Kansas’ Position Switch Experiment Pays Off With Two-Touchdown Performance

The Kansas football team was firing on all cylinders during Saturday's blowout win over West Virginia, scoring 37 points and totaling nearly 450 yards of offense. While many players stepped up in the unexpected upset, one Jayhawk continued to make his presence felt.

Running back Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman, who was a defensive back until last month, has quietly become a crucial player in the offense. He switched positions during the Jayhawks' bye due to the abundance of injuries to the backfield and a lack of playing time at the nickel position. Given his experience at wide receiver in high school, Cummings-Coleman hoped he could help the injury-riddled running back room.

In the victory, Cummings-Coleman had his number called several times after starter Dylan Edwards sustained an injury on the first drive of the afternoon. The Iowa State transfer would go on to carry the ball 15 times for 56 yards, punching in a pair of touchdowns, including this 26-yard burst in the opening quarter:

Back in the endzone 🤧 @khijohnn pic.twitter.com/3yPaYoWLYP
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) November 14, 2026

Since transitioning to running back, Cummings-Coleman now has over 160 yards on the ground and four touchdowns at his new position. It almost makes you wonder how he wasn't in the mix for carries at the start of the campaign.

It's hard to miss the Minneapolis native when he's on the field with his unmistakable Guardian Cap, but he's not just a feel-good story. Cummings-Coleman has shown legitimate burst and tackle-breaking ability when given space in the open field, and he runs with authority despite losing a fumble a week ago against UCF.

"This feels amazing, especially as an offensive player now," Cummings-Coleman said after the win. "Our mindset this week was to come out and show what we could really do. And as a former defensive player, it's nice seeing our defense be dominant and show the world what KU defense is really about."

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Nov 14, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Kansas Jayhawks running back Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman (22) dives for a touchdown during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As a redshirt freshman in Ames last year, Cummings-Coleman saw his season cut short with an arm injury suffered in the fifth game of the campaign. He transferred from the program when head coach Matt Campbell darted for Penn State and found a new home in Lawrence, where he's not only carved out a meaningful role but has performed at an extremely high level.

There's no word on the severity of Edwards' injury yet, but considering there are only two contests remaining on the schedule, it can be reasonably assumed that Cummings-Coleman and Chase Belcher will share an increased workload moving forward. It has gotten to a point where Cummings-Coleman has put himself in the mix for carries next year.

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