Chase Belcher didn’t arrive at Kansas with the usual transfer story. He didn’t come in chasing a fresh start after a rough year or looking for one last shot after bouncing around. The running back spent his fourth college season at Kennesaw State, after stops at Northern Arizona and West Georgia, and then kept himself ready anyway - training all offseason even though there was no immediate NFL path and no pro contract waiting for him.
That made sense to Belcher. He believed his football story wasn’t finished, even if the next chapter had to wait for the courts.
Like several other athletes from the class of 2022, Belcher was aiming to gain another year of eligibility after the NCAA announced its 5-in-5 rule. By late July, an initial ruling in Colorado gave him hope.
Later, he joined more than 90 other class of 2022 athletes as a plaintiff in Monroe County, Indiana, and in late September a judge granted the athletes eligibility. For Belcher, the timing was ideal.
For Kansas, it came at exactly the right moment too, with the Jayhawks thin in the backfield.
Belcher made his first real impact in KU’s 25-24 win over Baylor. He ran six times for 24 yards against the Bears and picked up five yards on 3rd and 5 in the fourth quarter, a run that helped set up one of Kansas’ many fourth-down conversions.
At 6-foot and 213 pounds, Belcher brings a different style than Dylan Edwards. He’s built to work between the tackles, and with Yasin Willis gone and Jalen Dupree still coming back from an offseason injury, that gave Kansas something it needed: a runner who could go up the middle and take some of the pressure off the offense.
“He ran hard,” Lance Leipold said. “Getting caught up in this type of situation is pretty unique.
But you know, for the limited reps he was in there, I can see his role expanding. The reps he's had in practice through the extra time he's worked with Jonathan Wallace, it isn't like he's had trouble picking up what we're trying to ask him to do.”
A week or so earlier, Leipold had described Belcher and fellow Indiana injunction beneficiary Clifton Thompson as being in a sort of fall camp mode, getting up to speed before seeing much action in games. Belcher says that part has come naturally, thanks in part to the culture he’d already heard about from fellow Georgian Jeron Willis and other KU players.
He’s also noticed how different the setup is at Kansas. The walk-through room, multiple meals a day, and even the snacks have stood out to him. Belcher said he’s put on about 15 pounds, “but in a good way,” he added.
And while the adjustment has come with a learning curve, he says it hasn’t been a major one. Belcher pointed to his past - games against Indiana and Wake Forest at Kennesaw State, and matchups with the University of Arizona and Arizona State at Northern Arizona - as proof that he’s used to playing on bigger stages.
“Adaptation has been easy,” Belcher said. “The coaches and players help me every day just getting used to everything.
I feel like I've always been able to adapt to a lot of different environments. At Kennesaw [State], we had games against Indiana and Wake Forest.
When I was at Northern Arizona, we played against University of Arizona or Arizona State. Playing on these stages is kind of normal.
I'm kind of comfortable in that position already.”
Belcher’s season could still be shortened if a higher court overturns the Monroe County ruling, but that doesn’t seem to be on his mind. He’s focused on playing football and keeping his attention where it belongs, with TCU up next on Saturday.
“No, it's really not [stressful waiting for another ruling]," Belcher said. "Honestly, I keep my faith in God and just keep my feet where I'm at.
I just attack every day the same as if it's still in place. I mean, it is.
So no, it's not really stressful."
In Other News...
Kansas Got A Painful Answer In Cole Ballards First Start
Isaiah Marshalls lower-leg injury left Kansas without much of a choice against TCU, and Lance Leipold said the quarterback was not close to being available. That opened the door for Cole Ballard to make his first start, and the young passer showed enough to keep the Jayhawks moving, throwing for 285 yards and a touchdown while giving the offense a spark in a tough spot.
The problem was the other side of the ledger. Ballard also turned the ball over, and those mistakes helped swing the game against Kansas in a loss that left both quarterback and coach focused on the same theme afterward: missed chances. Leipold and Ballard both acknowledged the errors, and Ballard made clear how much the turnovers bothered him, leaving the Jayhawks with a painful but revealing answer at the position. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Just Got Another Reminder Of How Loaded This Roster Is
Kansas got another reminder this week that the roster Bill Self is putting together has real conference weight to it. Freshman Tyran Stokes and transfer forward Trey Kaufman-Renn both landed among the top 10 players in the Big 12 on Ariel Petermans preseason list, a nod that underscores how much attention this group is drawing before the season even tips off. Stokes, already named Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year, comes in with the kind of buzz that usually follows a cant-miss newcomer, while Kaufman-Renn brings a proven frontcourt presence from Purdue.
For Kansas, the appeal is in the balance. Stokes gives the Jayhawks a high-end freshman centerpiece, and Kaufman-Renn adds older, established production to a roster that is expected to be one of the leagues most talented. Having two players recognized that highly in the same preseason ranking is a strong sign of the ceiling here, and it also hints at how much pressure opponents will face trying to account for both ends of the Kansas front line. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Blew A 13-0 Lead In A Brutal Home Collapse
Kansas had the kind of first half that can make a home crowd start thinking big, controlling the game early and taking a 13-0 lead into halftime against TCU. Cole Ballard was sharp enough to keep the offense moving, and Nazhee Cox gave the passing game a real spark with a big afternoon as the Jayhawks looked in command for much of the opening two quarters.
The second half told a much different story. Turnovers and missed chances opened the door for TCU, which steadily chipped away before finishing off a 22-16 comeback win, leaving Kansas to sort through a collapse that felt especially painful on its own field. Ballard finished with 285 passing yards, but the Jayhawks could not turn that production into enough points after halftime. [Read more 🡒]