Three former Kansas players are staying in the NFL picture, even if they didn’t make the initial 53-man cut.
On Monday, defensive tackle Tommy Dunn Jr., cornerback Cobee Bryant and wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. all landed on practice squads, with Dunn joining the Dallas Cowboys, Bryant sticking with the Atlanta Falcons and Henderson landing with the Seattle Seahawks.
Dunn’s move came one day after Dallas waived him. He wrapped up the preseason with seven tackles and now gets a shot to remain in the Cowboys’ plans.
Dallas carries only two defensive tackles on its active roster, and Quinnen Williams and Jonathan Bullard were the players to make it ahead of him. Dunn, who played at Kansas from 2022 to 2025, appeared in 48 games for the Jayhawks and finished with 64 tackles, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick.
With the practice squad spot, Dunn still has a path back to the active roster. The Cowboys open the season Sunday, Sept. 13, on the road against NFC East rival New York Giants.
Bryant also stayed put after being released by Atlanta on Sunday. Instead of leaving the Falcons organization, he remains in the mix for a possible elevation to the active roster, something he already experienced as a rookie.
Atlanta’s secondary is crowded heading into 2026, with A.J. Terrell Jr., Mike Hughes, Billy Bowman Jr., Avieon Terrell, C.J.
Henderson, Malcolm DeWalt IV and Mike Ford Jr. all making the 53-man roster. The Falcons begin their season Sunday, Sept. 13, on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Henderson’s path to the Seahawks’ practice squad followed a similar route. Seattle waived him Sunday, but he was on the team’s initial practice squad list.
Henderson transferred to Kansas from Alabama in 2025 and made the most of his lone season in Lawrence, playing in 12 games and posting 45 catches for 766 yards and five touchdowns. He also earned first-team All-Big 12 honors as a kick returner.
That production helped make him a sixth-round pick, No. 199 overall, by Seattle in the 2026 NFL Draft. In three preseason games, he added four receptions for 65 yards. Like Dunn and Bryant, he now has a chance to see the field this season after making the practice squad.
Seattle opens its season Wednesday, Sept. 9, with a Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots.
In Other News...
Bill Self Is Building Something Kansas Fans Need To Watch
Kansas has stayed busy on the recruiting trail, and Bill Selfs staff is making sure the next wave of talent keeps flowing through Lawrence. The Jayhawks have already hosted several other top prospects recently, and now they have lined up another important stop with four-star forward Zion Green, a highly regarded Class of 2027 player from Compass Prep in Arizona.
Green is scheduled to be on campus from Sept. 18-20, a visit that gives Kansas another chance to sell its pitch in person to one of the more sought-after young forwards in the country. The Jayhawks will not be alone in that chase, either, with Oklahoma and Alabama also in the mix, which adds another layer to a recruiting battle Kansas will want to keep pushing forward. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Is Pushing For An Early Edge In A Big 12 Battle
Kansas is set to get an early look at one of the more closely watched guards in the 2027 class when Parker McDaniel comes to Lawrence for an official visit during the Sept. 11-12 weekend. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard from South Central Prep in Oklahoma already has a growing list of Division I options, including Kansas, Oklahoma State and West Virginia, and his profile has started to rise with evaluators as he works his way through the early stages of the recruiting cycle.
For the Jayhawks, the visit is another chance to get in front of a player who already carries national attention and fits the kind of perimeter target they tend to monitor closely. McDaniel is ranked No. 96 overall and No. 15 among shooting guards in the 2027 class by 247Sports, and Kansas will not be alone in trying to make an impression as the Big 12 programs circle. [Read more 🡒]
Former Kansas Quarterback Just Landed A Real NFL Opportunity
Six former Kansas football players have landed on NFL rosters for the 2026 season, a decent showing for a program that has spent recent years trying to turn more of its rebuild into pro-level depth. Five of those Jayhawks are linemen spread across different teams, while Jalon Daniels gives the group a more visible headliner after going undrafted and still carving out a path to the league.
Daniels now has a real opening to stick on Sundays, and his next step matters for Kansas fans who watched him carry the offense and wondered how far his game could travel. Devin Neals path is less straightforward after he was moved to the New Orleans Saints season-ending injured reserve list, leaving the Jayhawks pro contingent with one more reason to watch Tampa Bay closely as the year unfolds. [Read more 🡒]