2026 Missouri Football Opponent DEEP DIVE: kansas Jayhawks

Welcome backmost to Rock M Nation’s yearly force preview bid of nan upcoming season. Each week we will break down 1 force from nan schedule successful chronological order. Given that rosters are ever fluid - and this is done by a hobbyist alternatively than a pro - location could beryllium immoderate errors successful history and existent roster makeup. All mistakes are done connected intent and pinch sick intent because Nate Edwards doesn’t for illustration you aliases your team.

As a Millennial who grew up successful Columbia, Missouri during nan Big 8/Big 12 days, kansas will ever beryllium nan #1 rival to me, sloppy of convention affiliation. And arsenic overmuch arsenic a dislike nan stupid birds and their stupid colors, watching kansas tally retired of nan passageway successful their violent reddish pants and seeing nan animosity that nan Mizzou students sang Mr. Brightside and nan absolute buzzing power for kickoff successful week 2 of nan 2025 assemblage shot season…it made maine truthful very happy.

College shot has changed a ton since I (or astir apt you!) was a kid and there’s been a batch of things that person been mislaid astatine nan costs of plentifulness of things that sewage better. But losing nan Border War was terrible, and nan insistence of nan shittiest shot squad successful nan Midwest to not play their biggest location rival was an added reproach to manage. Especially since plentifulness of kansas fans didn’t want to extremity playing, and nan further truth that nan management didn’t see restarting nan rivalry until they really sewage backmost to a respectable level of football.

Losers. All of them.

But if nan Jayhawks yet exiting nan wilderness pinch a competent coach was nan only measurement this crippled came back, past that’s a waste and acquisition I’ll make 10 times retired of ten.

Especially since Missouri hit them past year.

Even arsenic Missouri fans, you can’t contradict nan effect that Leipold has had connected nan trajectory of nan kansas shot program. No, it’s not nan lofty highs that Mark Mangino lifted them to successful 2007 but Leipold inherited 1 of nan worst P4 programs successful nan world - 1 without a winning play successful 12 years - and instantly improved nan product. After going winless successful nan past Les Miles play of 2020, Leipold won 2 games successful ‘21 (despite flimsy regression successful SP+ rankings), past 6 games successful ‘22, and 9 games successful ‘23, each paired pinch a monolithic leap successful SP+.

The magnitude of activity and effort to get kansas to nan level of “slightly amended than nan mean assemblage shot team” has to beryllium respected, moreover though we cognize that this Sisyphus-ian task will spot that boulder rotation correct backmost down nan hill.

Here’s what kansas did past year:

The ‘24 5-7 run tin perfectly beryllium explained away: Jalon Daniels was hampered by wounded (again) and nan defense struggled to accommodate to caller coordinator D.K. McDonald’s strategy and tendencies. But, hey! Daniels returned for a prize twelvemonth and, moreover pinch immoderate protect attrition, nan schedule laid retired nicely for a bully bounce backmost twelvemonth and a redeeming adjacent to Daniels’ collegiate profession arc!

And past they played nan games.

Every erstwhile successful a while you get a schedule afloat of results that are very clear trim connected nan facet that wished nan winner. kansas’ 2025 schedule is simply a awesome illustration of this!

kansas classed 59th successful nan end-of-year SP+ rankings. Their grounds shook retired thusly:

Now, that does see a one-score nonaccomplishment against Cincinnati wherever nan Jayhawks played astatine a post-game triumph expectancy of 74%, which SP+ would position arsenic a triumph connected paper. However, you’re not paying a shot coach $7 cardinal per twelvemonth to say, “well ACTUALLY we played astatine a level wherever we really went 6.5-5.5” erstwhile you conscionable rattled disconnected your 2nd consecutive 5-7 play while losing to your astir hated rival successful shot for nan first clip successful 14 years.

The truth of nan matter is that kansas regressed connected discourtesy and defense, went 1-2 successful one-score games, and fell 9 spots successful SP+ to replicate different 5-7 play pinch nary postseason to speak of.

“kansas shot coach” doesn’t travel pinch a ton of expectations but, erstwhile you raise nan bar, astir group would for illustration to spot that barroom beryllium deed again. Two consecutive years of falling good beneath a 9-win play astir apt isn’t sitting good pinch nan determination makers successful Lawrence.

Coach Leipold is simply a occurrence worker, 1 who tin return overlooked programs and build them to viable contenders done scheme, culture, and improvement of overlooked players. He created a dynasty astatine Wisconsin-Whitewater, turned Buffalo into a morganatic convention contender, and had kansas connected a three-year rocket vessel to 9 wins and Heisman talk.

But immoderate programs request much than a miracle.

Even pinch violative huffy intelligence Andy Kotelnicki astatine nan helm and nan squirrely Jalon Daniels astatine quarterback, nan discourtesy declined successful ‘23 and ‘24, and D.K. McDonald grounded to replicate nan protect occurrence that Brian Borland found, and truthful nan Jayhawks fell from nan perch of a 9-win 2023 play to consecutive 5-7 seasons.

Staff churn is portion of nan crippled successful immoderate manufacture you work, but particularly successful assemblage football. Leipold mislaid OC Kotelnicki to Penn State and Jim Zebrowski couldn’t replicate nan success. DC Brian Borland retired and D.K. McDonald couldn’t replicate nan success. It happens. But caput coaches request to beryllium fresh to (and beryllium bully at) switch their assistants and Leipold hasn’t recovered nan correct feline yet. Having Kotelnicki return arsenic an ambiguous “associate caput coach” intends that his decades-long acquisition moving pinch Leipold successful an violative capacity will return, and Kotelnicki could perchance beryllium Leopold’s replacement if things don’t spell well. Still, ‘26 is simply a “prove it” twelvemonth for Leipold and, because I for illustration nan feline arsenic a coach, I dream he does well. But, because he’s nan shot coach for kansas, I dream they suffer each their games by 50 and he’s sent packing.

Kotelnicki is back, which would seemingly mean Jim Zebrowski ceases to beryllium nan sole coordinator for offense, but I haven’t seen thing that would item nan nonstop activity load guidance those 2 will balance. The remainder of nan unit stays intact, arsenic does nan defense staff. For their sakes let’s dream immoderate unit continuity leads to immoderate improvement.

kansas trim a batch of fat successful their portal losses. Depending connected really you position North Dakota State, kansas mislaid either 3 aliases 4 guys to adjacent programs, while each different portal nonaccomplishment went down to nan G5, FCS, aliases has yet to beryllium picked up by a program. On nan 1 hand, that’s good, it shows nan programme is identifying guys that aren’t going to trim it astatine this level and now they tin spell play location that’s amended situated for their accomplishment set. On nan different hand, that intends you had 25 guys connected past year’s roster that nan powerfulness marketplace has nary liking successful and a 5th of them aren’t moreover connected a squad anymore. Is that nan logic they haven’t had a winning play successful 2 years? Maybe.

But pinch astatine slightest 25 slots opened, what did they switch those guys with?

The answer: projects. MORE PROJECTS. kansas imported a ton of players that were dwindling connected nan chair of amended programs, and radiated successful apical performers from lower-level/under-achieving programs. Running backs Jalen Dupree, Dylan Edwards, and Yasin Willis? All fantabulous producers connected bad teams. Nik McMillan and Nahzae Cox are large play receivers from nan G5. Nick Morrow and Connor Stroh are really bully linemen who were stuck down personification other astatine powerfulness programs. And each nan defenders they brought successful flashed concisely but needed a spot to start. Projects and imaginable was nan bid of nan time for this portal haul, and contempt ranking 52nd successful nan federation and 12th successful nan XII, these 31 additions look for illustration nan nonstop benignant of subordinate that Leipold likes and has shown an expertise to utilize quickly to make an impact.

Also, erstwhile Missouri violative tackle Brandon Solis is connected this roster. Boo, sir. Boo.

The precocious schoolhouse recruiting people mirrored nan portal class, arsenic it classed 60th successful nan federation and 12th successful nan XII but features a lone blue-chipper and a bunch of 3-star projects. Quarterback Jaylen Mason is absorbing because 1.) kansas recruited another quarterback pinch immoderate type of “Jalon” arsenic a name, and 2.) his precocious schoolhouse portion is super intriguing. Platte City’s Jack Utz is different sanction to retrieve arsenic nan tight extremity had offers from almost each schoolhouse successful nan Midwest, arsenic good arsenic nan aforementioned blue-chip violative tackle Kaden Snyder. Coach Liepold will beryllium nan first to show you “stars don’t matter” and has nan way grounds to backmost it up, truthful I’m not ace concerned astir immoderate of nan rankings of his talent acquisition.

It would beryllium bully to not rank 12th successful some classes, though.

From past year’s preview:

Did it activity successful ‘25? Eh, kinda.

Even while featuring a seemingly patient Jalon Daniels, kansas’ discourtesy regressed to 48th successful nan nation; yes, that’s worse than nan twelvemonth wherever he was injured and backups would capable in.

But don’t pin this 100% connected Daniels. First-year coordinator Jim Zebrowski struggled to strategy up easy throws and nan violative statement was much porous than usual. Running backs Daniel Hishaw and Leshon Williams struggled to make yards aft contact, and again, they were getting deed a batch sooner than they were utilized to. Daniels coiled up being nan astir effective runner, helping kansas rank 8th successful Rushing SP+ (Missouri classed 30th FYI) and 10th successful Standard Downs Success Rate.

kansas was deadly erstwhile it was connected schedule but 1.) struggled to enactment connected schedule, and 2.) struggled to get backmost connected schedule.

Explosiveness was an rumor (as it usually is for Leipold offenses) and ranking 71st successful wide explosiveness and 88th successful Yards Per Successful Play are nan cardinal indicators of that issue. Efficiency is ever amended than explosiveness but you request to beryllium explosive astatine immoderate constituent successful a game/season and kansas wasn’t equipped to do that reliably.

The question, then, is if Andy Kotelnicki tin reignite nan explosive spark that they managed to harness successful nan early years of nan Leipold tenure, and if nan caller pieces tin deed that desired blend of ratio and explosiveness that’s needed. On insubstantial it looks good…but that was existent for past twelvemonth arsenic well.

Chase Jenkins mightiness arsenic good person been constructed successful a mill that only produces “Quarterbacks that Lance Leipold Likes”. He’s short, lean, ace squirrely, and conscionable sewage retired of moving nan super-funky veer-inspired discourtesy that Rice coach Scott Abell imported from his successful tally astatine Davidson. I person nary thought really nan verbiage and sounds disagree betwixt nan 2 offenses but Jenkins has nan nonstop accomplishment group that Kotelnicki and Leipold want, and he’s sewage a afloat year’s acquisition of being QB1.

Yasin Willis, Jalen Dupree, and state-of-Kansas-traitor Dylan Edwards will beryllium looked to supplement a crushed crippled that became overly reliant connected nan backmost past year. All 3 showed an elite expertise to summation yards aft interaction - thing that was sorely missing past twelvemonth - which should beryllium a bully parameter of a imaginable upgrade. Quarterback Chase Jenkins is besides an astute runner, and should beryllium capable to supply a level of rushing competence that will support nan spot of past year’s unit.

Last year’s passing onslaught was sorely missing a big-time threat done nan air, truthful Leipold and friends went retired and brought successful 2 of those. Nik McMillan was 19 yards short of 1,000 astatine Buffalo past year, and his 61% drawback complaint paired pinch 9.7 yards per target is an enticing target for immoderate discourtesy to add. Nahzae Cox is simply a poorer type of McMillan but had to woody pinch a batch much attraction from opposing defenses. There isn’t a ton of different proven options astatine this point, truthful unless Cam Pickett aliases a freshman wants to make nan leap, those 2 will beryllium nan cardinal targets for nan overhauled passing game. How Albamy transportation tight extremity Carter Moses fits into nan progression will besides beryllium important: he wasn’t nan astir reliable receiver but he was a yards-after-catch panic erstwhile he did get his hands connected nan ball.

The statement wasn’t arsenic beardown arsenic it was successful erstwhile years and now they only return 2 starters? Is that bully because nan portion was lackluster past year, aliases bad because losing starters is ne'er a bully thing? The Jayhawks portalled successful 2 guys pinch power-level starting acquisition arsenic good arsenic 3 different power-level chair warmers to thief capable retired nan depth. The TL:DR…lots of options, not a batch of experience.

Coach Leipold usually has his offenses discussed nan most, fixed his inheritance and unsocial attack to that broadside of nan ball. But whether it’s astatine kansas aliases Buffalo, nan defense has been nan main parameter of “is this a awesome Leiplod team?” and it’s nan past point that clicks into place. His Jayhawk defenses person ne'er been elite but erstwhile kansas was winning 6 and 9 games, they were astatine slightest respectable and ranking successful nan debased 60s.

That hasn’t been nan lawsuit for nan past 2 years and it’s been a large logic why nan Jayhawks person seen their triumph totals diminish. Last year’s defense vanished nan twelvemonth astatine 76th pinch nan 60th-ranked rushing defense and 53rd-ranked passing defense. Their biggest issues: nan passing defense allowed measurement excessively galore large plays and opponents averaged astir 5 points per scoring opportunity, which was 123rd successful nan country. And while nan tally defense was ok, opposing moving backs averaged 1.89 yards earlier getting deed (115th) and past an other 2.89 yards aft getting deed (84th). And while kansas’ discourtesy was stellar successful modular downs and anemic successful passing downs, nan kansas defense allowed offenses a 47% occurrence complaint connected modular downs (70th) and classed 96th successful stopping passing downs.

Pair that pinch lackluster turnover luck and you spot a protect portion that didn’t person immoderate strengths to thin connected and a blueprint to efficaciously move nan shot connected them. Being nan 103-ranked successful tackling squad didn’t make things immoderate better.

So what are they doing astir this? The full protect unit returns, truthful nary changes there. The coordinator stays nan same, truthful nary changes there. They mislaid 2 of their Top 3 interior protect lineman and 2 of their apical walk rushers, but do return their champion linebacker and 3/5ths of their starting secondary. This could beryllium a business wherever nan strengths flip, and an knowledgeable secondary is capable to statement up nan holes while nan statement has to fig retired really to activity better. Which is astir apt why they portalled successful 5 d-linemen while adding immoderate highly productive G5 defenders successful linebacker Jibreel Al-Amin from Marshall and area Roman Pearson from Ball State. All different additions were sparsely utilized pieces; what you glean from that is up to you, but kansas returns a decent magnitude of protect accumulation truthful it mightiness conscionable beryllium nan lawsuit that they’re happy pinch what they had and selectively filled nan anemic spots.

2026 mightiness beryllium nan past Lance Leipold twelvemonth astatine kansas if he can’t get vessel eligible which would beryllium a sad ending for 1 of my favourite assemblage shot coaches (when he’s not moving wherever he presently works). Outside of FCS Long Island and Middle Tennessee nan schedule is not very forgiving; nan XII’s spot and weakness is that each of its programs are jammed correct successful nan aforesaid “pretty good/pretty bad depending connected nan year” territory, and a fewer weird bounces present and location tin beryllium nan quality betwixt convention champion and firing your coach. New pieces crossed nan full discourtesy indicates a imaginable unsmooth violative start, while nan defense could make a leap if their portal additions really supply nan expected value. This is simply a squad that screams “6-6” to maine but that’s highly limited connected nan caliber of nan remainder of nan conference.

For Missouri, this will beryllium nan first shot travel to Lawrence since 2005 erstwhile they ignominiously mislaid 13-3. Missouri will beryllium breaking successful a ton of caller pieces connected some sides of nan ball, and nan Drinkwitz unit doesn’t person nan astir sterling roadworthy record.

However, Eli loves trophies, and this crippled has one. He seems to understand really important this crippled is and has done very good successful rivalry games. Given nan stakes and nan roster I’ll thin towards Missouri getting their first triumph successful nan bad spot since nan George W. Bush administration.

We won’t entertain nan thought of a loss. Just make judge it doesn’t happen.