KANSAS CITY – Kansas Football starts their season off against Lindenwood at Children’s Mercy Park. After a less than 36 hour transformation from soccer stadium to football venue, Kansas is ready to hit the ground running after a 9-4 season last year. Entering the season at 22nd in the AP Preseason rankings and 24th in the Coaches poll, first time since 2008 Kansas ranked in both major polls in the preseason, Kansas is making a run for the College Football Playoffs.
30 seniors return to the Kansas roster after a very successful season, including Jalon Daniels and Devin Neal, a powerful duo behind the line of scrimmage, Lawrence Arnold, Luke Grimm and Quentin Skinner, as the top pass catchers, Bryce Cabeldue, Michael Ford Jr. and Kobe Baynes up front, making holes for Devin Neal to get to the goal line for 6. Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson also return as All-Big12 cornerbacks, protecting the end zone, amassing 8 interceptions combined and taking 1 and 2 back to the house, respectively last season.
Jalon Daniels missed most of last season due to injury, only playing 3 games and throwing for 705 yards and 5 touchdowns with the longest at 59 yards and an added 74 yards on the ground. Looking for another break out season like he had in 2022, throwing for 2014 yards and 18 touchdowns. Not only was Daniels a great passer but a rusher as well, scrambling for 419 yards and 7 touchdowns, looking like Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in his sophomore season at Wyoming with almost 3,000 yards in the air and 485 yds on the ground of 7 TDs.
Lance Leipold enters his 4th season at Kansas, already turning the program around from his first season where the team finished at 2-10, appearing in back-to-back bowl game, most recently winning the Guaranteed Rate Bowl over UNLV 49-36. Leipold, previously with Buffalo, ended his time there with a 37-33 record and 3 bowl appearances.
Kansas faces off against Lindenwood in Kansas City, KS Thursday, August 29th at 7pm (7:02 KO). Catch the action on ESPN+ or in person at Children’s Mercy Park with tickets still available at SeatGeek.
