Oklahoma State and Kansas both enter the season with plenty to sort out, but the Jayhawks can point to one part of the roster where they already look ahead of the Cowboys: the secondary.
That could matter when these teams meet in the regular season finale on Nov. 28 in Stillwater. Oklahoma State is trying to climb out of a rough stretch after firing head coach Mike Gundy last season, going 1-11 in 2025 and 4-20 over the past two seasons.
The Cowboys also haven’t won a Big 12 game since the end of the 2023 season. Their hope is that by late November they’ve stacked a few league wins and, at the very least, locked up bowl eligibility in Eric Morris’ first year.
Kansas is also trying to bounce back after back-to-back five-win seasons and no bowl trips, but the Jayhawks are starting from a better place than Oklahoma State. The biggest question hanging over their season is at quarterback now that Jalon Daniels is gone from Lawrence.
The two rosters do have some clear similarities. Neither side brings back much on offense, and both are essentially starting over in different ways. Kansas is moving on from the Daniels era, while Oklahoma State is rebuilding almost from scratch, with potential starting offensive lineman Jakobe Sanders one of the few notable holdovers.
On defense, though, Kansas has a more established group in the back end. Oklahoma State does return cornerback LaDainian Fields, who has the talent to become an all-Big 12 player in his third season with the program. But the Jayhawks return three starters in the secondary, including both starting corners and one safety, and that gives them a real advantage on paper.
At cornerback, Kansas has Austin Alexander and Jalen Todd. Alexander started 11 games and finished with 46 total tackles, including 34 solo stops, along with 3.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery he took back for a touchdown.
He did not record an interception. Todd also started 11 games and posted 44 tackles, with 30 solo and 14 assisted, plus two tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups and one forced fumble.
Those numbers show a pair of productive corners, but neither player came away with an interception. That’s a point of emphasis for Lance Leipold, who wants more takeaways from that group this season.
Taylor Davis is the returning starter at safety. He started 11 games, intercepted one pass, and added 41 tackles, including 29 solo and 12 assisted, along with one pass breakup.
Kansas has also added transfers with proven production at both spots, and the depth behind the starters looks better too. Jahlil Hurley is back as a backup corner, while Syeed Gibbs could step into the starting nickel role. Leipold said at Big 12 media days that the options Kansas has give the Jayhawks more depth and more chances to create turnovers.
That gives Kansas a clear edge over Oklahoma State in one specific area, at least going into the season. Whether it shows up when the games start is another question, but on paper the Jayhawks’ secondary stands out as one of the more reliable pieces in this matchup.
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