Kansas football will lean on five captains in 2026, and the group says plenty about where the Jayhawks are headed.
The program announced Wednesday evening that Cole Ballard, Calvin Clements, Trey Lathan, Blake Herold and Rino Monteforte will wear the captain label this season. The picks come from a team vote, and Kansas is going with five captains for the first time since Lance Leipold became head coach, topping the usual four.
Ballard is the name to watch if you’re tracking the quarterback race. He’s entering his fourth year in Lawrence and is starting to look like the frontrunner for the job.
The son of Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has built up real familiarity with the offense and the program, and this captaincy only adds to the sense that he’s in position to lead the huddle. That said, there’s still a path for Isaiah Marshall.
Michael Swain of 247 Sports pointed out on X that Miles Kendrick was voted a captain before the 2021 season, but Jason Bean still opened that year as the starter. So Marshall isn’t shut out just yet, even if the momentum is clearly tilting in another direction.
Clements and Herold, both members of Kansas’ Class of 2023, give the Jayhawks two more steady voices. Clements, a Lawrence native, started all 12 games at left tackle last season and is expected to keep holding down the blind side for whoever wins the quarterback job.
Herold has been durable and productive, playing in every game over the last two seasons. As a redshirt sophomore, he finished fifth on the team with five tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.
Lathan brings the biggest defensive profile to the group. He led Kansas in combined tackles in 2025 and briefly entered the portal this offseason before deciding to come back. His reason was simple: he said he felt obligated to finish what he started with his teammates.
Monteforte rounds out the list as the starting long snapper. Before arriving at Kansas, he spent time at Notre Dame and California, and he’s quickly made an impression in Lawrence. The program describes him as dynamic and charismatic, and his teammates have clearly bought in enough to put him in the captain group.
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Kansas Has Its Week 1 QB Answer But One Big Twist Remains
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Cole Ballards role still makes this more interesting than a simple depth-chart announcement. Even after losing the starting job, he was named one of the teams captains, and Leipold has already indicated both quarterbacks are expected to play in the opener. So while Marshall will get the nod, Kansas appears set to lean on both players right away as it begins the season. [Read more 🡒]