This year, Kansas fans have the rare pleasure of a week zero matchup, which means that we get to push up some of our articles a week early to raise the hype for what Kansas fans hope is a massive year under head coach Lance Leipold.
Today, we are culminating some of our biggest predictions heading into this year, with this article solely on the offense.
Jalon Daniels gets his TD:INT ratio in check
We all know the potential Jalon Daniels possesses: his breakout season put the nation on notice, but since then, inconsistencies and injuries have hindered the Jayhawks quarterback. Last season, Daniels threw 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in his 300 pass attempts.
The acquisition of three wideouts through the portal in Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (Alabama), Cam Pickett (Ball State), and Levi Wentz (Albany) will add to the competitive edge in that full wideout core.
Predicted TD:INT ratio: 3:1
The Kansas offense scores over 53 offensive touchdowns
Last season, the Jayhawks marked 46 touchdowns, so an increase of seven isn't a massive jump, but we all saw the massive opportunities Kansas missed last season. Remember, five of Leipold's seven losses fell by just one score.
With the promotion of Jim Zebrowski, who was the former quarterbacks coach for Jalon Daniels, Daniels could expect a more in-tune playbook to his style, with Daniels' former position coach up to the coordinator spot.
The Jayhawks pose over 175 yards per game on the ground
Last season, Kansas did just this, after all, Lance Leipold's side marked third-best in the Big 12 with just over 212 yards per game on the ground.
The difference between last season and this? The absence of Devin Neal.
Last year, Neal ranked fifth in the league with 1,266 rushing yards. Yet, since then, Neal has moved on to the NFL.
This year, it looks as if the bulk of the carries will be coming from Daniel Hishaw Jr., and Leshon Williams, a timely transfer from Iowa. Hishaw bruised his 376 yards for 5.8 yards per carry last season while hitting the paydirt three times.
Two seasons ago, Williams rushed for 821 yards on just 170 carries for a staggering 4.8 yards per attempt. While last season, Williams only saw three games for just 21 yards on 11 carries, there could be a two-headed monster in Lawrence, Kan.
Combine that with the speedy Daniels, who could easily surpass 400 yards next season, and the numbers quickly add up.
Lance Leipold finds a balanced offense
Last season, Kansas was remarkable with their aforementioned over 200 rushing yards per game numbers. Yet, their passing game saw a big drop-off. One that fit in fourth-worse in the league as just 208 yards were attained through the air per game, with a hefty chunk from Neal.
Now is the time for Zebrowski to find his rhythm and keep up an offense that can do both, even if it means the rushing attack drops to that 175 number and the passing attack moves from the 208 benchmark to around 250, Kansas fans will find a lot of delight in an attack that isn't reliant on just one.