Can Kansas Football Turn Things Around In 2026?

Kansas Football kicked off the 2026 season with modest expectations, hoping the Jayhawks could recapture the magic of their 2023 performance. The team entered the campaign on a three-game losing streak following losses to Missouri and Arizona State. With quarterback Isaiah Marshall leading the charge, there was a glimmer of optimism for the Jayhawks. However, after just three weeks, the initial enthusiasm has waned, and many are now questioning whether Kansas can turn things around.

The primary goal of the season was to once again qualify for a bowl game. Yet, with two early defeats, the path to that objective appears increasingly uncertain. Kansas will start the season strong, as favorites against Middle Tennessee next weekend. But following that, the slate gets unwieldy, featuring three away games in just four weeks, including marquee matchups against Utah, BYU, and TCU. The season concludes with a high-stakes showdown against Oklahoma State, a team that recently toppled Oregon in Stillwater.

The problems for Kansas have manifested on both offensive and defensive fronts. Marshall has committed turnovers in games where Kansas struggled to generate any semblance of a run game against Missouri. While the run offense improved against the Sun Devils, Kansas managed a paltry 17 points during the trip to London. The balance of the schedule is daunting, with a gauntlet of away games that could prove costly.

For a team that never had lofty preseason expectations, the sudden dip in performance has raised significant concerns. If Kansas fails to secure six wins, the future of head coach Lance Leipold and the program's standing within the Big 12 could be imperiled. The Jayhawks had been a preseason favorite just a few years ago, with a fourth-place ranking that now feels like distant memory.

As of now, it seems those heady days are far behind. The question remains: what steps can Kansas take to salvage this season and rebuild its fortunes?