Readers would be hard-pressed to find a position room as excitable as the running back room for the Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks’ running back corps has always been a talented group; it wasn’t too long ago that Devin Neal was breaking records and establishing himself as one of the most talented running backs in the nation.
Even last season, despite both Leshon Williams and Daniel Hishaw Jr. never establishing themselves amongst the nation’s most productive runners, the pair each went for over 500 yards as Kansas notched the country’s 60th-best rushing attack at 157.8 yards per game.
But this year feels different.
The Jayhawks need to become a run-heavy offense to secure a third bowl game under Lance Leipold
When speaking with the media earlier this week, Leipold spoke about the room, saying, “I like the depth there. I think there's a lot of guys that can be productive for us.”
Next season the Jayhawks will be primarily enlisting Dylan Edwards, Jalen Dupree and Yasin Willis.
Both Willis and Edwards joined as 88-overall transfers according to 247Sports, while Dupree finishes the trio with an 85 rating.
“You know, it's gonna be interesting to see how we can spread that around, but different styles of runners, different sizes, there's speed, there's power, a lot of different things that, again, I know when Andy and I kind of talk about where we're going, there's a lot of different ways for us to be creative with that group,” finished Leipold
To catch people up, Edwards will certainly be Kansas’ paciest option up and down the sideline; getting him out wide and into open space will allow fans to see the best of him.
Willis’ 6-foot-1 stature throws in the power dynamic. During his time at Syracuse, Willis showed an elite ability to read gaps patiently, never forcing himself into a cavern. Despite his height, Willis offers several highlights of elite athleticism as well.
Lastly lies Dupree. While the talk around the redshirt sophomore has been a bit quieter than the other two, Dupree offers a nice combination of strength and speed, and a lot of elusiveness, often becoming a struggle to tackle in the open field.
How much is the rushing attack going to influence this new-look offense?
The biggest story of the Jayhawks’ offseason could easily be sold as the rehiring of former associate head coach Andy Kotelnicki to the same role, meaning he will be back in charge of scripting the offense. Kotelnicki helped lead KU to its two best seasons post-Mark Mangino in both 2022 and 2023. In the 2022 season, the Jayhawks ranked 48th in the nation, averaging 174.3 rushing yards per game, which went for 48th-best in the nation. One season later, when KU finished with nine wins, the offense was responsible for 202.8 yards per game, 8th-best in the country.
While both Edwards and Dupree have slight injury concerns from the past, if they can remain healthy, this should go down as one of the best attacks the country has to offer.
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