The leading rusher in Kansas football history is now in the NFL. Devin Neal made his mark in this program and left an incredible legacy. He has also left a sizable void in the Jayhawks’ backfield.
KU will try to avoid a significant dropoff in production from the running back position with a couple of veteran rushers. Daniel Hishaw Jr. is the incumbent, back for his fifth season at Kansas.
The other is a newcomer to the program. LeShon Williams played four seasons for Iowa, but only received 11 carries last year before going down for the year with a leg injury.
Can Daniel Hishaw Jr. and LeShon Williams handle the workload for Kansas football?
Hishaw has seen plenty of opportunities in his years at Kansas, despite being the backup to Neal. When he’s played, he’s been very effective. He’s accumulated 1,493 yards rushing, with 18 touchdowns, on 282 carries, good for an average of 5.3 yards per carry.
Unfortunately, he has missed a lot of time due to injuries. Only once, in 2023, did he play in more than eight games. That season, he gained 626 yards on 121 carries, with eight touchdowns. If healthy, Hishaw has proven he can play a significant role in the running game.
Williams dealt with injuries of his own. He missed almost all of the 2024 season. According to the KU Athletics website, Athlon named him to the preseason All-Big Ten fourth team last season. Unfortunately, his injury prevented him from playing at that level.
In 2023, he showed off his talent. He gained 821 yards on 170 carries. However, he hasn’t shown off a nose for the endzone like Hishaw. While the latter has 18 rushing touchdowns, Williams has just three.
Williams has more catches out of the backfield than Hishaw, 27 to 12, but Hishaw averaged 13.8 yards per reception to just 6.4 yards per catch for Williams.
After these two college veterans, the Jayhawks don’t have much experience in the running back room. A pair of sophomores, Johnny Thomspn Jr. and Jack Thompson, have a combined five carries, all by Thompson.
After that, two redshirt freshmen fill out the Jayhawks' depth chart. Harry Stweert III and Micah Johnson are both looking for their first game action with the Jayhawks.
Kansas must hope Hishaw and Williams can split time and remain healthy. The running game may suffer if either of these backs gets injured or misses a significant amount of time.
If healthy, Hishaw and Williams should offer a potent one-two punch, and the underclassmen will fight for carries throughout the season. The running attack has to be strong, especially early, while quarterback Jalon Daniels builds chemistry with a new receiving corps.