Biggest Positions of Need for Kansas Football in Transfer Portal

The 2025 season showed that the Kansas football team had several glaring holes it needs to fill.

Not only did Lance Leipold's group go 5-7 and miss bowl eligibility for the second consecutive season, but it is also losing a significant portion of its production to graduation and potentially the transfer portal.

The Jayhawks will need to target several positions this offseason to revamp the roster. In what might be Leipold's last chance to redeem the past two years, KU must address these groups in the portal.

Offensive Needs

Quarterback

Jalon Daniels has now wrapped up his collegiate career after spending six years with the program. He was the only quarterback in Division I football to start at the same school for six straight seasons, which showed just how long he spent in Lawrence.

Now that he is gone, the top two options to replace him under center are Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall, but neither has proven themselves at the collegiate level.

Finding a quarterback in the portal is tricky, as learning a new system is no easy task. Regardless, there wasn't much shown by either backup to suggest they are ready to start at the Power 4 level.

Kansas may roll with what it has and address other groups, or it could search for Daniels' successor on the open market.

Running Back

One year after losing the program's all-time leading rusher in Devin Neal, KU is back to square one now that Daniel Hishaw Jr. and Leshon Williams have graduated.

Returning backs Johnny Thompson Jr. and Harry Stewart III have shown promise, but like the quarterback position, they haven't proven they are ready to be starting-caliber contributors. KU must add at least one proven weapon in the portal.

Offensive Tackle

After an up-and-down season for KU's offensive line, the group will lose several interior players, including longtime starter Kobe Baynes and All-Big 12 center Bryce Foster.

The interior has internal replacements with Tyler Mercer and James Livingston, but what it doesn't have is a replacement for Enrique Cruz Jr. and Nolan Gorczyca on the outside.

It is unclear who KU's right tackle will be next year if it's not Jack Tanner, so that player will likely have to come through the portal. It is also possible that the staff looks to add competition for left tackle Calvin Clements, who has not lived up to expectations yet.

Defensive Needs

Oct 5, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Kansas Jayhawks defensive backs coach D.K. McDonald against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Defensive Tackle

Kansas surprisingly received strong production from its defensive tackles D.J. Withers Jr., Tommy Dunn Jr., and an unexpected breakout from Kenean Caldwell. Unfortunately, all three are seniors and have exhausted their eligibility.

Blake Herold is the only returning interior lineman with meaningful experience. The staff has done well finding run-stuffers in the past, and that should be a top focus once again.

Middle Linebacker

Trey Lathan was an excellent portal addition from West Virginia in his first season as a Jayhawk, but his running mate Bangally Kamara is set to graduate.

Kamara might have been KU's best open-field tackler and contributed in multiple ways.

Lathan is a strong run defender, but he is not as versatile in pass coverage as Kamara. Assuming Lathan returns, he will need a proven partner in the middle.

Cornerback

The only cornerback KU will lose to graduation is DJ Graham II, an underwhelming transfer from Utah State.

Still, the defensive back unit struggled as a whole. True sophomore Jalen Todd and redshirt freshman Austin Alexander had their moments but were largely ineffective against better competition.

Both should improve with another year in the program, but KU cannot rely solely on such an inexperienced duo. The Jayhawks need a true No. 1 cornerback as they had with Cobee Bryant, and that will likely have to come from the transfer portal.