Why Kansas Football’s Pass Defense May Actually Improve Despite Key Losses

After cornerbacks Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft and subsequently signed as free agents, the Kansas Jayhawks pass defense looked like a disaster on paper. To add more fear, "Locked On Jayhawks" host Derek Johnson noted that the team also lost experienced safeties Marvin Grant and O.J. Burroughs from the secondary.

That means nearly all of the veteran players with significant starting experience are no longer on the roster. The new secondary includes primarily players who were backups or rotational contributors on last year's team. Still, Johnson presented a compelling case for why the Jayhawks' pass defense would not collapse this season.

In a recent episode of Locked On Jayhawks, he outlined three key reasons the defense could perform better, even though the secondary looks vulnerable on paper. “The reason why I think it's going to be better this year is threefold. The scheme, D.K. McDonald's and a stronger front seven,” he said.

“So when you're talking about the scheme, I think you're talking about them being more multiple. With D.K. McDonald, you're talking about having a different play caller, which also kind of goes into the scheme because he brings that along with him. And then with the stronger front seven, that helps in a myriad of different ways,” Johnson added.

Bryant and Dotson were both All-Big 12 performers and widely regarded as elite talents in the secondary. Despite that, Kansas' pass defense was terrible. The statistics make things crystal clear.

Over the past four years, Brian Borland served as defensive coordinator. Under his leadership, the Jayhawks averaged a finishing rank of 105.5 nationally in quarterback rating against.

Even with elite cornerback play, the system failed to produce consistent results. Their best finish under Borland came in 2023, ranking 70th in yards per pass attempt allowed.

Meanwhile, McDonald's Iowa State defenses from 2016 to 2020 averaged a much stronger 77th in quarterback rating against. Their worst seasons when McDonald was coaching the defensive backs were 71st, 72nd, and 74th.

Sharing those metrics, Johnson added, "So basically, the best season that KU had under Brian Borland as a pass defense was equivalent to the worst season that Iowa State was having when DK McDonald was there coaching the DBs. That's why I think the floor gets raised."

According to Johnson, Kansas is expected to shift from its usual 4-3 formation to a 4-2-5 base defense. The change would add an extra defensive back to improve coverage. “I think he’s going to get creative… that’s going to keep opposing quarterbacks on their toes… make KU more complicated,” Johnson said.

The current overall depth on KU's defensive line is considered the best of the Lance Leipold era. Although this year's roster lacks the big talent seen in last year's team, McDonald has successfully coached better pass defenses even with less talented players. Now, he gets another chance to prove it again in Lawrence.