Kansas went into the season with a running back room that looked like a strength. Dylan Edwards and Yasin Willis arrived with real buzz, and Colorado State transfer Jalen Dupree was supposed to give the group even more depth.
Instead, the Jayhawks are still waiting for that backfield to truly take off.
Through the first stretch of the season, Edwards, Willis and Dupree have combined for 319 rushing yards. Sophomore Micah Johnson has added 55 more, while redshirt sophomore quarterback Isaiah Marshall has chipped in 124 rushing yards of his own. For this look at Kansas’ running backs, Marshall’s numbers are being left out, though a sack on Marshall would not count against the group anyway.
The latest chapter came in last weekend’s 24-17 Union Jack Classic loss to Arizona State, a result that dropped Kansas to 1-2 heading into its bye week. The Jayhawks still need five more wins to get Lance Leipold to a third bowl game in six years at the Big 12 school.
Edwards at least gave Kansas something to build on in that loss, finishing with nearly five yards per carry and 89 total yards. Willis added 35 yards. The concern came when the Syracuse transfer left with a leg injury and did not return.
After the game, Lance Leipold addressed the situation at running back.
“Jalen Dupree hasn’t been healthy, got nicked up in practice the other day. He wasn't really available.
Didn't do much of the last four days of practice. Micah Johnson's there; you know, we're down on guys there right now.”
Kansas fans may not love that the bye is landing now, but the break could at least buy some time before the Middle Tennessee game next weekend. It gives Willis a chance to recover and Dupree a shot to get back to full strength.
The bigger question is what this group can deliver the rest of the way. In Kotelnicki’s last two seasons with the program, during his first stint, Kansas went 6-7 and 9-4. Over those years, the Jayhawks finished 48th in rushing yards per game in 2022 at 174.3 and then jumped to 8th in 2023 at 202.8.
This season could end up looking more like 2022. Kansas clearly has talent in the backfield if Willis, Edwards and Dupree can stay healthy, but the early returns have not matched the preseason expectation.
The defense has not been the issue so far, and the opponents KU has seen to this point are not likely to get much easier or much harder from here. Still, it is fair to say the ground game has been a little short of what many expected.
Below are Edwards’, Willis’ and Dupree’s numbers this season.
In Other News...
Tre White Gives Kansas A Boost With One Huge Catch
Tre White is headed back into the fold for Kansas basketball, and for now the Jayhawks have a veteran wing who can practice and possibly play in the 2026-27 season. A circuit court judge granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, clearing the way for White and other athletes to become immediately eligible while the legal fight continues, and Bill Self confirmed White can take part with the team.
For Kansas, the timing matters because White gives Self another experienced piece and a player the coach has already pointed to for his performance and leadership. The only catch is that the situation is still tied to an unresolved legal process, leaving the Jayhawks with a boost on the floor and a little uncertainty hanging over it until the case reaches a full trial. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Gets One More Border Showdown In KC Before A Bigger Question
Kansas and Mizzou will add one more chapter to a rivalry that has never really needed much help selling itself, with the latest basketball meeting set for Kansas City as the long-running six-game series reaches its end. The border showdown has moved around over the years, from campus gyms to neutral floors, and it has remained one of the most recognizable matchups in the region, even as the schools have spent long stretches on separate paths.
The broader question now is what comes after this one. The recent football series between the schools reminded everyone how much public appetite still exists for Kansas-Mizzou games, and the basketball finale gives the rivalry one last high-profile stage before the conversation shifts to whether these meetings will keep finding a place on the schedule at all. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Edwards Just Became Kansas Most Frustrating Offensive Debate
Dylan Edwards gave Kansas exactly the kind of uneven afternoon that has made him such a tricky player to sort out this season. In the Jayhawks 24-17 loss to Arizona State, he was one of the main engines of the offense, popping runs of 15 and 18 yards and adding work as a receiver while accounting for nearly half of the teams rushing output.
But the same burst that makes Edwards so important also makes every mistake feel magnified. His costly fumble helped swing momentum toward Arizona State, and in a game Kansas could not afford to give away possessions, that one play lingered long after the better snaps were forgotten. As the Jayhawks keep leaning on him moving forward, the question is not whether Edwards can impact a game, but whether Kansas can live with the full range of what comes with it. [Read more 🡒]