Kansas is losing redshirt freshman running back Harry Stewart to the transfer portal. Stewart didn’t see a ton of action this year, but when he did get touches, he made them count. He finished the season with 21 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown. That’s good for 4.7 yards per carry, which isn’t bad at all considering the limited reps.
He was stuck behind a few dudes in Lawrence, which isn’t exactly a knock. Daniel Hishaw and Leshon Williams were studs and took up most of the carries. Stewart was basically the third or fourth option all year, and in a backfield that’s been as healthy and consistent as Kansas has had in a long time, there just wasn’t much room for him to break through.
The move makes sense. Stewart’s still got time, and he’s not coming off a wasted year. He got a little tape, stayed healthy, and now he gets to test the market with no expectations. It’s not a dramatic exit, just one of those decisions that feels pretty standard with how things work now.
Running back depth usually doesn’t get tested until it suddenly does, and now Kansas is down one body heading into the offseason. They’ve recruited the position well, and as long as they can pick up the pieces, there’s not much panic. But losing a guy like Stewart does thin things out a little more than you’d like.
This is how it goes. Stewart took his redshirt year in ’24, got a little work in 2025, and now he’s on the move. He’s not the first portal entry of the offseason, and he won’t be the last. Wherever he ends up, he’ll have a shot to play more than he would’ve in Lawrence.
