Head coach Lance Leipold, defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald and position coach Chris Simpson are in the midst of revamping their linebacker core.
Last season saw the likes of Tre Lathan emerge as one of the nation’s top transfer linebackers, and to follow that up, Kansas added two freshman linebackers in Josh Galbreth and Joseph Credit.
To help shore up a defense that gave up 409.5 yards per game (No. 95 in the nation during the 2025 campaign), the Jayhawks also brought in transfers Quincy Davis (New Mexico State), Jaron Willis (South Carolina), Daveon Crouch (Boston College) and Jibreel Al-Amin (Marshall), as a part of a transfer class which overall, 247Sports rates as the country’s No. 53.
While players like Al-Amin, Crouch, Davis and Willis will all be great additions for next year’s team, Al-Amin, Willis, Crouch and Lathan are all redshirt seniors; Davis is a redshirt junior. Meaning this is a linebacker core in flux after next season, which is why the signing of 2027 linebacker JaMarquis Hudson is a crucial get.
Hudson offers more than just numbers on a roster
As of publishing, the three-star is inked as the nation’s No. 627 overall prospect and No. 51 linebacker according to the 247Sports composite.
Hudson held offers from several power-conference schools including Vanderbilt, UCF, Texas Tech, Purdue, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Mississippi State, Louisville, Kentucky, Iowa State, Florida State, Baylor, Arkansas, Arizona State and Houston. Hudson held a visit with the Cougars earlier this month, Colorado State in late May, and Kansas this past weekend.
Where does Hudson rank on Kansas’ recruiting board?
The 89-rated linebacker falls just behind tight end Mason Oglesby, who for now remains as Kansas’ highest-rated prospect.
Hudson is one of two linebackers to join the team, with Elliot Neff, an athlete recently tabbed as a linebacker, being the other in Kansas’ 2027 class.
Simpson, Kansas’ linebacker coach, will pride himself on the snag of Hudson. Simpson is now stockpiled with talent for this era and the next.
Simpson has produced solid linebacker cores throughout his tenure with Leipold, which spans back to when the pair was making a name for themselves at Buffalo. At Buffalo, Simpson developed at least one All-MAC selection in all six of his seasons with the program.
Last season, while Lathan looked strong, he was one of very few standouts, as the Jayhawks allowed 184.1 rushing yards per game, and 225.4 passing yards per game, good for 105th and 68th-best in the country.
According to 247Sports, Hudson currently ranks as Kansas’ 38th-best all-time recruit, however, with a whole entire year left to play, there is plenty of room for Hudson to prove himself and continue to rise up the rankings.
It is easy in college football, when things go well, for coaches and teams to get carried away, it is when things are stalling that the best coaches prove their worth. While Kansas’ heavy hitters of their 2027 recruiting class may now be coming to a close, the fact that they are still able to reel in several high-quality recruits after back-to-back bowl-less seasons is a wildly impressive feat.
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