Kansas didn’t just add a running back when Dylan Edwards arrived from Kansas State. The Jayhawks brought in a player who, when healthy, has already shown he can tilt a game with speed, burst and production.
That’s part of why the move stands out. 247Sports listed Edwards as a 3-star transfer and the portal’s 21st-ranked running back after he entered from Kansas State. Kansas’ 2025 portal class finished 53rd nationally and 13th in the Big 12, but Edwards’ ranking almost certainly would have looked different without the 2025 season that limited him to just four games.
Even with that shortened year, the numbers still tell the story of a player who has flashed big-time ability. Edwards ran for 205 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries before leaving the team in November.
His best stretch came in 2024, when he posted 546 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 74 carries for a 7.4-yard average as Kansas State went 9-4. He also added two receiving touchdowns and 133 receiving yards.
Against Kansas that season, Edwards piled up 208 all-purpose yards in a 29-27 Kansas State win.
Tre Lathan got a firsthand look at that kind of impact. The Kansas linebacker said at Big 12 Media Days earlier this month that Edwards is exactly the sort of player a team wants around.
“Having him is good. He's a quiet guy, but he loves football. That's the type of guy that you need out there, and in the college football landscape, who just love football and don't worry about anything else, just nothing but ball.”
Lathan and Edwards matched up during the 2024 season, when Edwards was still behind DJ Giddens on the depth chart. Even in that role, Edwards produced 45 yards from scrimmage and 34 more in the return game during Kansas State’s 45-18 win. Lathan finished that game with seven tackles.
Edwards also drew attention in the spring when he met with the media and was asked about making the jump between rivals. More than anything else, he came across as eager to get back on the field after an ankle injury kept him from getting fully right last season.
He now joins a rebuilt Kansas backfield that includes Syracuse transfer Yasin Willis. The Jayhawks are hoping the pairing gives defenses two very different problems: Edwards bringing the speed and twitch to stress the edges, and Willis supplying the bruising style that can grind opponents down over four quarters.
Kansas finished last season 5-7 and averaged 157.8 rushing yards per game, which ranked 60th nationally.
In Other News...
Trey Lathan Just Framed Kansas Biggest 2026 Defensive Debate
At Big 12 Conference media days, Trey Lathan offered a useful glimpse into where Kansas thinks its defense can make a real jump in 2026. The redshirt senior linebacker pointed to a deeper room at his position, naming Bam Crouch and Jibreel Al-Amin as key pieces, and framed that added competition as part of what should help the Jayhawks settle in before the season even starts.
Lathan also made clear the work is not happening in a vacuum, because Kansas faces a demanding offense every day in practice. The quarterback competition between Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall has already given the defense plenty to sort through, and Lathans own goals for next year suggest he wants to turn that daily pressure into a faster, more confident version of himself when the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Still Has Two Huge Position Battles Fans Need To Watch
Tre White is giving Miami something to think about in Summer League, and Kansas fans have reason to keep an eye on it even if the bigger conversation back home is about football. The former Jayhawk has been productive with the Heat, putting up 16 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while knocking down 38.1% of his threes, a reminder that his game is still translating well as he tries to carve out a pro path.
Whites next step is tied to an Exhibit 10 deal with Miami, the kind of contract that can lead to a little extra security if a player spends time with the teams G League affiliate. For Kansas, it is another small but relevant offseason note in a summer already defined by roster questions, from the quarterback race to the line play that will shape how far this team can go. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Veteran Sends Clear Message About Finishing Games In 2026
At Big 12 Media Days, Trey Lathan made it clear Kansas is not treating last seasons late-game issues as a mystery to solve later. The veteran linebacker said the Jayhawks are putting a premium on the basics, with tackling and gap discipline at the center of the defensive conversation as they try to clean up the mistakes that cost them games a year ago.
Lathan also pointed to Quincy Davis as one of the newcomers who could help raise the floor on that side of the ball, a sign Kansas believes the roster has the pieces to take a real step forward. For Lathan, the goal is bigger than simply getting through another regular season, and his message was aimed at making sure the Jayhawks are still playing when the calendar turns past the usual finish line. [Read more 🡒]