Last season, the Kansas Jayhawks managed the nation’s No. 95 overall defense, giving up 409.5 yards per game.
Unlike a typical defense, the Jayhawks weren’t gashed through the air. Kansas’ passing defense ranked 68th-worst, giving up 225.4 yards per game. Instead, KU was painfully beaten on the ground again and again, allowing 184.1 yards. Those numbers planted Kansas at 105th in the nation.
The Jayhawks gave up over 190 yards five times last season, coincidentally going 1-4 in those games, en route to their 5-7 season, back-to-back 5-7 seasons as a fact.
Knowing this, head coach Lance Leipold and defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald stocked up on the defense, bringing in 15 transfers through the NCAA Transfer Portal, including nine at either linebacker or defensive line in their class that ranked 53rd in the nation.
CBS Sports gives high praise of portal linebacker addition
In Matt Zenitz’s and Chris Hummer’s latest article titled “Big 12 post-spring insider intel: QB updates, a 5-star's resurgence, breakout players and more,” the pair pointed to transfer linebacker Quincy Davis in their category labeled “Lesser-known players poised for breakout seasons”
“Davis transferred to Kansas after tallying 43 tackles as a sophomore at New Mexico State last season and has made a strong early impression since joining the Jayhawks.”
Davis finished New Mexico State’s 4-8 tackles ranking No. 8 on the team in tackles. Davis also reeled in one tackle for loss in his 12 games.
“‘He had a terrific spring,’ a source said,” finished Zenitz and Hummer.
The redshirt junior Davis will be joining a returning crown jewel in Tre Lathan. Lathan finished his first season with the Jayhawks, adding 86 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, five pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
The All-Big 12 Honorable Mention flirted heavily with the transfer portal; however, he made the last-second decision to return to KU, where he will instantly be installed as the defense’s shotcaller.
Marshalling Kansas’ linebacker core is Chris Simpson. Simpson made the jump with Leipold over to the Jayhawks from Buffalo. At least one linebacker was named All-MAC in each of Simpson’s six seasons in the northeast.
Heading into next season, the Jayhawks will have Jibreel Al-Amin, Jaron Willis, Davis, Bam Crouch, Josh Galbreath, Joseph Credit, Ezra Vedral, Lathan and Malachi Curvey. Looking past the incoming 2026 class, the Jayhawks have already reeled in three-stars Elliott Neff and JaMarquis Hudson. Neff comes to the Jayhawks rated at 85 overall, with Hudson coming in at 89. Narrowly missing the cut for a four-star.
Assuming Davis remains with the Jayhawks and progresses like he is supposed to, his senior year, he and Vedral would be the linebacker group’s oldest players, although Davis would likely lead the way in experience, as Vedral has played in a reserve role so far under Leipold.
Up next for the Jayhawks are the grueling summer workouts, which will drag them perfectly into fall camp before KU hosts Long Island University in early September.
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