Skip to main content
Through the Phog
Fansided

Why Kansas fans should feel perfectly fine at running back ahead of next season

The Kansas Jayhawks running back room is set to be one of the strongest positions
ByConnor Mardian|
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on Reddit
Google Discover
Nov 8, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Nov 8, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Daniel Hishaw Jr. and Leshon Williams were each promising prospects who had their own great individual moments on the field. As a matter of fact, Kansas’ running back room was one of the very few consistent things from last season as the Jayhawks managed the nation’s No. 60 rushing attack in the country with 157.8 yards per game on the ground. 

While neither pushed themselves into “all-conference” talks, the pair were always going to be hard to replace, which is why getting the likes of Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards and Syracuse running back Yasin Willis was so crucial. 

What each explosive running back offers

For one, both will be coached by Jonathan Wallace. Wallace was key in the development of current NFL running back Devin Neal, leading the Jayhawks to the No. 13 rushing attack in the country in 2024 with 211.4 yards per game. 

Willis comes from the ACC, where his sophomore season saw the three-star transfer notch 558 yards and four touchdowns on 62 yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry. 

When asked to describe his playing style during Spring practice, the 6-foot-1 Willis answered, “Very physical, downhill…I like to fight for the extra yards, especially after contact. So I just say very aggressive, very versatile. I can catch out of the backfield as well.

Edwards, meanwhile, is a much more shifty option; the former Wildcat and Colorado Buffalo broke out during his first season at Kansas State, notching 546 yards on 74 carries for five touchdowns with an extra two through the air. 

Last season, Edwards played in just four games in what was an up-and-down season for Kansas State, which ended with Edwards notching 205 yards on 34 carries and finishing with just two touchdowns before leaving the program in early November. 

“I'm ready. I'm ready to play. I'm ready to play right now, and I'm just happy. That's something that’s different. I'm very happy here,” quoted Edwards this Spring. 

“…This game is supposed to be fun, and I'm trying to play for a long time, so as long as I have fun with it, I think I can play for a long time.”

The Jayhawks are also enlisting Colorado State running back Jalen Dupree from the portal. In 14 games with the Rams, Dupree totaled 661 yards on a strong 5.2 yards per carry, and three total touchdowns. 

Freshman Kory Amachree is also seen as a promising long-term prospect to a program that has thrived at pushing the rock down the field under Wallace and Leipold. 

 Kansas’ rushing attack has never meant more

For the first time in what feels like an eon, the Kansas Jayhawks are going to be without quarterback Jalon Daniels. Daniels is instead replaced by redshirt juniors Cole Ballard, Chase Jenkins and redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall. None of the three have experience playing in the Big 12, and with a revamped wideout core, leaving only Cam Pickett as the team’s best retuning wide receiver, makes an improved running game that much more important.

More Kansas Football News

Add us as a preferred source on Google
Home/Kansas Jayhawks Football