always tied to roster needs and Petersons availability, with cramping issues and injuries limiting how often Kansas could build around him, but the NBA setting is putting the difference in roles back in the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Lance Leipold Just Addressed Kansas Fans' Biggest Wembley Fear
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Leipold acknowledged the challenge of the travel, but he also pointed to a built-in cushion that should matter to Kansas fans worried about the aftermath. The game comes in Week 3, and the Jayhawks get a bye week afterward before turning to a demanding nine-game finish, so the staff has time to manage the transition back and reset for the Oct. 3 matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Lance Leipold Thinks Kansas Finally Has An Answer In Close Games
At Big 12 Media Days, Lance Leipold sounded encouraged by what Kansas has built heading into the season, pointing to a roster that looks sturdier across the board. The Jayhawks believe they have more reliable depth in the trenches and at several key spots on defense and in the backfield, and that matters for a program trying to turn more of its competitive Saturdays into wins.
Leipold also tied that stability to the changing college football landscape, saying the new revenue-sharing model has helped Kansas allocate resources more effectively. He added that the single transfer portal window has made it easier to keep the roster together, and for a team that has been searching for a better way to finish tight games, that kind of continuity could be as important as any single player on the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]