Leipold’s reset at Kansas: Kotelnicki returns to help offense as QB race heats up in fall camp

Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — 2025 record: 5-7

Expectations

Lance Leipold engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football when he inherited a winless team in Lawrence and won nine games by his third year. After back-to-back losing seasons, the Jayhawks are trying to recapture some of that early momentum as they head into his sixth season.

“Obviously standards have changed and expectations have changed,” Leipold said. “We’ve had some opportunities, probably well-documented. Some close losses that we could be sitting up here today talking about four consecutive bowl games and yada, yada yada, but we haven’t done that. And where does it fall? It falls on the head coach to do that. Our players embrace that.

“They understand that we’re getting people’s better shots than we did a couple years ago.”

The biggest addition to the Jayhawks might be Andy Kotelnicki, who engineered some of their best offenses during Leipold’s most successful seasons, before he left to coordinate the offense at Penn State the past couple of years.

Whether the Jayhawks can get back to a bowl game could hinge on their quarterback play. Longtime starter Jalon Daniels is gone, and returnees Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall have been competing with Rice transfer Chase Jenkins for the starting job.

Strength of the Jayhawks will be in the skill positions

Whomever wins the QB job will have the benefit of one of the Big 12’s better groups of skill-position players.

Dylan Edwards, the Kansas native who began his career at Colorado, spent a couple of injury-filled seasons at Kansas State, then decided to head down Interstate 70 to lead a rushing attack that thrived when Kotelnicki was calling the plays.

The wide receiver corps also should be better with Cam Pickett back after leading the Jayhawks with 45 catches last season. He will be joined by Middle Tennessee transfer Nahzae Cox and Buffalo transfer Nik McMillan, both of whom can stretch the field.

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Weaknesses on offensive and defensive lines could be a problem

The offensive and defensive lines are both huge question marks heading into the Jayhawks’ opener against Long Island.

On offense, Oklahoma State transfer Kasen Carpenter and Texas guard Connor Stroh figure to step into leading roles, but who will join them remains up in the air. Cal transfer Nick Morrow and holdovers Calvin Clements and Amir Herring appear to be first in line.

On the other side of the ball, Kansas brought in a slew of transfers to fortify a front that must be vastly improved. Tre’Von McAlpine arrived from Tulane, Kevin Oatis from Arkansas, Jibriel Conde from Grand Valley State and David Santiago from Michigan State, and all will have a role. Boston College transfer Daveon Crouch could help them all out from his spot at linebacker.

New faces

RB Dylan Edwards (transfer from Kansas State), QB Chase Jenkins (transfer from Rice), OL Connor Stroh (transfer from Texas), WR Nahzae Cox (transfer from Middle Tennessee), LB Daveon Crouch (transfer from Boston College).

Key losses

QB Jalon Daniels (graduated), WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (sixth-round pick of Seattle), RB Daniel Hishaw Jr. (graduated), RB LeShon Williams (graduated), FS Lyrik Rawls (transfer to Arizona State).

Biggest games for the Jayhawks

Vs Missouri (Sept. 11), at Kansas State (Oct. 17), vs BYU (Nov. 21).

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AP college football: https://apnewstodays.pages.dev/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnewstodays.pages.dev/hub/college-football