For Kansas, the message heading into 2026 is simple: finish the job.
After a 5-7 season that featured too many close losses and no bowl trip for the second straight year, linebacker Trey Lathan said the Jayhawks’ next step is turning those near-misses into wins. Speaking at Big 12 Media Days, Lathan made it clear that closing out games is the priority.
"We left a lot of games on the table because we weren't able to finish," Lathan said. "We're just going to go into every game looking to finish games and hopefully make it further than 13 games. So that's the goal."
Lathan should be a central part of that push. He led Kansas with 86 tackles last season and enters his final year as one of the team’s most seasoned defensive voices. For him, the fix starts with the basics on that side of the ball.
"Just tackling and staying in our gaps," Lathan said of the defense's offseason emphasis. "We did a lot of that last year, and it cost us some games. So we're just hammering tackling and staying in our gaps, everybody playing their one-eleventh."
Kansas is also counting on new faces to help change the tone, and Lathan singled out New Mexico State transfer Quincy Davis as someone who has already stood out.
"He's a hard worker," Lathan said. "He has a relentless motor that I think is really going to help us in the long run."
With a roster that includes plenty of newcomers, Lathan’s role becomes even more important. The Jayhawks know what went wrong in 2025. Now they’re trying to make sure the same script doesn’t repeat itself in 2026.
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