Lance Leipold is entering his sixth season in charge of Kansas, and the 2026 schedule already has two games drawing national attention. CBS Sports included the Jayhawks twice in Austin Nivision’s “Ranking each week of 2026 college football schedule by watchability,” with both appearances landing in Tier 3.
That ranking system breaks the season into three buckets. Tier 1 covers “Matchups consisting of elite vs. elite.
You will schedule your entire day around these games.” Tier 2 is reserved for “Games featuring College Football Playoff contenders, rivalry games with national appeal and impactful conference matchups,” while Tier 3 includes “regional rivalry games, sneaky fun conference games and really any undercard matchup with the potential to get sideways.”
For Kansas, the recognition comes with a little context. Leipold has helped stabilize a program that has reached two bowl games and sits at 27-35 overall under him, but the Jayhawks are still coming off back-to-back 5-7 seasons. Those near misses have left little room for a schedule packed with marquee national games, which makes the two rivalry spots stand out.
The first is a Week 2 matchup with No. 25 Missouri.
That game was also a Tier 3 selection, and it brings back a series that produced one of college football’s most underrated games last season. Kansas lost 42-31 in the teams’ first meeting since 2011.
It was a back-and-forth fight for much of the night, but Missouri’s defense took control late and finished off the final seven points.
Next season’s meeting will be in David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, giving Leipold’s team a chance at what could be a landmark win.
The other Kansas game on the list comes in Week 7 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium against Kansas State. That will be Kansas’ first game against Collin Klein. Nivision also listed that matchup as Tier 3, though the week itself was ranked as the second-best on the 2026 slate, which makes Kansas’ inclusion there notable on its own.
In Other News...
Lance Leipold's Latest Camp Update Raises A Real KU Lineup Question
Fall camp has brought the usual mix of progress and interruption for Kansas, and Lance Leipolds latest update made clear that the Jayhawks are still sorting through the effects of injuries and illnesses as they try to build continuity. The coach pointed to offensive linemen Kasen Carpenter and Tavake Tuikolovatu as examples of players who have missed time, leaving certain groups short on the kind of repeated reps that matter most this time of year. At the same time, Leipold said several defensive players have taken steps forward, and a few unexpected names have started to push their way into the conversation.
For Kansas, the bigger issue is less about who has looked good in flashes and more about who can hold up once the season opener arrives. Leipold stressed the importance of consistency and physicality, two things that are harder to find when practice rotations keep changing. The camp has already produced some surprise risers, but it has also left at least one real lineup question hanging as the Jayhawks work toward a clearer picture of what they can trust early on. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Camp Winners Are Starting To Clarify Leipolds 2026 Depth Chart
With more than 50 newcomers on the roster, Kansas has spent training camp sorting through a lineup that looks far different from the one Lance Leipold will eventually lean on in 2026. That kind of turnover always creates opportunity, and early practices have started to show which players are beginning to separate themselves from the pack as the Jayhawks try to build some order before the depth chart hardens.
A true freshman defensive back has already made an early impression, while the tight end room appears to be taking shape behind the starter with one player pushing into a more meaningful role. Kansas also looks set to lean into multi-tight end formations, which should give those developments extra weight once the games start counting and make the emerging pieces even more important to Leipolds plans. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas May Have Found A New Difference Maker In The Secondary
Kansas is taking another look at its secondary with Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman in the mix, a transfer safety whose 2023 season at Iowa State was cut short early by injury. The move gives D.K. McDonald another versatile piece to evaluate as the Jayhawks continue sorting out their defensive backfield, and it is not hard to see why the staff is interested. McDonald has already pointed to Cummings-Colemans athleticism as a trait that could translate quickly.
The real question now is where he fits. Cummings-Coleman is expected to compete for the nickelback job, a spot that can ask a defender to cover receivers, handle run support and react fast in space. For Kansas, that makes him more than just another body in camp. If he settles in the way the staff hopes, he could become one of the more intriguing new options in a secondary looking for impact. [Read more 🡒]