Next season, the Kansas football team will look a lot different than in the final seconds of the Jayhawks’ 31-21 loss to the Utah Utes, which capped last Fall.
Following the season-ending result, Kansas saw several high-profile names exit. To replace the outgoing stars, the Jayhawks reeled in 31 transfers along with a high school class that comprised prized four-star offensive lineman Kaden Snyder.
Kansas got several under-the-radar players from the portal, like defensive lineman Kevin Oatis and linebacker Jibreel Al-Amin. However, the biggest transfer KU claimed was, oddly, from archrival Kansas State in running back Dylan Edwards.
How Edwards got to KU
According to 247Sports, Edwards was the nation’s 12th-best running back in the class of 2023, and eventually committed to Colorado.
In his sole season with the Buffaloes, Edwards notched 321 yards on 76 attempts with one rushing touchdown. Edwards thrived in the passing game, finishing his freshman year with four receiving touchdowns and 299 yards before hitting the portal and moving to the Wildcats.
2024 was by far Edwards’ best season. In what finished a 9-4 record for Chris Klieman’s squad, Edwards put up an astounding 7.4 yards per carry, 546 yards, and five rushing touchdowns with an added two from the air.
2025 wasn’t just a down year for a KSU team that finished 6-6, but Edwards played just four games during the season, where he finished with just 205 yards and two touchdowns, before leaving the program.
Edwards was touted as the country’s 176th-best player and the 11th-best running back before committing to the Jayhawks.
ESPN looks to Edwards to change Kansas’ fortune
In ESPN’s Big 12 Storylines article, Bill Connelly turned to Edwards to pick up the pieces that were dropped following back-to-back 5-7 seasons.
“When Edwards is rolling, he's a scary big-play threat in both the backfield and special teams, and if he or perhaps Buffalo receiver transfer Nik McMillan are able to deliver an explosiveness boost, that alone could flip a couple of the close games KU has been losing over the past couple of seasons,” quoted Connelly.
For context, the Jayhawks finished the 2025 campaign as a middle-of-the-pack rushing offense, finishing with 157.8 rushing yards per game, ranking 60th in the nation.
A daunting road ahead for the Jayhawks
IT’S HERE. 🏈🗓️
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) January 21, 2026
🔗→ https://t.co/8TWXlpyoXo pic.twitter.com/iNW0j4QClu
It will be a tall task to point out many “gimme” fixtures inside Kansas’ next season. Lance Leipold’s squad will take on nine games straight to finish the season. While the Jayhawks get to pass on powerhouse Texas Tech, being awarded a bye week after just three games is enough to cause any team hiccups.
Make sure to bookmark Through the Phog and follow us on X and Facebook with the username @Throughthephog