Kansas Football: PFF Grades from the Jayhawks’ Win vs. LIU

See the official Pro Football Focus grades for the top-performing Kansas Jayhawks following their Week 1 victory over Long Island.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Kansas Jayhawks took care of business on Friday night in their season opener, defeating the Long Island University Sharks by a convincing final score of 51-6.

The offense racked up a total of 613 yards (336 passing, 277 rushing), the second highest of any KU team under Lance Leipold in his six years as head coach. Defensively, KU allowed just 146 yards of total offense to the Sharks – the second fewest yards allowed in Leipold’s tenure in Lawrence.

Following the game, Pro Football Focus (PFF) handed out their grades* for the top performing Jayhawks of the night (minimum 15 snaps).  

No. 1 – WR Nik McMillan

PFF gave KU wide receiver Nik McMillan a final grade of 96.1. The Buffalo transfer was the top performer of the night for the Jayhawks after reeling in six catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. I previously projected him to be the team’s new No. 1 wideout when he committed back in January, and he looked every bit the part on Friday night.

READ MORE: Kansas LB Trey Lathan Announces Inspiring Cause for 2026 Season

No. 2 – DE David Santiago

Defensive end David Santiago earned himself a PFF grade of 94.9 after totaling four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and recovering a fumble (which he forced) from LIU running back Sean Slade late in the third quarter.

No. 3 – QB Cole Ballard

Interestingly, it was backup quarterback Cole Ballard who finished with the highest PFF grade (86.1) between the two KU quarterbacks who saw game time on Friday. He finished the night with 90 yards passing on six attempts and had one carry for 14 yards on the ground.

No. 4 – C Kasen Carpenter

Center Kasen Carpenter was the fourth highest rated player of the night with a PFF grade of 84.9. The Oklahoma State transfer is expected to be one of KU’s top performers this year along the offensive line, and Friday night was a solid start.

No. 5 – QB Isaiah Marshall

Quarterback Isaiah Marshall had an impressive first showing as a starter. He finished his debut 14-of-19 passing for 246 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 49 yards on seven carries. That performance earned him a final PFF grade of 83.3.

*PFF grades every player’s performance play by play, evaluating how well they executed their individual assignment, rather than simply looking at traditional statistics. Those individual grades are then combined and adjusted to produce an overall 0–100 grade, with 90+ generally considered elite and 80+ considered very good.

Highest-graded #Jayhawks players in Week 1 win over LIU, via @PFF:

🥇WR, Nik McMillan (96.1)
🥈LB, David Santiago (94.9)
🥉QB, Cole Ballard (86.1)
4) C, Kasen Carpenter (84.9)
5) QB, Isaiah Marshall (83.3)
6) WR, Bryson Hayes (83.0)

*minimum 15 snaps* pic.twitter.com/sjnrFJptrJ

— Jayhawks on KCSN (@jayhawks_kcsn) September 5, 2026

Check out the KCSN official website and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest KU basketball and football news.