Kansas Football: Midseason Grades for the Struggling Jayhawks

The Kansas football program has reached the midway point of the 2026 season after a tumultuous first half that largely did not go their way.

Entering the back half of their schedule with six games remaining, the Jayhawks find themselves at 2-4 with wins against Long Island University (51-6) and Middle Tennessee State (55-0). Their four losses came at the hands of No. 22 Missouri (38-21), Arizona State (24-17), Utah (41-24), and Kansas State (35-24).

It’s no doubt been a frustrating season for head coach Lance Leipold and his team who have lost the three biggest games on their schedule this season and are now facing the reality of a third straight losing season, barring a miraculous turnaround starting this weekend versus Baylor – whom the Jayhawks have not beaten since 2007.

Here is our midseason report card for the Jayhawks, breaking down the grades by offense, defense, special teams, and coaching.

Offense: B-

The Kansas offense, led by sophomore quarterback Isaiah Marshall, started the season off rough with a pair of sub-par performances against Missouri and Arizona State. Since then, they’ve been able to find a bit of a groove, especially in the passing game where they rank No. 54 in the country with an average of 242.5 yards per game.

On the season, Marshall has thrown for 1,294 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with five interceptions. He’s also rushed 74 times for 372 yards and one touchdown.

His rushing ability is a big reason why the Jayhawks have the No. 23 rushing offense in college football with an average of 207 yards per game. Running back Dylan Marshall has contributed to those efforts as well with 375 rushing yards so far this season.

KU’s offensive line has been a big part of the offensive success as well, giving up just six sacks on the year, which is tied for No. 16 in the country.

Overall, Kansas is No. 50 in the country in scoring offense with an average of 32 points per game.

Where KU has really struggled on offense this year is with third-down conversions. The Jayhawks rank No. 82 in the country in third-down conversion percentage at 38.8%. That’s forced a lot of stalled drives and missed opportunities for a team with little margin for error week in and week out.

However, they’ve clearly been the bright spot among KU’s three units at this point in the season.

Defense: C-

KU is No. 74 in the country in scoring defense through six games, giving up an average of 24 points per game. That’s driven in large part by KU’s porous run defense, which ranks No. 106 in college football as the Jayhawks surrender an average of 174.3 yards rushing per game.

The run defense is a big reason why KU ranks No. 84 in the country in time of possession. When teams are able to run the ball as effectively as they have, that keeps the KU defense on the field and the offense on the sideline.

In pass defense, KU has largely been solid by only giving up an average of 174.3 yards per game (No. 27 in the nation). They’ve also been sufficient on third-down defense (No. 30 in the country with a 32.9% conversion rate) and red zone defense (No. 38 in the country with a 78.3% scoring rate).

However, the KU defense struggles to generate a consistent pass rush. They have just six sacks this season, which ranks No. 98 in college football.

A bad run defense and a lack of pass rush are two things you really don’t want to have as a defense, and they’re a big reason why KU has struggled to win games this year.

Special Teams: D

Kansas place kicker Martin Connington has had a good year kicking the football. The sophomore Michigan State transfer has made six of his eight attempts thus far (75%) and is a perfect 24-for-24 on extra points.

Connington has made all four of his field goal tries from 30 to 39 yards and is 2-of-3 in the 40-49-yard range. He’s 0-for-1 on attempts from 50 yards or more.

However, punting has been a serious issue for Kansas this season. Starting freshman punter Matt Gill has struggled mightily, averaging just 39.8 yards per punt on 20 attempts this season.

KU is No. 114 in the country in net punting as a result, which has led to great field position –and thus, easier scoring opportunities – on several occasions for Jayhawk opponents.

It’s arguably the greatest weakness on the team this year, along with KU’s run defense.

Coaching: F

The worst performing group of this year’s KU team thus far goes to Leipold and the KU coaching staff.

You can blame it on poor recruiting, poor preparation, lack of in-game adjustments, poor clock management, or any combination of the four. It’s not been good.

The K-State loss – which makes Leipold 0-6 versus the Wildcats now – was a great example of how not to execute at the end of a half and killed any momentum that the Jayhawks had heading into halftime.

KU has also struggled to close out games in the fourth quarter, despite having multiple games within reach late in the games against Arizona State, Utah, and K-State.

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has done some good things with the KU offense and schemed up a lot of plays for Marshall and others that haven’t always been made. But outside of him, it’s hard to give a good mark to any of the KU coaches, particularly to the man in charge.

This was a big year for Leipold entering a season in which he had the opportunity to put an end to some bad losing streaks and get this program turned around after back-to-back 5-7 seasons. Instead, he’s continued to fail to win the big games and meet the moment when it matters most.

With just six games remaining and four wins needed to salvage the season and reach bowl eligibility, Leipold and the KU coaching staff have little room for error the rest of the way in what may now be a fight for their coaching futures.

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