The Kansas Jayhawks are nearing college football’s first-ever trip to Wembley Stadium as KU kicks off Big 12 play against the Arizona State Sun Devils this Saturday.
Kansas is still licking its wounds from Friday night’s desolate 38-21 Border Showdown loss to the Missouri Tigers that quickly squandered the momentum created just one week beforehand in what was a dominant win over FCS side LIU.
Not only are the Jayhawks looking to repair themselves mentally from Friday, but also physically, as both quarterback Cole Ballard and tight end Carson Bruhn took knocks, and linebacker Daveon “Bam” Crouch missed the entirety of the Showdown thanks to a shoulder injury against the Sharks.
When speaking with the media earlier this week, Kansas head coach Lance Leipold revealed the extent of Kansas’ injuries.
“He [Cole] didn't practice today, so that's about all I can give you at this time… Hopefully he’ll be available but I can't say that at this time. …Bam [Crouch] did some things today. Not sure where he'll be at yet, but he did practice. Carson Bruhn left the game, don't know exactly where his status will be.”
How is Kansas addressing these newfound headaches?
Ballard saw little action against the Tigers, but it was good to see associate head coach/offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki dig into his bag of tricks when he did. Ballard didn’t last long before sustaining his injury, but Kotelnicki was insistent that even if Ballard wasn’t able to play, he would have no problem seeing Rice transfer Chase Jenkins step up into that backup role.
Crouch is certainly a frustrating appearance on this list. From reports earlier last week, he seemed like a non-factor pretty early on. Crouch offers a lot from a leadership standpoint having played in 38 games and even being named a captain at Boston College, before making the move to the Jayhawks. Crouch also brought 107 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks, but his season hit pause just two drives in.
Bruhn, meanwhile, has experienced a massive step up in his playing time. In 2025, he totaled just 5 receptions for 55 yards. So far this season, Bruhn has already notched 3 receptions for the same amount of yards.
Who is the biggest potential loss?
You could really make a case for all three. It was reiterated all offseason that both quarterbacks would be used, so Ballard potentially being a miss is something to keep an eye on.
Replacing Crouch has primarily been New Mexico State transfer, Quincy Davis. Davis has put together 9 tackles and 1 tackle for loss thus far, and has already made 24 appearances before joining the Jayhawks. But he is not quite a like-for-like sub with Crouch.
Lastly, Bruhn currently sits tied fourth in terms of receptions (3), and is working himself into being an integral part of this fold. Thankfully, tight ends coach Matt Lubick has worked himself out of these situations before; last season, when DeShawn Hanika suffered a season-ending injury, Boden Groen emerged as the leading tight end.
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