Kansas football coach Lance Leipold talks transfer portal, player retention

LAWRENCE — Kansas football made some noteworthy additions through the transfer portal this offseason.

There was redshirt junior quarterback Chase Jenkins, who arrived from Rice and will compete for the starting job. There was junior running back Dylan Edwards, who arrived from rival Kansas State and has some versatility. And on Wednesday, coach Lance Leipold discussed their arrivals and more.

On the defensive line, given what KU had to replace, Leipold noted they had to bring in bigger, more experienced bodies. Redshirt junior defensive end David Santiago, from Michigan State, is one name to know there. Also, as much as they like redshirt junior defensive tackles Blake Herold and Marcus Calvin, back from the 2025 team, the fact that they used three defensive tackles on the field together as often as they did last fall meant newcomers were needed.

Broadening out to the rest of the defense, Leipold allowed that they anticipated losing a couple of linebackers before that number rose. So, they attacked that position group, and he likes the size and athleticism that group now has. At safety, they took the same route, and at cornerback, he thinks they added players with athleticism to provide depth.

On offense, Leipold wanted length at wide receiver and got that in redshirt senior Nik McMillan from Buffalo. Senior wide receiver Nahzae Cox, from Middle Tennessee, is another big body who can make contested catches. Both redshirt senior tight ends, Jailen Butler from Old Dominion and Carter Moses from Albany, add athleticism to their own position group.

Looking elsewhere, redshirt sophomore Jalen Dupree from Colorado State and redshirt junior Yasin Willis from Syracuse are big bodies for the running back room, too. Along the offensive line, there’s going to be some more competition at tackle. In the interior of that line, keep an eye on redshirt juniors Connor Stroh from Texas and Kasen Carpenter from Oklahoma State.

RELATED: Dylan Edwards’ transfer from Kansas State to KU fuels rivalry, coach Leipold weighs in

Here are some more takeaways from what Leipold, who’s trying to bounce back in 2026 after a pair of 5-7 seasons, had to say:

What Lance Leipold thought of the January transfer portal window

Leipold described the transfer portal window that played out in January as fast and furious, as the Jayhawks tried to figure out who was available and if those players could fit into what KU could provide. It wasn’t like they were setting up an official visit weekend, because it was a continual flow of recruits. Overall, he liked the group his staff was able to sign, and he reiterated that they feel confident they can close the deal if they can get someone on campus.

What Lance Leipold thought of revenue-sharing and its effect on recruiting

Leipold acknowledged that whether you like it or not, money changes things. It’s part of the equation now, with the inclusion of revenue-sharing, and he praised general manager Rob Ianello, the personnel staff and even KU Athletics legal staffers for their roles in helping the program handle things. What Leipold likes best, and looks forward to, is getting back on the field and back to playing football.

What Lance Leipold thought about KU’s player-retention ability

There were some noteworthy departures that Kansas has had to deal with, like quarterback David McComb picking Miami (Ohio), linebacker Jon Jon Kamara picking Wisconsin, and safety Lyrik Rawls picking Arizona State. But the Jayhawks were able to bring back redshirt senior linebacker Trey Lathan, among other key contributors. The number of players who left KU through the portal stands out more than those who specifically left.

Leipold mentioned that player retention is one way the Jayhawks have tried to change how the program is perceived, and they’ll continue to focus on it. But there’s also the need to ensure, especially with money being involved, that everyone who’s on the team is ready to compete. Just because someone’s brought in from the portal doesn’t mean that individual is going to play over a returning athlete, which is a conversation Leipold said he had with someone who left Kansas.

Leipold also brought up a separate conversation he had with a player from earlier in his tenure as KU’s coach, where that player — only around for a semester — lamented how much the rest of his position group was developing. Had Leipold known how much the rest of those individuals would progress, that player didn’t think Leipold would have recruited him. Leipold thought that was ridiculous, because it’s his job to bring in the best players to help the team and those who win spots will play.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: What Lance Leipold said about Kansas football’s transfer portal haul