Kansas Jayhawks 2026 Preview
The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 138 college football team preview series with the Kansas Jayhawks 2026 Season Preview. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) break down the 2026 Kansas Jayhawks roster and what to expect in the Big 12 this season. Can Lance Leipold turn a 5-7 team that went 1-4 in one-score games back into a bowl squad? Was losing a true home stadium for most of last season the real story behind back-to-back 5-7 finishes?
Can Cole Ballard, the redshirt junior son of Colts general manager Chris Ballard, win an open quarterback competition in Lawrence? Can Andy Kotelnicki get more out of an offense that ranked 63rd in scoring and 67th in total offense a year ago? What does D.K. McDonald’s defense look like in year two after finishing 86th in total defense? Did Kansas win or lose the transfer portal with 49 new commits and zero top-300 recruits? How does the Big 12 schedule set up with the Arizona State game shipped to London and road trips to Utah, Kansas State, TCU and West Virginia? And where’s the betting value on the Kansas win total, Big 12 odds and College Football Playoff chances? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience.
Lance Leipold And The Kansas Hot Seat
The Kansas Jayhawks 2026 preview opens on the man who runs the whole program. First, Lance Leipold sits at a cool 2 out of 10 on the coaching hot seat, so the guys make it clear he is not going anywhere this fall. Then they walk through his 27-35 record in Lawrence and lay out why the arrow still points up in year six. Because Kansas slipped to 5-7 last season, some outside noise finally crept into the conversation. Meanwhile the crew argues that a Power Five job would grab Leipold in a heartbeat if Kansas ever moved on from him.
The record hides how close this team actually was in 2025. First, Kansas went just 1-4 in games decided by 11 points or less, so the win-loss line reads worse than the tape. From there the guys break down the four one-score losses to Missouri, Cincinnati, Arizona and Utah that flipped the whole year. Because those margins were razor thin, they see real bounce-back equity heading into the fall. They also credit Leipold for keeping the program steady through a season without a true home stadium. Then they weigh whether year six finally pushes the Jayhawks back toward a bowl game.
The Kansas Offense And An Open Quarterback Battle
The offense has plenty of room to climb in 2026. Last season Kansas ranked 63rd in scoring and 67th in total offense, so the unit sat right in the middle of the pack. First, the guys dig into the passing game that finished 72nd and the run game that landed 56th. Then they get into who actually moves the ball for this group this fall. Because only 49% of the offensive production returns, plenty of new faces have to step up fast. From there the crew maps out how Andy Kotelnicki gets more juice out of this offense in year two.
At quarterback the guys keep it honest about a wide-open competition. Cole Ballard headlines the room as a redshirt junior and the son of Colts general manager Chris Ballard, so the bloodlines get plenty of airtime. First, the hosts stress there is no locked-in starter heading into fall camp. Then they weigh Ballard against the other arms battling for the same job. Because the depth chart stays unsettled, they argue whoever wins it sets the ceiling for the entire offense. They also note the portal brought in weapons like running back Dylan Edwards to help whoever takes the snaps. From there they project how fast the passing game can climb.
D.K. McDonald’s Kansas Defense In Year Two
The defense carries the bigger swing on this roster. Kansas finished 80th in scoring defense and 86th in total defense last fall, so the floor sits pretty low. First, coordinator D.K. McDonald has to fix a run defense that ranked a rough 97th a year ago. Then the guys get into how much a second year in the same system helps this group. Because 67% of the defensive production returns, the continuity here beats what the offense is working with. Meanwhile the pass defense held up better at 57th and gives McDonald something real to build on. From there they weigh how far this unit can climb.
The returning names give this side of the ball a real backbone. First, the guys point to defensive backs Austin Alexander, Taylor Davis and Jalen Todd plus linebacker Trey Lathan as the anchors. Then they weigh those veterans against a portal class that landed outside the top of the rankings. Because the Big 12 throws explosive passing offenses at you week after week, the secondary has to hold up on the road. They also stress that a defense which closes out one-score games is how Kansas flips last year’s 1-4 mark. Finally they push the point that this group has to travel well to steal extra wins.
The 2026 Big 12 Schedule And Kansas Win Total
The 2026 slate has some real teeth to it. Kansas opens at home against Long Island before the Border War with Missouri, so the guys start right there. Then comes the headline oddity, a Week 3 trip to face Arizona State all the way in London. From there the Big 12 grind takes over with Middle Tennessee, a road date at Utah and the Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State. Next the guys hit the stretch against Baylor, TCU, UCF and West Virginia that defines the middle of the year. They also flag the closing games with BYU and Oklahoma State that could swing the whole season.
Then they close it out where the betting value actually lives. The Kansas win total sits at 5.5 games, so the guys dig into that number hard. First, they weigh a 5-7 team that lost four one-score games against a schedule with a London trip baked into it. Then they get into the Big 12 futures at +4500 and the +3000 College Football Playoff long shot. Because the close-game math swung so hard against Kansas last year, they see a bowl push sitting well within range. Finally they hand you the read they trust on the Jayhawks heading into the fall.
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Podcast Chapters
00:00 Download the SGPN App Today!
01:58 Welcome To The Kansas Jayhawks Preview
05:09 2025 Recap: Close Games & No Home Stadium
08:44 The $300 Million Donation Mystery
11:13 Grading Lance Leipold’s Hot Seat
17:01 Coaching Carousel: Wisconsin Rumors
21:24 Andy Kotelnicki’s Offense & Transfer Portal Adds
28:14 DK McDonald’s Defense: Year Two
30:50 NIL Beer, Memorial Stadium & Storming The Field
41:16 KU Legends & The Les Miles Stories
51:51 Long Island & Missouri Season-Opening Slate
55:23 The Arizona State London Game Controversy
1:02:48 Middle Tennessee, Arizona & The Sunflower Showdown
1:04:57 TCU, UCF, West Virginia & BYU Matchups
1:07:47 Locking In The Win Total
1:09:46 Who Should Be On The Schedule
1:11:50 Sign-Off & Next Preview Tease
