Kansas enters the 2026 season with plenty of questions on defense, but the defensive line looks like one of the cleaner answers. Between the transfer additions and a couple of high-upside returners, the Jayhawks have enough pieces to build a real pass rush and a sturdy interior.
The edge group is the headliner. Harris comes in as one half of the expected starting tandem after leading the team with 4.5 sacks last season, his first year after transferring from Chattanooga as an FCS Freshman All-American.
His blend of size and athleticism has drawn comparisons to former Jayhawk Austin Booker. On the other side is Brinkley, a former 4-star recruit who brings impressive tools of his own.
Lance Leipold said this past Friday that Brinkley might be the team’s best pass rusher in 2026, which points to a possible breakout as a redshirt sophomore. If that happens, Kansas could have a dangerous pair coming off the edge.
Inside, Herold is the projected anchor in the middle. He closed last season with five tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks, and he looks like the top defensive tackle on the roster.
Bray and Calvin are also expected to play important roles, especially against the run as they help plug gaps. Bray, a transfer from Illinois, has the size to line up at defensive end or slide inside.
Santiago is another name Leipold has brought up often this offseason. The Michigan State transfer finished with 1.5 sacks last year and has the quickness and athleticism to create pressure, even if he’s likely to be deployed mostly on passing downs.
Conde, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound transfer from Grand Valley State, was expected to have a major role when he arrived at KU. Leipold has said the jump from Division II has been a challenge, though, and it sounds like Smalls has moved ahead of him on the depth chart. Smalls, who totaled 50 tackles at UAB last season, could end up as the top interior option next to Herold.
There’s also Oatis, a transfer from Arkansas who remains inexperienced as a redshirt freshman. Still, his former 4-star pedigree gives Kansas another player who could matter down the line, even if he’s in a reserve role this season.
The depth chart has already taken a hit because of injuries, and McAlpine’s season-ending torn ACL in the spring is the toughest one. He was expected to be one of Kansas’ better defensive tackles in recent years, and his absence opens the door wider for Herold, Smalls and Conde to take on bigger jobs. McAlpine had been compared to Devin Phillips, who was a strong run stuffer for the Jayhawks in 2023.
In Other News...
Bill Self Revealed What Brought Him Back To Kansas Sideline
Bill Selfs return to the Kansas sideline came after a stretch that forced him to think hard about life beyond coaching. Following the 2026 NCAA Tournament, health concerns pushed him to briefly weigh retirement, a rare pause for a coach who has spent so much of his career defining the Jayhawks. Now, with his health in a good place, Self is back and getting ready to guide a roster that will look plenty different when the new season begins.
The decision was not made quickly, and it followed a series of medical conversations that gave Self a clearer picture of where he stood. Those talks helped settle the question of whether stepping away was necessary, and he ultimately chose to keep coaching at Kansas. For a program that has long followed his lead, the bigger story now is how he handles a retooled team while leaving the uncertainty of this offseason behind him. [Read more 🡒]
Melvin Council's Kansas Future Now Hinges On One Critical Decision
Melvin Council Jr.s path at Kansas is now tied to a legal fight that could reshape his college basketball clock. The former junior college guard is suing the NCAA, arguing that his time in junior college should not count against his NCAA eligibility, and Kansas is watching closely as Bill Selfs program waits to see whether Council will ultimately be cleared to suit up.
The next major step comes Sept. 4, when a hearing on Councils motion for a temporary injunction is scheduled. If he gets the ruling he is seeking, he could be allowed to play while the lawsuit continues, leaving Kansas with a potentially important piece for the 2026-27 season and Councils future hanging on the court and in the courtroom at once. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Lineup Could Look Very Different If Tre White Comes Back
Kansas is already thinking ahead to a roster that could look a whole lot different if Tre White finds his way back into college basketball. Recent court rulings involving players from the 2022 recruiting class have opened the door to the possibility of an extra year of eligibility, and that has naturally led to some lineup speculation in Lawrence. In that scenario, White would be part of a group that could also feature Tyran Stokes and give the Jayhawks a very different look on both ends of the floor.
But the situation is far from settled, and the uncertainty is what makes it worth watching. Whites path back would depend on temporary eligibility relief, and his NBA Summer League involvement plus a reported Exhibit 10 agreement with the Miami Heat could complicate things further. For now, Kansas can only keep one eye on a possible return and another on the reality that no official decision has been made. [Read more 🡒]