Leshon Williams joins a lengthy core of seven other running backs for the Kansas Jayhawks heading into the 2025/26 season.
Williams comes from Iowa, where he totaled four years as a Hawkeye. At Iowa, marked 32 total games with the 2024/25 season marred by injury.
Heading into last season, Williams was given nominations for two watchlists, including Athlon preseason fourth-team All-Big Ten, and the Doak Walker Award Watch List.
While last season was one to forget, in Williams' two full years before that the Williams ran for 1,233 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 4.2 yards per carry over those two years.
Back in 2019, when coming out of Harold L. Richards High School, 247 Sports recruiting analyst Allen Trieu profiled Williams.
"Sturdy, compact back. Strong frame with low center of gravity, a classic running back build. Has very good short-area quickness and feet. North-south runner but has the wiggle to make subtle changes of direction and still get upfield. Makes defenders miss in a phone booth. Has good burst and runs behind his pads. Has solid long speed, but that is something he can continue to improve on. Shows some ability to catch the ball but did not appear to be used there as much in high school. Has many qualities that can allow him to compete early. We do not project him as a home-run hitter in college, but should be a very reliable, durable back and a future starter."
Trieu further compared Williams to NFL veteran Mark Ingram. Williams came out of high school ranked as the 56th best running back in the nation, as well as the 16th best player from Illinois. As a transfer, Williams entered the portal in early October and committed to Lance Leipold's squad in December after flipping Williams from Memphis, while being ranked as the 950th best transfer in this class.
Williams holds just one more year of eligibility and is tied for the oldest player in the Jayhawks' running back room, as both Williams and fellow redshirt senior Daniel Hishaw Jr. lead the room in seniority.
There will always be the priority over quarterback Jalon Daniels and deservedly so, as Daniels has taken the nation by storm at multiple points of his career. Yet, the acquisition of a steady runner like Williams will only relieve the pressure off the shoulders of Daniels, and even more so, off of head coach Lance Leipold, who is seeking his third year of bowl eligibility as coach of Kansas.