Believe it or not, college football is right around the corner.
Sure, 70 days from now isn’t exactly next weekend, but with Big 12 Football Media Days on the horizon and Fall camp coming to the fore, fans are now getting that initial boost of excitement that will carry them up until LIU on September 4th inside David Booth Memorial Stadium.
Head coach Lance Leipold is set to enter his sixth year in Lawrence and by no means is the temperature rising on his job (nor should it). He will know the expectations haven’t been met over the last two seasons, and that the 2026 campaign represents a great chance to get things on track and get KU to a bowl game for the first time since 2023.
Athlon Sports predicts several Jayhawks to be spread across the All-Big 12 teams
Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports predicted each of the four offensive, defensive and special teams units. In total, seven KU players were spread across the second, third and fourth team. Is it a little bit of a dagger that not even one member was nominated for the first team? Possibly, but let's be honest, this is a team filled with way more questions than answers.
Amir Herring and Tre Lathen get things started with two sports on Lassan’s second team. The Linebacker Lathan is no surprise and he would have likely been the sole candidate for that spot in the first team.
Lathan finished his All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, 2025 campaign with 86 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one interception. In a defense filled with so many insecurities last season, Lathan was one of the few who shone.
Herring was a highly-touted recruit heading into his three-year stint with the Michigan Wolverines, however with just one appearance under his belt, he made his move to KU last season, where he played and started in all 12 games.
Selected for the third team were running back Dylan Edwards, defensive lineman Leroy Harris III and cornerback Jalen Todd.
Edwards was an expected nomination; his time at Kansas State showed moments of real potential. It just comes down to whether an injury-ridden player like him can find his prior form.
While Kansas’ defensive line struggled at points last season, Harris ended up with 4.5 sacks and eight pass breakups; those are two of the notable stats that got him involved as an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention member.
Last season Kansas’ passing defense finished No. 68 in the country with 225.4 yards allowed through the air.
Not a terrible mark and Todd was a key reason why. In his sophomore season, Todd finished with 44 tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups and one forced fumble.
To round out the team was wideout Nik McMillian and offensive lineman Calvin Clements on the fourth team. McMillian finished his 2025 season with seven 100+ yard games at Buffalo last season make the transfer an X-factor.
Clements is set for a redshirt junior season after starting in each of Kansas’ previous 24 games, bringing loads of experience to a transfer-laden front.
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