It hasn't been the season Kansas football wanted, but that seems to be the theme around this time of year for the Jayhawks. There is a lot of hope that it will finally be the year that Kansas would find some success on the football field, and then come November when basketball season begins, it is easy for fans to make the transition to the hardwood because football has nothing to play for.
Sure, there is always bowl eligibility, but let's face it: right now, Kansas has to just focus on trying to build a team for the future, and head coach Lance Leipold showed that Saturday afternoon. Leipold landed a flip from three-star cornerback Dylan Northcutt, who was originally committed to Syracuse but has officially made the switch to the Jayhawks.
"I feel like Kansas is the best all-around fit for me," Northcutt said about his flip from Syracuse to Kansas.
BREAKING: Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame DB Dylan Northcutt has flipped his commitment from Syracuse to Kansas and broke down why he chose the Jayhawks
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) November 7, 2026
“I feel like Kansas is the best all-around fit for me.”
Intel: https://t.co/w9kXJmKHiP pic.twitter.com/HIbijcpvYt
Northcutt is the No. 94 cornerback in the Class of 2027, and the No. 80 player in the state of California. The Sherman Oaks, California, native took an official visit to Lawrence back in mid-June, right after his OV to Syracuse, but at the time went with the Orange.
Kansas offered Northcutt late, but was recruiting him for months before his official visits, and even after he committed to Syracuse, the Jayhawks kept the pressure on him, and it looked to have paid off.
Lance Leipold may not even coach the 2027 class he has built if he doesn't start winning
Leipold only has one good season to show for in his time at Kansas, one season where it felt like he could finally be the one to turn things around, but alas, here are the Jayhawks sitting at 3-5 this season. Hot-seat talks could start to ramp up even more with a loss to UCF in Week 10.
If a decision is made to let Leipold go, there would be a solid buyout, money that the Jayhawks probably don't want to have to put toward football. If Leipold is fired, he wouldn't even get the chance to coach the 2027 class he has built, the one Northcutt just joined.
Kansas has 17 recruits committed in the Class of 2027, but not a single one of them is higher than a three-star recruit. While that isn't abnormal for the Jayhawks, it's hard to believe Kansas can become a dominant football program if they aren't spending the money on recruiting as they do for basketball.
If Leipold wants to coach the class he has built for next season, he desperately needs to find some wins late this season and at least find bowl eligibility. It isn't impossible, but it won't be easy for a team with UCF, West Virginia, No. 9 BYU, and Oklahoma State still left on the schedule.
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