Realistic expectations for Kansas football might be to low if you are optimistic

The Kansas football team will hold its first fall camp practice on Thursday, and its first game of the season is just  31 days away. KU will open in week zero on August 23 in the newly renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. 

This season brings plenty of excitement, anticipation, and hopeful expectations. Many of the players who pulled this program out of obscurity are now gone, and quarterback Jalon Daniels will have a whole new cast of skilled players around him with whom he needs to build chemistry. 

After a decade and a half of futility, the Jayhawks are 20-18 over the last three seasons. While this doesn’t seem like a great record, and it isn’t, it is far better than what was going on with the program previously. 

Considering that Kansas football only won 23 games from 2010 through 2021, a winning record over three seasons is a significant step forward. 

What are realistic expectations for the 2025 Kansas football team?

From sifting through all of the predictions from experts this summer, it’s hard to get a firm grip on how good KU might be this season. ESPN’s College Football Power Index slotted the Jayhawks firmly as one of the top four teams in the Big 12, but Heartland Sports ranked them ninth. Few seem to think KU can break out of the middle and content. 

If Kansas can go 2-1 in its three non-conference games with Fresno State, Wagner, and Missouri (on the road), it’s not difficult to imagine KU winning at least five conference games. 

They should win against West Virginia, Cincinnati, UCF, Arizona, and Oklahoma State. Should win and will win are two different things, but if the Jayhawks go 4-1 in those games, the season will hinge on what they do against the better schools in the conference. 

The most challenging four games on the schedule, aside from the matchup with Missouri, are against Texas Tech, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Utah. They will probably be underdogs in all of those games. If they can steal one and go at least 1-3 against these schools, you are looking at a 7-5 overall record and a 5-4 Big 12 record. 

This is why many experts have Kansas in the middle of the pack. On paper, they seem to be a middle-of-the-pack team. 

It is not unreasonable to hope for a bit more here for the Jayhawks. They still have a quarterback in Jalon Daniels, who was selected as the 2023 Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, and he remains an incredibly talented player. If he has a great season, he alone could be worth an extra win or two. 

Of course, KU has head coach Lance Leipold, who seems to get the most out of his players. It is possible for him to coach his way to an extra win. 

Realistic expectations for this Kansas football team should be a 7-5 record, with a chance at an eighth win in a bowl game. For those who are more optimistic, a path can be seen for up to nine wins, with an opportunity for a 10th one in a bowl.  

If KU wins nine or 10 games this season, most fans would be thrilled. It shows that the process is working. If they win seven games, it is still a positive and means the program is going in the right direction. If the Jayhawks miss out on a bowl again, it will be disappointing, but it should motivate the coaching staff to keep improving the talent level. 

Fans should have realistic expectations of this team, but don’t be shocked if they exceed those expectations.