2026 will certainly be a transitional year for the Kansas football team. Long-time star quarterback Jalon Daniels is gone, as are the foundation of players that pulled the program out of obscurity.
There are plenty of questions surrounding the quarterback position and who will be the primary signal-caller. No one knows if whoever wins the starting nod will be good enough to win games in the Big 12.
Did the Jayhawks improve the athleticism and talent level on defense? Is the offensive line going to be able to hold off pass rushes and protect whoever is playing quarterback?
One position that appears to be deep and talented is running back. Dylan Edwards, Yasin Willis, and Jalen Dupree should give the offense plenty of options in the ground game.
How many games can Kansas win in 2026?
The Jayhawks have a strange schedule early, opening against Long Island, then hosting Missouri before playing Arizona State in London. That game should be an indication of whether Kansas can be competitive in the Big 12 this season.
After returning from London, KU will finish off their non-conference schedule against Middle Tennessee. The best-case scenario is that KU beats ASU and is 3-1 after those guys. Realistically, they will be 2-2.
Still, Arizona State shouldn't be that far ahead of Kansas. ESPN has the Wildcats picked ninth in the Big 12 and KU 12th. That's why that game holds some extra importance. It could give the Jayhawks confidence and an early leg up in the conference.
Kansas' conference schedule is odd in that the Jayhawks don't play Iowa State, a school they should play every season. This will be a down year for the Cyclones, and it would have helped KU to play them.
After the first four games of the season, KU has two consecutive road games that could be brutal. They travel to play Utah, then in-state rivals, K-State. According to ESPN, these are two of the top teams in the conference. Utah is ranked third in the preseason and Kansas State fourth. After those two games, the schedule lightens down the stretch.
KU avoids the top school in the Big 12, Texas Tech, but they also only play two of the four teams ranked below them, UCF and West Virginia. ESPN ranks the Mountaineers last in their preseason rankings, but others, like Athlon Sports, have them ranked much higher (10th). Athlon also has KU ranked slightly higher, at 11th.
If Kansas gels and can be competitive, they can win some games. They play several schools that are ranked around them. West Virginia, UCF, and Baylor are all winnable games. TCU and Oklahoma State are like Arizona State in that if things go a certain way, the Jayhawks could win those matchups.
KU has BYU toward the end of the season, and that is probably one of their losses. Realistically, Kansas will likely lose to Missouri, Utah, Kansas State, and BYU. They should beat Long Island, Middle Tennessee, and probably UCF. That would put them with three wins and four losses.
Those other five games are pivotal. Kansas needs to win at least three of these games against teams that should be relatively close to KU in talent. Three wins against the opponents—Arizona State, West Virginia, Baylor, TCU, and Oklahoma State.
Considering the question marks surrounding this team, it's difficult to imagine seven wins for them. Six wins are quite possible if the team plays well without many mistakes or key injuries. Still, another 5-7 season might be the most plausible outcome. If they win four or even three, things didn't go as well as hoped, and KU isn't as close to some teams as hoped.
Preseason polls and predictions make for fun discussions, but the games still need to be played. Kansas seems to be part of a large group of teams that can go one way or the other, depending on how each team develops through the season.
It would be surprising if KU didn't win at least four games, but if a quarterback can emerge, and the Jayhawks avoid dumb penalties, turnovers, and injuries to key players, a bowl game is still a realistic goal.
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