Two questions stand out for Kansas as it heads into Friday night’s season opener against Long Island, and both start with the same big theme: how much of this roster depth actually shows up once the lights come on?
Lance Leipold has spent the summer talking up the depth he believes KU has across the board. Around the program, there’s even a feeling that this might be the most physically imposing roster he’s had in his time in Lawrence.
That’s a strong place to start. The real question is what it looks like on game day.
The opener won’t tell the whole story. Kansas’ full two-deep isn’t going to be stress-tested right away, and it certainly won’t stay healthy through a season that includes a nine-game stretch over nine weeks. But Friday night should still offer a first look at where certain players fit and how the staff plans to use them.
Safety is the spot that jumps out first. It could be the most interesting position group on the roster entering the season.
Taylor Davis and Corey Gordon seem likely to start, but how often do Mason Ellis or Jaden Harris get mixed in? Does Christian Pritchett see action in the first half, or does he come in when some of the younger players start rotating?
And at Hawk, does Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman split time with Elijah Cannon? The opener should at least give a clearer picture of how those reps are divided, and how the first-unit safeties function together when they’re on the field.
That’s one room, but it’s not the only place where Friday can reveal something useful.
In Other News...
Devin Neals NFL Path Just Hit An Early Setback
Devin Neals first NFL chapter has already run into a familiar kind of camp-season trouble. The former Kansas running back was part of a crowded New Orleans Saints backfield and had been trying to carve out a role after turning pro, but a lingering hamstring issue made that climb more difficult as the preseason wore on.
Neal was eventually moved off injured reserve and is now in limbo as the league sorts out his next step. Other teams can claim him, and if no one does, he becomes a free agent, leaving the next phase of his pro career to hinge on who still sees enough upside to take a chance. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces One 2026 Pressure Point That Could Define Everything
Kansas enters 2026 with a familiar mix of hope and hard questions, and the answers may start with continuity. Isaiah Marshall is positioned to run the offense with Andy Kotelnicki back in charge, giving Lance Leipolds program a chance to settle into a clearer identity after the kind of offseason that can either steady a team or expose everything it lacks. The schedule, though, is not going to be kind, and there is little margin for a group that still needs to prove it can stack enough wins to reach bowl eligibility.
The pressure point is obvious because the rivals on the calendar keep reminding Kansas where it stands. Missouri and Kansas State both bring long winning streaks against the Jayhawks into games that will shape the seasons tone, and every step through that stretch will carry more weight because of what it means for the bigger picture. For Leipold, the stakes go beyond one fall, since how Kansas handles those matchups could end up defining not just the record, but the direction of the program itself. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Fans Can Finally Start Planning For The Next Border War
The Border War is officially on the calendar again, giving both fan bases a concrete date to circle after years of waiting for the rivalry to return to the football schedule. Kansas and Missouri are set to meet in a matchup that will draw plenty of attention well beyond the region, with the game landing in the middle of a 2026 slate that already has a full season of checkpoints for both programs.
For Jayhawks fans, the bigger picture is simple: this is the kind of game that changes the feel of a season, especially when it comes at home and carries the weight of history. The ticket market is already reflecting that demand, and with both teams' schedules now laid out, the only thing left is the long lead-up to a fall night that figures to have no shortage of interest on either side of the border. [Read more 🡒]