Kansas football edge rusher departs from Jayhawks' program

Kansas football has some work to do on the defensive line after losing Austin Booker to the NFL in the offseason. There are many unproven edge rushers with lots of potential on the roster, but none have panned out at the collegiate level yet. The coaching staff heavily pursued and landed the commitments of 4-star recruits Deshawn "DJ" Warner and Dak Brinkley.

A player who had high expectations when he enrolled at KU was Tony Terry, a former 3-star prospect out of Missouri. Terry redshirted his first year in Lawrence and did not take a snap for the team, and he was expected to eventually see time in the trenches for Lance Leipold's group. However, the Jayhawks' head coach confirmed that Terry was no longer with the program during a practice last week.

RS freshman Tony Terry no longer with Kansas football program

Last Monday, Leipold told reporters at the end of his press conference during practices that: “[Terry] is no longer in the program." He was not listed on the final fall camp roster, which raised some questions from the media.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound defensive end was the 10th highest-rated recruit among KU's Class of 2024 signees. He was a versatile defensive lineman who reportedly put on 20 pounds over the offseason to make the switch to defensive tackle.

Terry's athleticism was not limited to the defensive end in high school. He excelled at tight end and was even told he might see reps there by former OC Andy Kotelnicki. However, he never wound up seeing the field for Kansas.

This should not be a significant long-term loss for Kansas. Considering how much Leipold has prioritized edge rushers in his recent high school recruiting classes, there was likely no spot for Terry to crack the rotation. It is unknown whether he plans to enter the transfer portal or end his college football career entirely.