Kansas Jayhawks Football
2025: The Rebuild Continues
2025 Record: 7-5 (5-4 Big 12) | AP Ranking: Unranked | Bowl: First Responder Bowl vs. Syracuse
Kansas is not a joke anymore. I never thought I’d type those words. — Mike
When Kansas beats your team now, it’s not embarrassing. That’s genuine progress. — Jake
Quick Facts
| Location | Lawrence, Kansas |
| Stadium | David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium (47,233) |
| Head Coach | Lance Leipold (5th season) |
| Colors | Crimson & Blue |
| Mascot | Big Jay / Baby Jay |
| Conference Titles | 0 Big 12 |
Traditions: Waving the Wheat, the Rock Chalk chant (borrowed from basketball but works), and… honestly, they’re still building football traditions. The basketball program casts a long shadow.
Mike & Jake’s Take
🛋️ Mike’s Take (Oklahoma State Fan)
Lance Leipold deserves a statue in Lawrence.
For context: Kansas went 0-9 in 2020. They were arguably the worst Power Five program in the country. A complete afterthought. The punchline to every college football joke.
Now? 7-5. Bowl eligible for the third straight year. Competitive in every Big 12 game. That’s a complete transformation.
The 2025 team isn’t elite, but they’re respectable. Jalon Daniels is healthy (finally) and playing like the guy everyone thought he could be. The offensive line has improved. The defense isn’t getting blown off the field anymore.
They’re not going to win the Big 12 anytime soon. But they’re not a free win anymore either. That’s massive progress for a program that was dead five years ago.
Leipold is doing it the right way — building culture, developing players, winning the games they should win. It takes time. He’s earned the time. Check our standings page to see how far they’ve come.
Confidence Level: Trending in the right direction
🍺 Jake’s Take (Texas Tech Fan)
Okay I’m gonna be honest — I picked Kansas to beat two ranked teams this year. I went 0-2 on those picks. So maybe don’t listen to me about Kansas. (Full receipts in our predictions archive.)
But here’s the thing: they’re competitive now. Every game. You can’t just pencil in a win against Kansas anymore. They’re physical, they don’t quit, and Daniels is a playmaker when he’s healthy.
The Tech game was closer than it should’ve been. We won 31-24, but they had the ball with a chance to tie it in the fourth quarter. That doesn’t happen against Kansas. Or it didn’t used to.
7-5 is great for them. Bowl games matter for a program trying to build credibility. Recruits see that. Transfers see that. The trajectory is up.
Will they ever win the Big 12? I don’t know. But they’re not a basketball school that accidentally has a football team anymore. That’s something.
Confidence Level: Respectable and improving
2025 Betting Trends
| Stat | Record | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Against the Spread (ATS) | 6-6 | 50.0% |
| Over/Under | 7-5 O | 58.3% |
| Home ATS | 4-2 | 66.7% |
| Road ATS | 2-4 | 33.3% |
| As Favorite ATS | 3-3 | 50.0% |
| As Underdog ATS | 3-3 | 50.0% |
Jake’s Betting Notes: Kansas overs hit more often than you’d expect. Daniels can put up points, and the defense gives up enough to push totals. 7-5 on overs is solid.
Mike’s Betting Notes: Home vs. road split is real. Kansas is 4-2 ATS at home, 2-4 on the road. The Lawrence crowd is improving, and the team plays with more confidence at home. More context in our Big 12 Betting Guide.
Key Players (2025)
Jalon Daniels — QB
234-of-356 (65.7%) | 2,789 yards | 23 TD | 9 INT | 149.2 rating
When healthy, Daniels is one of the best quarterbacks in the conference. The injury history is concerning, but he stayed on the field this year and produced.
Devin Neal — RB
198 carries | 1,078 yards | 5.4 YPC | 11 TD
The homegrown star. Neal is a Kansas kid who stayed home and became the face of the program. Physical, reliable, productive.
Cobee Bryant — CB
54 tackles | 12 PBU | 3 INT | 1 TD
The best defensive back Kansas has had in years. Bryant locks down his side of the field and creates turnovers.
Rivals & Key Matchups
Kansas State — The Sunflower Showdown. K-State has dominated historically, but Kansas is closing the gap. K-State won 21-17 this year — closest it’s been in a while.
Missouri (Non-conference) — The Border War. Not currently scheduled but the hatred remains. Both fan bases want it back.
Iowa State — Two programs trying to prove they belong. Games are competitive and meaningful.
More
- Big 12 Betting Guide — Everything you need before placing a bet on any conference game
- The Recliner vs The Barstool — How we rate games (and why we never agree)
- New Fan’s Guide to Big 12 Football — Just getting into the conference? Start here
- Current Standings | This Week’s Schedule
- Our Predictions Archive — Full transparency on every pick we’ve made