Kansas enters this season with something Lance Leipold hasn’t always had in Lawrence: a roster that looks sturdy almost everywhere you turn.
The biggest unresolved piece is still the quarterback room, and that won’t settle until the new season gets rolling. But Leipold made it clear earlier this week, in his first appearance back on Hawk Talk, that he likes what he sees beyond that battle.
“I like the roster and the depth that we have, and when we’re talking about depth, sometimes you just end up with situations that, you know, from starter to backup might be a gap in experience and youth and those things, and you're kind of holding your breath as you go through it,” opened Leipold.
That kind of depth matters after last season, when injuries kept forcing Kansas into uncomfortable spots across the field. There were flashes, sure, but there were also too many explosive plays allowed, and those back-breakers helped send the Jayhawks into a second straight bowl-less year.
Leipold said the margin looks better now, especially if the team can stay upright.
“If we stay healthy across the board, I really like where we're at, that we can rotate some people, and I guess the word “drop-off” is minimal in some areas, and we still have a lot of work to do in some areas, I really like where this team is at, and you'll see a lot of players on the field.”
Two names that have stood out during camp are freshman cornerback Trey Brown and DeAndre Harper, both of whom have seen their stock rise and could become important pieces in a stretch run that features nine straight games to finish the season.
The excitement starts in the backfield, where Kansas now has three running backs to feel good about in Dylan Edwards, Yasin Willis and Jalen Dupree. All three are transfers, and all three arrive with promising reports from their previous stops.
At receiver, the Jayhawks will have to replace Emmanuel Henderson Jr. from last season, but they’ve got options to do it with Nik McMillan and Nahzae Cox. Cam Pickett and Keaton Kubecka are also viewed as players who could take a step forward.
Tight end remains one of the calmer spots on the roster under Matt Lubick, while the offensive line has been largely rebuilt. Even so, Kansas believes its flexibility up front can become a real advantage.
Defensively, the line looks deeper too. Eamon Smalls adds to a group that already includes Leroy Harris III and Blaker Herold, both of whom are expected to have big seasons.
Behind them, Bam Crouch and Trey Lathan give Kansas a linebacker duo that already looks veteran and dependable. The secondary has been reworked as well, with Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman and Corey Gordon bringing in the kind of experience that was missing a year ago.
So while the quarterback fight between redshirt junior Cole Ballard and redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall will decide who leads the offense, the rest of the roster looks built to help that winner. Kansas has enough around the eventual QB1 to believe a postseason push is within reach.
In Other News...
Kansas Suddenly Has One Huge Frontcourt Question For Bill Self
Flory Bidungas transfer to Louisville left Kansas with a clear opening in the middle, and Bill Self has made it plain the Jayhawks still need a dependable center to anchor the frontcourt. The options on hand are Christian Reeves and Paul Mbiya, two players whose roles could loom much larger now that the rotation has to be reshaped around the loss of a key interior presence.
Mbiya appears to have the inside track for the starting job, especially with Reeves coming off recent shoulder surgery, and Self has been encouraged by the progress Mbiya has made. Even so, both big men are expected to play meaningful minutes, which leaves Kansas with size and depth, but also with one major unanswered question about how much production the Jayhawks can count on in the paint. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Freshman Is Already Forcing His Way Into Secondary Buzz
Trey Brown has spent training camp doing what freshmen are supposed to do if they want to matter early: showing up prepared, listening closely and stacking good days. The Kansas cornerback arrived on campus early, used the summer to get a head start with coaches and teammates, and it has paid off in the way he has carried himself through camp. For a young defensive back, that kind of foundation can go a long way.
Defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald has taken notice of Browns work ethic and the way he has stayed consistent in the building. For Kansas, it is the sort of development that can quietly change a position groups outlook before the season even begins. Brown is still a freshman, but the way he has handled camp suggests he is already making the secondary conversation harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Cole Ballard Just Gave Kansas Fans A Reason To Watch This Battle
Cole Ballard spent late June at the 30th Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls State University in Louisiana, an environment built for quarterbacks who want to sharpen the details that separate good from great. The Kansas signal-caller worked out alongside other high-profile college quarterbacks and came away talking about how valuable the experience was, especially the lessons from Peyton and Eli Manning on film study and leadership.
Now Ballard is back in preseason workouts at Kansas, where the real test is getting those lessons to show up in a live competition for the starting job. For the Jayhawks, that makes his summer trip more than a feel-good development story - it is part of a bigger battle that will help shape the offense before the season begins. [Read more 🡒]