Kansas fans—let’s be real. You’re probably still scratching your heads over that 2024 football season. The Jayhawks walked into the year with Top 25 clout, riding high on preseason hype and bowl-winning momentum. Then? Boom. A five-game faceplant in the middle of the season that sent them crashing to a 5–7 finish. But on July 25, head coach Lance Leipold stepped up to the mic and dropped two big bombs: one on his quarterback, the other on the gaping Devin Neal-sized hole in the backfield.
The Jayhawks started with Top 25, and then they crashed hard with a five-game losing streak midseason—think Illinois, TCU, and Arizona State handing them their lunch. They missed a bowl game by a single win, a bitter pill after back-to-back bowl trips in 2022 and 2023. But late in the year, they caught fire, winning three straight against Iowa State, BYU, and Colorado, thanks to a ground game that churned out 211.4 yards per game, good for 13th in the FBS.
Enter Lance Leipold, the coach who’s been rebuilding Kansas brick by brick. On July 25, he hopped on a media call and got real about his squad’s vibe in the fall camp. “Jalon Daniels’ out there full speed, taking every rep, doing everything, getting that back on track,” Leipold said, talking up his quarterback, Jalon Daniels. “The continuity that we missed last fall camp is definitely there, and getting people working together, timed up.” That was it—the green light. The Jayhawks finally have their QB1 back, and he’s cooking (per Lance Leipold).
Let’s rewind for a sec. Last season was brutal for Daniels. A lingering back injury left him in and out of practices during both spring and fall, and while he started all 12 games, the offense never truly clicked. The timing was off, the reads looked rushed, and Kansas often leaned way too hard on Devin Neal to bail them out. Now? Daniels is healthy. He’s locked in. And he’s finally getting full-speed reps in a fall camp that matters—especially when you’ve got over 30 seniors gone and a bunch of new faces trying to mesh before an early-season kickoff.
Leipold didn’t sugarcoat the stakes either. The fifth-year head coach knows this isn’t just another rebuild—it’s go-time. After back-to-back bowl appearances in 2022 and 2023, expectations ballooned. But the 2024 five-game losing skid punched KU back down to Earth. Daniels’ numbers? Not exactly Heisman stuff: 2,454 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, 12 interceptions. The turnovers hurt. The rhythm was off. And the chemistry? Practically non-existent. For the first time in two seasons, Daniels is healthy, confident, and has full control of the offense in a fall camp setting.
The rhythm is finally coming back. And when your QB1 is rocking with a new batch of receivers after losing your top 3 from last season, you need all the chemistry-building you can get. In short, Leipold is betting on Daniels’ full-speed camp to get the offense clicking like a well-oiled machine.
The biggest hole in Kansas’ lineup? Devin Neal, the hometown hero who carried the offense. Neal, now with the New Orleans Saints, ran for 1,266 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2024, plus 250 receiving yards and a score. His 207-yard, three-touchdown explosion against Colorado was a masterclass in grit and heart. As Kansas’ all-time rushing leader, his departure leaves a crater. Leipold’s not sweating it, though—he’s got a plan to keep the ground game humming, and it starts with two battle-tested backs ready to step up.
Can the Kansas Jayhawks replace Devin Neal?
So what’s the plan? Enter Daniel Hishaw Jr., the bruiser who finally steps out from Neal’s shadow. Leipold didn’t hold back on his praise: “You know, glad you asked that, because you know, watching Daniel Hishaw kind of emerge out of the shadow of Devin and—never taking anything away—for we all know what a special person Devin was for this program and university and community. But it’s been also invigorating, I think is probably a good word, to watch Daniel Hishaw kind of see that he—that he has this opportunity, and that this program believes in him.”
Hishaw played in all 12 games last year. He wasn’t just some backup stashed on the bench. The RB racked up 376 yards and three touchdowns on 65 carries. That’s a strong 5.8 yards per touch. Not elite, but absolutely efficient. And he showed motors—like that 85-yard outing against TCU or his red-zone rumble versus West Virginia. Now he gets to be the guy.
But even Leipold admits Hishaw won’t carry the load alone. This year, it’s a committee gig—and that brings us to Leshon Williams. “He’s got a new lease on football,” Leipold said. “Didn’t come in the greatest shape, and really had to—you know—from where he was in practice one in the spring, to where he ended up, and now where he’s at is really leaps and bounds.” Williams is a pretty physical type of running back. A between-the-tackles grinder who can soften defenses for Hishaw to hit the second level.
Replacing Devin Neal isn’t a one-man job. It’s gonna take a 1–2 punch, some creative scheming, and a whole lot of faith in Jalon Daniels staying upright. And that’s what Leipold’s betting on. He knows there’s no replacing Neal’s aura—but if Hishaw and Williams can be consistent, Kansas might just survive the post-Neal era without taking a nosedive. The truth? This team’s success hinges less on replacing a single star and more on keeping the engine running. And that engine? It’s back in the hands of a fully healthy Jalon Daniels.
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