Kaden Warner | Sports Staffer
LAWRENCE – After just three seasons, Lance Leipold has turned the KU football program around. Leipold brought the Jayhawks their first winning season (9-4) since 2008 (8-5). In addition to the winning record and seventh place Big 12 tie, Leipold also led his team to the first bowl game victory since 2008 where KU won the Guaranteed Rate Bowl 49-36.
This is arguably the most anticipated season in program history and it all starts on August 29 when the Jayhawks, who are favored by 43.5 points from FanDuel, take on the Lindenwood Lions at Children’s Mercy Park.
It has been 244 days since the last time KU football has been on the field for game day action and since then the Jayhawks have managed to return not 10, not 20 but 30 seniors to the squad. Among them are key performers such as quarterback Jalon Daniels and his offensive backfield cohort Devin Neal.
Daniels saw the field in only three games last season after he began having problems with his back, something he said he had never had issues with before in an interview with ESPN. Daniels said, in the same interview, that he just wants to play this season and that he “didn’t come to college not to play football”.
While Neal was racking up his stats. He earned 1,280 rushing-yards in the 2023 season putting his total up to 3,077, which is just 765 yards away from the program’s all-time rushing record.
Neal and Daniels aren’t alone on the offense, as a large group of senior receivers including Luke Grimm, Quentin Skinner, Lawrence Arnold and Jared Casey are out to wreak havoc in the endzone. The group combined for 2,031 receiving-yards and 16 receiving touchdowns last season.
The defensive side of the ball will also be returning two ball-hawks in the forms of seniors Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson. Bryant had an outstanding 2023 season. He posted 30 solo tackles with two assists, five of those tackles posted for 29 lost yards for the Jayhawks’ opponents. Not only can he bring opponents to the ground, he also has an eagle eye to snatch the ball from the air as he came down with four interceptions last season returning them for a total of 48 yards.
Dotson also came away with four interceptions from last season returning those for a 90 yard total, two of them going all the way for a pick-six. Dotson was also a tackling-machine, bringing opponents down 37 times on his own and helping in 11 other scenarios. During the August 24 Football Kickoff Party in downtown Lawrence, Neal and Bryant had the opportunity to answer some questions from Hanni. Hanni asked Neal what teams should do during games when they have to throw into a backfield like KU’s, Neal said they shouldn’t.
Kickoff time is slotted for 7 p.m. and if you can’t make it to Kansas City to watch the game live, you can listen to KJHK’s broadcast on 90.7 FM.
Photo: Val Montañez, KJHK Sports Photo