Initial College Football SP+ Rankings Don’t View Kansas Football Highly

The Kansas football program is coming off consecutive down years in which the Jayhawks missed out on bowl eligibility. The 2026 campaign may be Lance Leipold's final chance to show why he belongs in Lawrence long-term before the Jayhawks consider moving on.

There are high hopes that KU can turn it around this upcoming season thanks to the rehiring of former offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and the additions of several highly coveted transfers from the portal. Still, the Jayhawks will be rolling with a new quarterback under center and have some question marks on defense, leading to uncertainty about this year's squad.

Last week, ESPN released its initial SP+ rankings for all 138 FBS teams. According to ESPN's Bill Connelly, SP+ is "a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency that I originally created at Football Outsiders in 2008."

Kansas Football's Initial SP+ Ranking in 2026

Overall SP+: 3.7 (No. 57 nationally)
Offensive SP+: 29.0 (No. 51 nationally)
Defensive SP+: 25.9 (No. 70 nationally)
Special Teams SP+: 0.6 (No. 9 nationally)

Head coach Lance Leipold watches during Kansas spring football practice Thursday, Mar. 26, 2026 in Lawrence, Kansas. | Jesse Bruner/Special to The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN's SP+ rankings don't view Kansas football very highly right now. Its No. 57 ranking nationally places them at No. 12 in the Big 12 and is actually a step down from where they began last season (No. 50).

There are several unknowns about this Jayhawk squad, including who will be taking over under center. Daniels had been with the program since 2020, and even though he was imperfect, he was someone the Jayhawks could rely on to lead them to a win when healthy.

There are also concerns about a struggling defensive unit that could never seem to get stops when it mattered most last year. Over the past two seasons, Kansas has lost countless games in the closing minutes due to untimely defensive lapses.

Why ESPN Is Right to Be Skeptical

The Jayhawks may have a more talented roster than some of the teams ahead of them on paper, but as fans have learned over the past couple of seasons, being the better team doesn't always result in wins. KU has struggled to close out games and has failed to pull away in many marquee matchups since the impressive 2023 team that finished 9-4.

The consensus is that this could be Leipold's last chance to prove himself at the university. Although he has turned the program around for the better, some believe he has plateaued and that the team won't reach its ceiling until they move on from him.

Ultimately, it's hard to blame the SP+ rankings for being wary of the Jayhawks when they've shown over the past few years that there are still plenty of issues to fix. Until they prove otherwise, many people will continue to doubt Kansas heading into the upcoming season.