Kansas’ first conference-week availability report of the season brought a mostly expected list Wednesday night, with the Jayhawks set to meet Arizona State in London for the Union Jack Classic.
KU entered the week as a 5.5-point underdog, and the first report offered the initial look at how both rosters are shaping up for Saturday’s game. Under Big 12 policy, schools must begin submitting availability reports three days before conference games, with updates due on Thursday, Friday and again 90 minutes before kickoff for Saturday contests.
For Kansas, none of the players listed as out came as a surprise. The absences had already been mentioned by Lance Leipold during camp or afterward.
Cole Ballard is the biggest name on the Jayhawks’ report. He is listed as doubtful after leaving the sideline for the locker room in the middle of the Border War and later returning in a sling.
Kansas also has three players marked questionable: Carson Bruhn, Cam Pickett and Bam Crouch. Bruhn was on the field for 50 snaps last Friday before exiting with an injury that wasn’t identified.
KU’s out list includes RB #2 Kory Amachree, QB #16 Jaylen Mason, RB #25 Justin Thurman, DT #71 Grady Seyfert and DT #95 Tre'von McAlpine.
The Jayhawks’ doubtful and questionable designations break down this way:
DOUBTFUL
QB #15 Cole Ballard
QUESTIONABLE
WR #7 Cam Pickett
LB #7 Bam Crouch
TE #44 Carson Bruhn
Arizona State’s Wednesday report was also revealed, and the Sun Devils had six players listed out:
S #20 Maurice Williams
DB #24 Jalen Williams
OL #50 Marques Uini
OL #64 Wade Helton
OL #69 Brent Helton
WR #89 Harry Hassmann
The Sun Devils also had six players listed probable:
TE #0 AJ Ia
DE #3 Albert Smith III
WR #4 Omarion Miller
DB #35 Antoine Belgrave-Shorter
OL #58 Tana Alo-Tupuola
OL #78 Luke Baklenko
The Big 12’s reporting rules require schools to publicly disclose any uncertainty about a player’s availability for football and men’s and women’s basketball conference games. The league says the policy is meant to create “fairness and integrity in competition” while also protecting student-athlete welfare through “uniform, transparent reporting practices.”
The conference’s policy also says schools should list only a player’s name and participation status, without diagnoses, treatment plans or personal details. Updated reports will continue Thursday and Friday before Saturday’s matchup.
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Even so, White alone would not solve the bigger issue facing Kansas as roster pressure builds. The Jayhawks are still looking at a lineup that could use more help across the board, especially with ball handling and size, and the frontcourt picture remains unsettled enough that any added depth would only go so far in addressing it. [Read more 🡒]