2026 Kansas Jayhawks football team
American college football season
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The 2026 Kansas Jayhawks football team will represent the University of Kansas as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2026 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It will be the Jayhawks' 137th season. The Jayhawks will play their home games at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium located in Lawrence, Kansas. They will be led by sixth-year head coach Lance Leipold.
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Record0–0 (0–0 Big 12)
Headcoach
- Lance Leipold (6th season)
OffensivecoordinatorJim Zebrowski (2nd season)
| 2026 Kansas Jayhawks football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Record | 0–0 (0–0 Big 12) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Jim Zebrowski (2nd season) |
| Co-offensive coordinator | Matt Lubick (2nd season) |
| Defensive coordinator | D. K. McDonald (2nd season) |
| Home stadium | David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona State | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baylor | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BYU | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colorado | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa State | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas State | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma State | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TCU | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas Tech | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCF | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: December 4, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As of July 3, 2026 Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offseason
Coaching staff changes
| Name | Position | Reason | Replacement |
|---|---|---|---|
Starters lost
Starters are based on starters from the final game of the 2025 season. Players listed below have run out of eligibility. In total, the Jayhawks had 15 players run out of eligibility.
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Bangally Kamara | LB |
| Emmanuel Henderson Jr. | WR |
| Leshon Williams | RB |
| Jalon Daniels | QB |
| Daniel Hishaw Jr. | RB |
| Levi Wentz | WR |
| Bryson Canty | WR |
| Devin Dye | S |
| Justice Finkley | DE |
| Finn Lappin | P |
| Bryce Foster | C |
| Enrique Cruz Jr. | OT |
| Tommy Dunn Jr. | DT |
| Boden Groen | TE |
| Laith Marjan | K |
Entered NFL draft
Below are players who had remaining eligibility but instead of returning or transferring, chose to enter the 2026 NFL draft.
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
Transfer portal
- Incoming
| Name | Position | Old school |
|---|---|---|
| Jibreel Al-Amin | LB | Marshall |
| Jailen Butler | TE | Old Dominion |
| Elijah Cannon | CB | Mississippi State |
| Kasen Carpenter | IOL | Oklahoma State |
| Jibriel Conde | DL | Grand Valley State |
| Martin Connington | K | Michigan State |
| Nahzae Cox | WR | Middle Tennessee |
| Bam Crouch | LB | Boston College |
| KhiJohnn Cummings-Coleman | CB | Iowa State |
| Quincy Davis | LB | New Mexico State |
| Jalen Dupree | RB | Colorado State |
| Dylan Edwards | RB | Kansas State |
| Corey Gordon | S | Louisville |
| Jaden Harris | S | Georgia |
| Chase Jenkins | QB | Rice |
| Trezelle Jenkins | IOL | Wayne State |
| Trevon McAlpine | DL | Tulane |
| Nik McMillan | WR | Buffalo |
| Rino Monteforte | LS | California |
| Nick Morrow | OT | California |
| Carter Moses | TE | Albany |
| Kevin Oatis | DL | Arkansas |
| Roman Pearson | S | Ball State |
| Christian Pritchett | S | Georgia Tech |
| David Santiago | EDGE | Michigan State |
| Eamon Smalls | DL | UAB |
| Brandon Solis | OT | Missouri |
| Connor Stroh | IOL | Texas |
| Landyn Watson | EDGE | Kentucky |
| Jaron Willis | LB | South Carolina |
| Yasin Willis | RB | Syracuse |
- Outgoing
| Name | Position | New school |
|---|---|---|
| Kene Anene | OT | North Dakota State |
| Logan Brantley | LB | Boise State |
| Dylan Brooks | EDGE | Missouri State |
| Bryce Cohoon | WR | South Dakota |
| Jameel Croft | CB | Charlotte |
| Jacoby Davis | CB | Unknown |
| Jaidyn Doss | WR | Northwest Missouri State |
| Devin Dye | S | Unknown |
| Jalen Dye | S | Unknown |
| Aundre Gibson | CB | Northern Arizona |
| Greydon Grimes | OT | Appalachian State |
| Jaden Hamm | TE | Arkansas State |
| Efren Jasso | P | Incarnate Word |
| Jon Jon Kamara | LB | Wisconsin |
| Carter Lavrusky | OT | Northern Arizona |
| Dillon Marshall | S | Northern Iowa |
| Damani Maxson | S | Prairie View A&M |
| David McComb | QB | Miami (OH) |
| Tyler Mercer | IOL | Oklahoma State |
| Dean Miller | EDGE | Unknown |
| Lyrik Rawls | S | Arizona State |
| Caleb Redd | EDGE | Eastern Kentucky |
| Laquan Robinson | S | Southern Miss |
| Joseph Sipp | LB | Florida Atlantic |
| Harry Stewart | RB | Boise State |
| Jacorey Stewart | LB | FIU |
| Johnny Thompson Jr. | RB | Ball State |
Recruiting
Preseason
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 4 | 7:00 p.m. | LIU* | ESPNU | ||
| September 11 | 7:00 p.m. | Missouri* |
| FOX | |
| September 19 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. Arizona State | FS1 | ||
| October 3 | Middle Tennessee* |
| |||
| October 10 | at Utah | ||||
| October 17 | at Kansas State | ||||
| October 24 | Baylor |
| |||
| October 31 | at TCU | ||||
| November 7 | UCF |
| |||
| November 14 | at West Virginia | ||||
| November 21 | BYU |
| |||
| November 28 | at Oklahoma State | ||||
| |||||
Game summaries
vs LIU
LIU Sharks (0–0) at Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharks (FCS) | 0 | ||
| Jayhawks | 0 |
at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, Kansas
- Date: September 4
- Game time: TBD
| Statistics | LIU | KU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIU | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
vs Missouri
Missouri Tigers (0–0) at Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tigers | 0 | ||
| Jayhawks | 0 |
at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, Kansas
- Date: September 11
- Game time: 7:00 p.m.
- TV: FOX
| Statistics | MIZ | KU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
vs. Arizona State
Arizona State Sun Devils (0–0) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Devils | 0 | ||
| Jayhawks | 0 |
at Wembley Stadium • London, England
- Date: September 19
- Game time: TBD
| Statistics | ASU | KU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
vs Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (0–0) at Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Raiders | 0 | ||
| Jayhawks | 0 |
at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, Kansas
- Date: October 3
- Game time: TBD
| Statistics | MTSU | KU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Tennessee | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
at Utah
Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) at Utah Utes (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayhawks | 0 | ||
| Utes | 0 |
at Rice–Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, Utah
- Date: October 10
- Game time: TBD
| Statistics | KU | UTAH |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Utah | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
at Kansas State
Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) at Kansas State Wildcats (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayhawks | 0 | ||
| Wildcats | 0 |
at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas
- Date: October 17
- Game time: TBD
| Statistics | KU | KSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
vs Baylor
Baylor Bears (0–0) at Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | ||
| Jayhawks | 0 |
at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, Kansas
- Date: October 24
- Game time: TBD
| Statistics | BAY | KU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
at TCU
Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) at TCU Horned Frogs (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayhawks | 0 | ||
| Horned Frogs | 0 |
at Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, Texas
- Date: October 31
- Game time: TBD
| Statistics | KU | TCU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| TCU | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
vs UCF
UCF Knights (0–0) at Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knights | 0 | ||
| Jayhawks | 0 |
at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, Kansas
- Date: November 7
- Game time: TBD
| Statistics | UCF | KU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCF | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
at West Virginia
Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) at West Virginia Mountaineers (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayhawks | 0 | ||
| Mountaineers | 0 |
at Milan Puskar Stadium • Morgantown, West Virginia
- Date: November 14
- Game time: TBD
| Statistics | KU | WVU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| West Virginia | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
vs BYU
BYU Cougars (0–0) at Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cougars | 0 | ||
| Jayhawks | 0 |
at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, Kansas
- Date: November 21
- Game time: TBD
| Statistics | BYU | KU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| BYU | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
at Oklahoma State
Kansas Jayhawks (0–0) at Oklahoma State Cowboys (0–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayhawks | 0 | ||
| Cowboys | 0 |
at Boone Pickens Stadium • Stillwater, Oklahoma
- Date: November 28
- Game time: TBD
| Statistics | KU | OKST |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Oklahoma State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
Roster
| 2026 Kansas Jayhawks football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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