2025 College Football Big 12 Team Previews: Kansas Jayhawks

Team: Kansas
Mascot: Jayhawks
Student Population: 29,792
Established: 1865
Motto: “I will see this great vision in which the bush does not burn.”
Location: Lawrence, Kansas
Head Coach: Lance Leipold
Offensive Coordinator: Jim Zebrowski
Defensive Coordinator: D.K. McDonald
2024 Record: 5-7

Rankings

SP+: 50
FPI: 30
Kelly Ford: 43

Power Rankings

CBS Sports: 8

Jalon Daniels is back, and this time he has a full offseason to focus on nothing but development. The 2023 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year threw eight interceptions in his first five games before getting back on track and beating three straight opponents ranked in the top 17. The Jayhawks head into 2025 without running back Devin Neal, star DBs Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson, and with a new complement of receivers, but the talent level on the roster should be going up. (+1200)

SB Nation: 14

Another team ravaged by attrition is the Kansas Jayhawks. The downside of the star-studded senior class that brought the Jayhawks back is that they have to leave eventually, and a LOT of production left out the door. For these teams at the bottom, attrition has gotten the best of them, but the reason why Kansas is above these other two is because of QB Jalon Daniels. It wasn’t the best season for then Jayhawks’ signal caller, but he has experience and has been good when healthy. They portaled in a bunch of receivers who come from the FCS level. Former Columbia wideout Bryson Canty could be a big winner for them; he caught nine touchdowns at Columbia last season.

There’s a lot lost from this Kansas team, but Leipold and Daniels being back gives them one area where there’s continuity. How the rest of the roster shakes out is going to be a big question.

24/7 Sports: 9

Kansas should rebound under Lance Leipold in 2025 after it was arguably the best team in the country to miss a bowl game last season. Quarterback Jalon Daniels is back for a fifth and final season, providing a foundation for the offense, now led by Jim Zebrowski and Matt Lubick. Some unfamiliarity at the skill positions is a little bit of a cause for concern, especially given the up-and-down nature of performances from Daniels over the years.

Transfer Class Rankings

24/7 Sports: National Rank 39 | Big 12 Rank 7 (27 players)
Rivals: National Rank 22 | Big 12 Rank 7 (26 players)

Miscellaneous

Bovada Win Totals: 7.5

Athlon Big 12 Predictions: 7

Lance Leipold’s Jayhawks entered 2024 with expectations of contending for a Big 12 title. However, those hopes were dashed early on. Quarterback Jalon Daniels was rusty in a return from a season-ending injury suffered in ‘23 and Kansas started slow as a result last year. However, the Jayhawks found their stride late in the season by winning four out of their last six matchups, including victories against Iowa State, Colorado, and BYU.

With another offseason to get back on track, Daniels should return to a spot among the top quarterbacks in the Big 12. The senior will be working with a new play-caller, as Jim Zebrowski and Matt Lubick will handle the coordinator role following Jeff Grimes’ departure to Wisconsin. Devin Neal will be missed, but Daniel Hishaw and Iowa transfer Leshon Williams still form a standout backfield. The line is in transition with three new starters, and the receiving corps was decimated by departures. Look for Alabama transfer Emmanuel Henderson to emerge as one of Daniels’ top targets.

The defense is also in transition for Leipold. Long-time Leipold lieutenant Brian Borland retired at the end of ‘24, with D.K. McDonald promoted into the play-caller role. Just three starters are back for McDonald, but similar to the offense, Leipold landed help from the portal. Linebackers Bangally Kamara (South Carolina) and Joseph Sipp (Bowling Green), end Justice Finkley (Texas), and defensive backs DJ Graham (Utah State) and Lyrik Rawls (Oklahoma State) are slated for big roles. Seniors Dean Miller, D.J. Withers, and Tommy Dunn provide a solid foundation up front.