The Kansas Jayhawks football team was a trendy pick to win the Big 12 last year and fell well short of the mark.
Kansas ended up finishing 5-7 overall and 4-5 in the Big 12, good for 10th place. It was a far cry from where some prognosticators thought the Jayhawks would end up. It was the most talented Kansas team in years, and it was a relatively wide-open conference race. But the Jayhawks started the season 1-5 and that was that.
Now, Kansas enters its fifth season under coach Lance Leipold with muted expectations.
Lindy’s Sports recently published its preview for the Big 12, including the Jayhawks. Heartland College Sports will weigh in with our previews later this summer.
The magazine picked Kansas to finish eighth in the Big 12. Here are three thoughts on the preview.
REPLACING DEVIN NEAL
Remember this name — Leshon Williams. The senior will get first crack at replacing Devin Neal.
Williams is an Iowa transfer who saw his last season derailed by injuries. But, for the Hawkeyes in 2023, he rushed for 821 yards and a touchdown. He doesn’t have much of a history as a receiver, either. So, Lindy’s expects last year’s backup, Daniel Hishaw Jr., to be involved. Hishaw was productive in 2023, rushing for 626 yards and eight touchdowns.
Williams could take over and be dominant, or the pair could replicate what Neal did for the Jayhawks. But they likely won’t replicate Neal’s importance to the program. He left as Kansas’ all-time leading rusher with 4,343 yards. He also scored 49 touchdowns. Replacing him adequately will be key to having a bounce-back season.
DEEP UP FRONT ON DEFENSE
The Jayhawks are likely to lean into their defensive line to start the season. Lindy’s pointed out the unit’s experience — seven of the eight two-deep players are seniors and most are home-grown. There are just two transfers.
Plus, three of the projected starters were starters a year ago — tackles Tommy Dunn Jr. and D.J. Withers, along with end Dean Miller, the last of whom led the team with six sacks last season. The Jayhawks would like to see him juice that number up a bit this season.
The rest of the unit isn’t so lucky. Lindy’s lists no other returning starters, and Kansas is counting on a combination of transfers and internal options to improve an overall unit that was 92nd in total defense last season.
WINNING ON THE ROAD IS CRITICAL
Kansas hasn’t won a conference title in football since 1968, and its only Big 12 hardware was a co-Big 12 North Division title in 2007 (remember when the Big 12 had divisions?). That’s why the whiff last year was so hard for the program.
But, those Jayhawks weren’t THAT far away. Lindy’s pointed out that Kansas lost five of its seven games by six points or less. That included two of their first three conference games — 32-28 at West Virginia and 35-31 at Arizona State.
Only one of those five losses was at home (a 23-20 loss to UNLV). Technically, all of Kansas’ games were away from home as David Booth Memorial Stadium was being remodeled. But the Jayhawks lost three true road games in the Big 12 by a combined 10 points.
So, in an alternate universe, Kansas was 10 points away from a first-place tie in the Big 12 and, perhaps a Big 12 Championship game berth. The Jayhawks were a good team that couldn’t close the deal. That’s what they must get better at in 2025.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
