There is no denying that the Kansas football program has been hampered by injuries.
While a few exist on the defense, a majority lie on the offense, specifically the running back room.
So far for the Jayhawks, what was a starting three of Dylan Edwards, Yasin Willis and Jalen Dupree, after just three games, has been trimmed to just Edwards and Dupree, after it was announced earlier this week that Willis was likely going to miss the remainder of the season after suffering an injury against Arizona State.
But even Edwards and Dupree have their own injury concerns.
Last season, Edwards tallied just four games for the Kansas State Wildcats; Dupree, meanwhile, missed the Union Jack Classic loss to Arizona State. To help repair this broken-down room, head coach Lance Leipold and co. added Chase Belcher, a running back who spent time at both Northern Arizona and Kennesaw State before joining the Jayhawks, with a 1-2 record through three games.
This is a season where injuries can't be an excuse
Sometimes, it can be acceptable for an injury-ridden team to suffer a subpar season. For the Kansas Jayhawks, this is not one of those seasons. After back-to-back 5-7 campaigns and an already desolate start to 2026, a bowl already feels like an eon away, quickly shredding any kind of cover that injuries may provide.
Offensive coordinator and associate head coach Andy Kotelnicki spoke on this earlier this week.
“Injury is part of the football game. I'd be lying if I said I hadn’t had to deal with it almost every season throughout my coaching career. So, when guys get dinged up, you feel for them personally, internally, but you can't dwell on it; you gotta have the next-man mentality,” opened a sharp Kotelnicki.
Via the NCAA Transfer Portal, KU reeled in 13 offensive players.
“And the reality is, nobody cares outside of our room. So we have to move on. You got to and hopefully, with how we've practiced, you know, throughout spring and fall camp, that you feel good about developing people and depth in every position. And you’ve got to have the next-man-up mentality.”
How important is a strong running game for Kansas?
This is maybe as important as it has been in Leipold’s tenure.
Kansas is in must-win mode to keep Leipold’s job safe. With Kotelnicki running the offense again, it is worth noting that his rushing attack in his last two years at KU, prior to leaving for Happy Valley, was among the nation’s best.
For a young quarterback in Isaiah Marshall, who has appeared overexcited and relatively inconsistent over his first three games, it would be a boon to have a stable rushing attack to take the pressure off his shoulders.
Hopefully, Belcher can provide some relief alongside Edwards and Dupree, who we can only hope remain healthy.
The Kansas Jayhawks will be taking on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders this Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m. CT, and streaming available on ESPNU in a game that should bring KU to a square 2-2 on the season.
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