Blog Article
Kansas Football 2025: A Program at the Crossroads
Kansas football is about to enter its most pivotal season yet.
After a rollercoaster 2024 campaign that teased fans with unprecedented highs (beating three straight ranked opponents) but ultimately crashed into a 5-7 finish, the Jayhawks find themselves at a critical juncture. With quarterback Jalon Daniels returning for his final chapter, 22 new transfers reshaping the roster, and a gleaming renovated stadium awaiting its grand reopening, 2025 represents the moment of truth for Lance Leipold’s program.
The central question hanging over Lawrence: Was the Jayhawks’ breakthrough in 2022-2023 the beginning of something sustainable, or just a fleeting moment of relevance?
The 2024 Season: A Promising Start That Fizzled Out
The optimism was electric entering 2024.
Kansas started the year ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2009, carrying momentum from back-to-back bowl appearances. But the excitement quickly faded as the Jayhawks stumbled to a 2-6 start, including a soul-crushing five-game losing streak.
Yet just when fans were ready to write off the season:
- Kansas shocked No. 17 Iowa State
- Followed by stunning No. 7 BYU
- Then completed the trifecta by taking down No. 16 Colorado
This historic run marked the first time in FBS history a team with a losing record beat three consecutive ranked opponents. But the fairy tale couldn’t sustain itself – a season-ending loss to Baylor left the Jayhawks at 5-7, painfully short of bowl eligibility.
The offense remained potent (29.7 PPG, 420.8 YPG), buoyed by Devin Neal’s remarkable 1,266-yard, 16-TD farewell tour as he cemented his legacy as Kansas’ all-time leading rusher.
The Daniels Decision: QB1 Returns for His Final Act
When Jalon Daniels announced he was staying for 2025, the entire trajectory of Kansas’ season changed.
“I’m ready to lead the Kansas Jayhawks into the 2025 season and fully focused on becoming the best QB possible,” Daniels wrote in December. “I’m staying to finish what we’ve started, continue building, and to give back to the fans who’ve given us everything.”
This decision gives Kansas something precious in college football: quarterback continuity. In 2024, Daniels threw for 2,454 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 439 rushing yards and 6 scores on the ground.
But can he stay healthy?
Leipold revealed during spring practice that Daniels “really hasn’t done a whole lot this spring,” suggesting the staff is taking a cautious approach to ensure their star quarterback makes it through a full season. Given his injury history, managing Daniels’ workload will be the most crucial factor in Kansas’ 2025 campaign.
The Transfer Portal Makeover: 22 New Faces Transform the Roster
Kansas football isn’t just getting a new look but an extreme makeover.
With 22 transfers, Leipold is rebuilding half his roster in a single offseason. The departed stars, Neal, Bryant, and Dotson, leave massive shoes to fill, but the Jayhawks’ aggressive portal approach might provide immediate answers.
Five transfers who could transform Kansas immediately:
- Tyler Mercer (North Texas, OL): Freshman All-American center brings immediate credibility to the interior O-line
- Justice Finkley (Texas, EDGE): Former blue-chip recruit expected to boost a pass rush that desperately needs playmakers
- Leshon Williams (Iowa, RB): Power Five-tested back with the unenviable task of replacing Devin Neal’s production
- Trey Lathan (West Virginia, LB): Two-year starter in the Big 12 provides valuable experience on a defense in transition
- Bangally Kamara (Pitt/South Carolina, LB): Veteran defender with 129 career tackles brings immediate stability
Leipold seems pleased with how these newcomers are assimilating: “I really thank our staff and commend them for the job they’ve done. I think not only just what the guys have done on the field, but how they fit in their locker room.”
The New Brain Trust: Coaching Changes Set New Direction
The X’s and O’s are getting a fresh perspective in 2025.
Jim Zebrowski, previously co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, takes full control of the offense after Jeff Grimes departed for Wisconsin. This promotion provides valuable continuity for Daniels while potentially bringing new wrinkles to the attack.
Leipold has praised Zebrowski’s early work: “Jim Zebrowski’s done a nice job. I think the input that he has with Matt Lubick, who had been with us before in an analyst role, and I think they’re working extremely well together.”
On the defensive side, coordinator DK McDonald must improve a unit that allowed 239.1 passing yards per game in 2024.
Leipold believes McDonald is establishing a new standard: “I think DK McDonald’s done a great job on the defensive side, really establishing a standard of play and physicality of what we want to be and holding our guys to that standard every day.”
The 2025 Schedule: Historic Rivalries Return
The schedule offers a perfect blend of opportunity and challenge.
Kansas opens with a “Week 0” showcase against Fresno State on August 23, christening the newly renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium before a tune-up against FCS Wagner.
Then comes the moment generations of Jayhawks fans have awaited: the Border Showdown rivalry with Missouri returns on September 6, rekindling a historic matchup that has been dormant since 2011.
The Big 12 slate offers a balanced approach:
- Home games: West Virginia, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Utah
- Road trips: UCF, Texas Tech, Arizona, Iowa State
The early home-heavy schedule provides a crucial runway for a team integrating many new pieces. But Kansas must navigate these crucial challenges:
- The emotional Missouri rivalry game could set the tone for the entire season
- Back-to-back October road trips to UCF and Texas Tech will test depth and resilience
- The continued Kansas State frustration (nearly two decades without a win) looms large on October 25
- Late-season trips to Arizona and Iowa State could determine bowl eligibility
The Formula for Success: Five Keys to the 2025 Season
For Kansas to break through and return to the postseason, these five factors must align:
- Daniels Must Stay Upright
Leipold noted, “It’s important for him to stay healthy.” With Daniels at full strength, “Kansas has conference championship upside.” That’s not hyperbole—a healthy Daniels transforms this program’s ceiling.
- Transfer Chemistry Must Develop Quickly
When half your roster is new, early-season cohesion becomes the difference between contention and confusion. Kansas can’t afford a slow integration period with 22 new transfers learning to play together.
- The Defense Must Take a Leap
Even moderate defensive improvement could win multiple close games in the high-scoring Big 12. The secondary must make significant strides after allowing 239.1 passing YPG in 2024.
- The Running Game Needs a New Identity
Life after Devin Neal begins now. Leshon Williams and the other backs don’t need to replicate Neal’s production individually, but collectively they must maintain Kansas’ ground-game identity.
- Leadership Must Emerge
Leipold has identified several potential voices: “Cole Ballard has great leadership qualities and has that charisma that instantly gives guys in the locker room that kind of respect when he speaks.” Defensively, “D.J. Withers is one of those guys” along with Bangally Kamara who “is probably one that’s going to need to step up vocally for us at that second level position.”
The Bottom Line: A Defining Season Awaits
The 2025 campaign represents the inflection point for Kansas football.
Early projections place the Jayhawks as a fringe bowl contender with an expected win total in the 5-7 range – eerily similar to 2024’s outcome. But there’s a much wider variance in potential outcomes this season.
Best-case scenario: The transfer portal additions gel quickly, Daniels stays healthy for 12 games, and Kansas not only returns to bowl eligibility but competes for the upper tier of the Big 12.
Worst-case scenario: Chemistry issues plague a roster in transition, Daniels misses significant time, and another 4-5 win season raises uncomfortable questions about the program’s direction.
Leipold remains optimistic: “I’ve been extremely pleased with the attitude, the effort, the work ethic of this team, embracing what we’re setting as standards. Got a lot of work to do yet. We got a lot to clean up in some things in critical times, but 12 practices in, I’m very pleased where we’re at.”
The Jayhawks’ 2025 season will determine their place in the standings and reveal whether Kansas football’s resurrection under Leipold was merely a brief moment in the sun or the foundation of something sustainable.
The newly renovated stadium awaits its answer.
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