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Grading Kansas' rushing attack means the Jayhawks will have an elite corps next season

The Kansas Jayhawks were forced to hit the NCAA Transfer Portal to replenish the room.
ByConnor Mardian|
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Kansas State Wildcats running back Dylan Edwards (3) runs the ball during the first half of the game against UCF Knights at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Sept. 27, 2025.
Kansas State Wildcats running back Dylan Edwards (3) runs the ball during the first half of the game against UCF Knights at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Sept. 27, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It is not often that a single position group churns out so much excitement for a team like the Kansas Jayhawks. Of course, it does add that extra bit of fun to see the Jayhawks poach one of their biggest rivals' best talents in Dylan Edwards, but beyond the pettiness of the Sunflower Showdown, the Jayhawks are seriously reeling in strong talent at the running back corps. 

Today’s task is to mull over Kansas’ running back options to try and analyze just how good this group can be. 

The Jayhawks are stacked at running back

With Daniel Hishaw Jr. and Leshon Williams now out of the picture, KU had to delve into the NCAA Transfer Portal to find next year’s options. While relying on the portal to fill out nearly an entire new group is, at best, risky and, at the worst, foolish, the Jayhawks may have hit the jackpot with the names they enlisted. 

This includes Edwards, Syracuse running back Yasin Willis, and former Colorado State running back Jalen Dupree. 

Dylan Edwards: Edwards was fully poised to set himself apart heading into last season, yet like with much of Kansas State’s season, things got off to a rough start. Edwards played in just four games, finishing with 34 carries for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns. Edwards departed the team midseason and made the move to KU on January 18th. 

Yasin Willis: What Edwards does with vertical speed, Willis does with phenomenal strength. Willis stands at 6-foot-1, and his sophomore season in the ACC saw him total 558 rushing yards for an average of 62 per game, along with 4 rushing touchdowns. Willis averaged 4.3 yards per carry. 

Jalen Dupree: Last season for the Rams, Dupree totaled 508 yards on the ground, across 102 carries to go along with 2 rushing touchdowns. 

Overall Grade: A

Edwards and Willis are shoo-ins for the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. However, don’t be surprised if the usage between the two is nigh-on equal. Willis can inject a decent amount of pace when need be and his vision in-between his blocks is already good and will only get better as the offseason wears on and the regular season kicks off. 

Dupree will offer a steady option off the bench and can be a great third punch when legs are tired after having to deal with Edwards and Willis. 

Last season, the Jayhawks managed the nation’s 60th-best rushing offense that averaged 157.8 yards per game on the ground. The biggest difference from last season, however, is the fact that KU will no longer be led by former quarterback Jalon Daniels. Instead, it will likely be either redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall or redshirt junior Cole Ballard. While both have potential, neither has seen valuable minutes yet. With so much unknown in the passing game, expect this running back room to get their fair share of snaps, which can hopefully turn the team into one of the best power-conference trios in the nation.

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