Earlier this week, college football analyst Phil Steele released his 136-team ranking for 2025, and Kansas was just placed in the top 50.
The Jayhawks ranked 49th.
Head coach Lance Leipold's squad finished last season with a 5-7 record, barely missing out on a bowl game, for the second time in Leipold's four years at the helm.
Notable teams ranked below Kansas, include Colorado (53), UNC (57), and West Virginia (64).
Archrivals Kansas State totaled a whole 19 spots above the Jayhawks.
Just above Kansas is Duke and right below is Kentucky.
Does Kansas deserve this spot?
In all honesty, this is likely a fair rating. While the Hawks have the ability to flex their talent with one of the more consistent quarterbacks in Jalon Daniels. His last season did not live up to the heights he reached in 2022.
During Daniels' breakout 2022 season, the redshirt senior compiled 18 touchdowns through the air and a further seven on the ground with over 2,000 passing yards and 425 rushing yards in just nine games
After his injury-ridden 2023-24 season, Daniels returned last season to multiple award nominations, including the Maxwell Award Watch List, Walter Camp Award Watch List, Comeback Player of the Year Watch List, and Davey O'Brien Award Watch List. Yet, Daniels marked 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions for 2,454 yards in the air and six touchdowns on the ground.
Although don't let the blame fully be placed on Daniels, the team in general fell short of expectations, which called for the massive changing of the guard, including the promotion of former co-offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski to offensive coordinator and the fellow promotion of D.K. McDonald, who replaces retiring defensive coordinator Brian Borland.
It does help that on defense, the acquisition of Bangally Kamara at linebacker from South Carolina will help anchor a recruiting class of 27 recruits, which ranks 7th according to recruiting database 247Sports. As a team, Kansas reels in an average of an 85.81 transfer grade, good for 39th in the nation.
10 Big 12 teams were placed above Kansas, which paints a slightly harrowing slate. Those teams include Arizona State (15), Baylor (18), Utah, Texas Tech (25), TCU (26), Iowa State (28), Kansas State (30), BYU (42), Cincinnati (42), and Houston (46).
Next season, the Daniels-led team will take on Cincinnati, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Utah, with Texas Tech and Kansas State being played back-to-back, along with Iowa State and Utah being played back-to-back later in the season.