Big 12 Media Days took place this week in what was a two-day extravaganza that allowed the conference’s coaches and players their respective opportunities to give their fan bases one last bolt of energy before the dog days of summer sap the excitement away.
While head coach Lance Leipold and Co. provided genuine comments inside the Ford Center as the Star that give reasons for excitement, Phil Steele added to that with his 2026 preseason poll, where he ranked all 138 teams.
Heading into this season, anything less than a bowl game would go down as a massive disappointment for Leipold and his revamped staff, which includes former offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki rejoining the team as associate head coach.
Now these are expectations that Leipold himself brought as he has thoroughly resurrected a dormant program in the college football sphere; however, with back-to-back bowl-less seasons taking up the last two campaigns, there is real hope this year shakes out differently.
Steele rates Kansas as the nation’s 48th-best team heading into next season
For a team whose starting quarterback battle still has a massive question mark next to it, combined with a No. 53 overall transfer portal class that is reeling in 31 new transfers, you can quickly get bogged down in negativity.
However, there is no doubt that while there are still some things that won’t be answered until play gets underway on September 4th against LIU inside David Booth Memorial, KU is reeling in some talented players like a running back room of Dylan Edwards, Yasin Willis and Jalen Dupree, all of whom are looking for a starring role next season.
And while the wideout core lost the likes of Emannuel Henderson Jr. adding Nik McMillan and Nahzae Cox helps suppress the ongoing battle at quarterback.
On the defensive side of the ball, retaining Tre Lathan and filling in four transfer linebackers beside him is a massive get for a defense that ranked No. 95 in the nation last year, allowing 409.5 yards per game.
How Kansas fares against the rest of the Big 12
Topping the Big 12 according to Steele was Texas Tech at No. 13, shortly followed by BYU at No. 17, creating no surprises there.
According to Steele, Kansas is set for the ninth-best team in the conference. Above the Jayhawks sit the aforementioned Red Raiders and BYU Cougars, alongside Utah (26), Houston (31), TCU (37), Arizona (38), Baylor (43) and UCF (45).
Of course, this means that the Jayhawks are above in-state rivals Kansas State, who fall all the way down to 59th in the nation. Taking the last spot according to Steele in the Big 12 is Iowa State, which sits at No. 100.
Ultimately, lists like these aren’t a predictor of how a team may go throughout the course of a regular season, but for Kansas fans in particular, it does serve as a reprieve, as previous lists and prediction pieces have had KU well below a place like ninth in a conference as ever-changing as the Big 12.
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