Kansas football didn’t walk away with a win against Missouri, but Leroy Harris III still managed to leave the kind of imprint that gets noticed fast. The defensive end was everywhere, disrupting plays in the backfield and stacking up some of the night’s biggest moments for the Jayhawks.
The Chattanooga transfer has already made a strong first impression in Lawrence. He led Kansas with 4.5 sacks last season, and the first two games of 2026 suggest he’s taken another leap. Against Missouri, Harris finished with four total tackles, two pass deflections, and a blocked field goal that Austin Alexander turned into an 88-yard touchdown return.
He was also a force in Kansas’ opener against Long Island, where he posted a career-high four tackles for loss. Even with future NFL offensive tackle Cayden Green across from him, Harris kept making his presence felt in the trenches on Friday night.
At 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, Harris has added 40 pounds since arriving at KU, and the extra bulk looks like muscle. That blend of size and athleticism is the kind of profile NFL scouts tend to circle early, and Harris is already drawing comparisons to former Jayhawk Austin Booker, who transferred to Kansas after his freshman year and quickly turned into a star.
There’s a case to be made that Harris offers even more. He isn’t just hunting the quarterback.
He can hold up against the run, clog lanes, and still bring pressure when the moment calls for it. Booker’s impact at KU was more concentrated on the pass rush, while Harris looks like a true every-down lineman.
Even in a loss, that kind of performance against SEC and Big 12-level competition won’t stay quiet for long. Harris’ name figures to start showing up in mock drafts before too long. For Kansas, that’s the tradeoff: it would be a sign the program has developed another standout, but it could also mean he’s gone sooner than expected, whether by transfer or an early jump to the NFL.
Still, it’s a strong reminder that Kansas can develop players and find difference-makers through the transfer portal.
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Kansas Let This Rivalry Game Slip Away For One Frustrating Reason
Kansas had the kind of first half that suggested the Border War might come down to a few key swings, with the teams tied 14-14 at the break before Missouri pulled away in the second half. The Jayhawks kept themselves in range early, but the game started tilting once Missouri began piling up yardage and Kansas could not match it for long stretches.
The bigger issue was the turnover battle, where Kansas gave it away three times and could not recover from the extra empty possessions. Isaiah Marshall had a rough afternoon as the offense stalled around him, and Kansas was outgained 469 yards to 255 in a loss that felt like it got away from them after halftime. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Suddenly Has A Quarterback Problem It Cant Ignore
Isaiah Marshall got his first start against an FBS opponent and the spotlight came with plenty of growing pains. With Cole Ballard forced out early after what looked like a shoulder injury, Marshall had to carry the offense the rest of the way, and the numbers told the story of a quarterback still trying to find his footing. He completed passes for 168 yards and found the end zone twice, but the overall performance was uneven enough to leave the sense that Kansas is still searching for stability behind center.
The bigger concern is less about arm talent than about the parts of the position that tend to decide close games. Marshall showed some mobility and a knack for improvising when plays broke down, but his decision-making and poise drew real questions from both the coaching staff and fans. Kansas can live with mistakes from a young quarterback while he develops, but it is getting harder to ignore the uncertainty that has crept into the room. [Read more 🡒]
Drinkwitz Just Turned Kansas Into A Bigger Rivalry Flashpoint
The Border Showdown already had enough edge to matter, but the latest meeting between Kansas and Missouri pushed the series back into the national conversation. Kansas helped set the tone with a pregame hype video, and the response from Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz made clear this was never going to feel like an ordinary nonconference game. Even with the on-field result in the rearview, the rivalry has kept its bite because both sides understand how quickly the emotion can spill beyond the lines.
Lance Leipold handled the fallout in a far calmer register, saying Missouri had every right to keep scoring and that Kansass job was simply to stop it. Drinkwitz, meanwhile, did little to suggest he wants the series to become a bigger annual event, especially with the teams not scheduled to meet again until 2031. For Kansas, the deeper issue is not just the outcome of one game but the way a long-dormant rivalry can suddenly feel bigger, sharper and harder to leave alone. [Read more 🡒]