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Lance Leipold Believes Improved Depth Could Help Kansas Finish Close Games
After back-to-back 5-7 seasons, Lance Leipold believes one of the biggest differences for Kansas in 2026 won't necessarily be star power, it will be depth.
Speaking at Big 12 Media Days, the Jayhawks' head coach repeatedly pointed to the roster's improved depth as a reason for optimism entering the season.
"I like our depth in the offensive line. I really do, the competitiveness there. I like the depth at running back a lot... our depth at linebacker, our depth at safety," Leipold said.
For Leipold, depth isn't just about surviving injuries. It's about finishing football games.
Kansas suffered several heartbreaking losses over the past two seasons, often fading late after key players logged heavy snap counts. Leipold believes having more quality contributors will allow the coaching staff to rotate players earlier and keep the team fresher in the fourth quarter.
"We've lost too many close football games," Leipold said. "When I start looking at some of those losses and I look at the total numbers of snaps played by certain guys... they've been on the field a long time."
He hopes those fresh legs will make a difference when games are decided in the final minutes.
"Can we be a fresher football team? Can we be a healthier football team late in the season that allow us to overcome some of these things? I think we have a chance to do that with this roster," Leipold said.
Leipold also praised Kansas' approach to roster construction during the first full offseason operating under college athletics' new revenue-sharing model.
"I think we've taken our resources and we've allocated them in a good way this year to give us the most depth and opportunity to be successful this year," Leipold said.
Kansas also benefited from having just one transfer portal window this offseason, something Leipold believes created more stability inside the locker room.
"It was so much better because you had a better feeling that players were where their feet were... it just felt different," Leipold said. "I think we've taken the right step that with one portal window, you're going to find out where you're going."
With a deeper roster and renewed stability, Leipold believes Kansas is better equipped to avoid the late-game collapses that have kept the Jayhawks out of bowl games the past two seasons.
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