89 Days: Reasons for Optimism for Kansas Football in 2024

There are lots of reasons for Jayhawk fans to be excited about Year 4 under Lance Leipold.

Sep 8, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks mascot Baby Jay performs in the student section during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Once again under Lance Leipold, the Kansas Jayhawks enter the season with a whole list of reasons to feel good about the upcoming season.

For anyone who has been a fan of the Kansas Jayhawks on the gridiron in the last decade and a half, the last couple years have been a bit of an oddity. The annual ritual of finding reasons to be optimistic about the upcoming season was often nothing more than a pipe dream: a coping mechanism to try and build interest in a season that was sure to disappoint.

But since the arrival of Leipold in Lawrence, there have been plenty of big developments and a track record of success in filling holes that should give fans all the confidence they need that another successful year is on the way. Let’s take a look at the top few:

Offensive Consistency

You can talk about the quarterback play, like we did the last few years. But the impressive consistency has really been across the entire offense. Wide receivers that know what they need to do in order to make their quarterback successful. Running backs have the strength and agility to find holes and keep the chains moving. Tight ends are versatile enough to help in multiple ways. And the culture of blocking that has developed for both the offensive line and the rest of the offensive lineup provides a flexibility that is hard to combat, no matter who the quarterback is.

Fans should definitely be excited about the ceiling that Jalon Daniels brings to the Kansas offense. But without the security blanket of a well-seasoned backup like Jason Bean to fall back on this season, the consistency of this offense is what will get the team through injuries and other tough times that are sure to come at some point this season.

Transfer Portal History

There aren’t many programs that can replace multiple key departures on one side of the ball with players that have developed entirely in their program. And the Jayhawks are no exception, which is what makes mastering the transfer portal such a key skill for a modern coach. In each of the last two years, Kansas has had to replace key defensive pieces through the portal. And as we looked at earlier in the countdown, Leipold and staff appear to have put together another quality transfer class. The mix of experience and potential looks to be just what Kansas needs to continue building while maintaining their floor.

The Schedule

When you look at the upcoming Big 12 schedule for the Jayhawks, it’s hard to argue that they didn’t get a favorable slate. Of the 5 other teams considered to be in the top tier of the Big 12 next season, Kansas avoids Utah, Arizona and Oklahoma State. They travel to Kansas State but host Iowa State, and the remainder of the Big 12 schedule features plenty of teams that have some significant questions coming into the year. We’ll take a super early look at the schedule with some predictions next week, but it’s not hard to imagine that the Jayhawks have a significant leg up on some of the toughest competition for a Big 12 Championship berth just by who they get to avoid.