FRISCO, Texas - Trey Lathan didn’t hide how much it meant to be in the room at Big 12 Conference media days representing Kansas football.
For the redshirt senior linebacker, the trip to Frisco was more than a photo op. It was part of the reason he decided to come back to KU for another season, and he said Kansas has done a lot for him, so giving something back felt right.
That sense of appreciation framed a lot of what Lathan had to say in July, but the football side of it was just as telling. The Jayhawks’ linebacker group, he said, looks deeper this year, with more players able to handle multiple spots and more bodies available to step in without forcing the same guys to grind through as many snaps as they did last season.
Lathan knows what that workload can feel like. In 2025, he said the strain showed up late in games, including at Missouri, when he’d find himself on the ground and thinking about having to get back up again.
He still wants to be on the field, though. Redshirt junior Quincy Davis will check on him and ask whether he needs a break, and Lathan’s answer is usually no.
It’s his senior year, and he wants to play.
Davis, a transfer from New Mexico State, has already caught Lathan’s attention with his motor and execution, traits that stood out right away when the team first put on pads.
Lathan also pointed to a few other linebackers who could matter this season. Redshirt senior Bam Crouch, a transfer from Boston College, brings experience and a strong grasp of the defense. Redshirt senior Jibreel Al-Amin, who came over from Marshall, drew an even bigger description from Lathan: a freak of nature at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, with length and athleticism that don’t come around often at the position.
Individually, Lathan said he wants to play faster in 2026 after leading the team in tackles last season. He felt there were times a year ago when he was hesitant, and he wants that gone now.
He also wants Kansas to be more physical on defense under second-year defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald.
Practice has given the defense plenty to chew on, too, especially with Andy Kotelnicki back on staff as associate head coach. Lathan said the offense is showing looks that sometimes seem like they shouldn’t even be legal, along with all the motion that comes with them. Still, he believes that kind of work is sharpening the defense for game day.
The quarterback battle has added another layer. Lathan said redshirt junior Cole Ballard and redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall each bring something different.
Marshall, he said, moves like a gazelle and runs fast. Ballard is poised, can fool you with his eyes and makes good decisions with the ball.
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Kansas did not sit still while the offseason churned, bringing in 30 eligible transfers for next season, including 15 on defense. The Jayhawks also added four linebackers through the portal in Jibreel Al-Amin, Daveon Crouch, Jaron Willis and Quincy Davis, so the room looks deeper than it did a year ago. Even so, keeping a proven tackler in the fold helps settle a defense that has plenty to prove before the season arrives. [Read more 🡒]
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Lathan also made it clear that the defense is looking for help from newcomers, singling out transfer Quincy Davis as a promising piece in the mix. For a program trying to push its season past the usual finish line, those details matter, and Lathans message carried the tone of a player who expects Kansas to be playing meaningful football deeper into 2026. [Read more 🡒]
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