Kansas Football Lands No. 1 DL Prospect in 2026 Transfer Portal

Head coach Lance Leipold and the Kansas football coaching staff have begun the rebuilding process for next year’s roster by landing their first commitment from a player in the 2026 transfer portal.

Defensive lineman Jibriel Conde, a three-star transfer from Division II Grand Valley State University (GVSU), committed to play for the Jayhawks next season after previously committing to Wisconsin a few days ago.

Conde is ranked as the No. 1 defensive lineman in the portal and the No. 20 prospect available overall, according to On3.com. He reportedly received offers from Wisconsin, Auburn, Syracuse, Michigan State, and West Virginia.

Originally from Ypsilanti, Michigan, and listed at 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, Conde had a breakout year for the GVSU Lakers last season as a redshirt sophomore with 30 tackles (6.5 for loss) and 2.5 sacks in 10 games.

He’ll have two years of eligibility once he joins KU next year, which is great news for a Kansas team that desperately needs reinforcements on the defensive line.

The Jayhawks ranked 61st in college football during the regular season with 25 sacks in 12 games. Of the 25 sacks, 6.5 of them came from a trio of seniors in defensive tackled Tommy Dunn Jr., defensive tackle D.J. Withers, and linebacker Bangally Kamara who have all now played their last snap at Kansas.

Sophomore defensive end Leroy Harris III led the team in sacks this year with 4.5, but he’ll need help from the interior defensive line if he hopes to expand on that sack total in 2026 – and KU will need that pressure up front to keep opposing quarterbacks on their heels and give the KU secondary a better chance to make plays.

Kansas has additional defensive line help coming in through the high school ranks as well.

The Jayhawks currently have commitments from a trio of high school defensive linemen in three-star defensive end Hunter Higgins, three-star defensive end Draeden Punt, and three-star defensive lineman Na'Kwaine Carter.

They are all members of a KU 2026 recruiting class currently ranked No. 48 in the country and No. 10 in the Big 12.

Following another disappointing 5-7 finish, the Kansas coaching staff will need to put in more work through the high school ranks and the transfer portal to improve this roster this offseason.

Players can begin to sign their letter of intent starting today as the college football early signing period is now open through Friday, Dec. 5.

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