A look at the first depth chart of 2025

The Kansas football program released its first official depth chart of the 2025 season on Monday, five days shy of the season opener.

As far as these things go, you have to take every bit of it with a grain of salt because history has shown us that depth charts, at all levels of football and sports, are often a loose guide to who might play when and where rather than the gospel.

Still, there are some concrete things that can be gleaned from getting eyes on the first depth chart of the season, following all kinds of work and time put in throughout spring practice, offseason workouts and preseason camp.

With that in mind, here are a few quick things that stood out about the first KU depth chart of 2025.

• Freshman Tate Nagy returning punts… Not everyone will like this because he’s so young and we have yet to see him do the job. But, man, I absolutely love it. The kid can move. He’s shifty, elusive, tough and fast. And he has good vision and a great grasp of what the Jayhawks want to get done in the punt return game. As head coach Lance Leipold said on Monday, “He’s done an excellent job of making plays back there,” using his ability to so often make the first guy miss to give KU a chance at big plays in the return game. He’s little. And he might get rocked a time or two. But he’s also a football player and he should bring a fair amount of excitement to the position, too.

• The depth at Tight End is real… Four guys are listed on the depth chart as possible first-stringers, giving plenty of validity to OC Jim Zebrowski’s claims throughout the offseason that there are a bunch of different ways that position can and will be used this season. DeShawn Hanika is technically listed first, and that means something. But the coaching staff has said that Carson Bruhn, Boden Groen and Leyton Cure have all looked solid during the offseason and each will have a role or perhaps several roles. Don’t be shocked to see three tight ends on the field at the same time from time to time. And good luck to the defensive coaches trying to identify a top target or obvious usage pattern during their gameplan sessions for KU. These guys might not be quite as popular as the Mason Fairchild and Jared Casey names of the recent past. But there’s no reason to think they won’t be a huge and fun part of this offense.

• I wouldn’t read too much into what you’re seeing at WR on the depth chart... Simply because I think — and they’ve said — they’re all going to play. There’s still time to sort out who the top options are in the passing game and it’s fair to think that the transfers — Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Levi Wentz and Cam Pickett — will have just as much of a shot at being the cream that rises to the top as returners like Doug Emilien and Keaton Kubecka. But they’re definitely a Three Musketeers type of group — All for one and one for all! — and success by one guy will mean success for the room and success for the KU offense and that’s something they’ll all celebrate.

• Cole Ballard the clear No. 2… No OR needed on the QB depth chart, as it’s Ballard, the redshirt-sophomore slotted just ahead of redshirt-freshman Isaiah Marshall. That’s not a knock on Marshall or his offseason, more a tribute to Ballard’s work, his ability as a leader and his deep understanding of the KU offense and football in general. “Functional intelligence” is the phrase Z uses to describe Ballard’s handle on KU’s offense and his role in it. “He really understands the offense,” Zebrowski said on Monday.

• Clearer picture up front… I loved seeing Amir Herring’s name listed first at left guard, simply because he seems like one of the biggest risers of the offseason and it’s cool to see guys get rewarded for big-time work. Here’s the funny thing about Herring; a lot of the effort and intensity he put in during the past several months came at center, repping at that position for a while with Bryce Foster rehabbing an injury. Herring’s work inside was so good there that he played himself into the mix at guard and now appears to be in line to start on Saturday. It’s important to note that Leipold said they’ll likely rotate at the left guard and right tackle spots, with Herring and Tavake Tuikolovatu at guard and veteran Nolan Gorczyca and transfer Enrique Cruz Jr. at right tackle. But he also noted that the guys listed first on Monday were likely the leaders to run out there for the first snap on Saturday.

• No real shockers on defense… If anything, the thing that stands out in looking at the depth chart on paper and in front of you is how stout the KU D-Line is. There’s some serious talent and depth in that front and even at the linebacker position. While many faces in that front seven are new, they all appear to have had a solid camp and can play. The secondary has talent, too, but it’s far more of a question than what you’re seeing up front, simply because the secondary is so much younger than the veterans and known names you’re seeing in the trenches. If this secondary can be solid, this defense has a chance to be pretty damn good.

• Three captains all starters… No shock here, really. But KU coach Lance Leipold revealed at the end of his Monday presser that QB Jalon Daniels, C Bryce Foster and D-End Justice Finkley had been voted captains by their teammates for the 2025 season. All three are lock starters at their positions and all three bring a variety of styles, experience and talent to their positions and the role of captains. Daniels, of course, has been there and done that. But it was really cool to see what the honor meant to both Finkley and Foster, who were emotional and oh-so-appreciative about being selected. As much for the chance to represent this team as for what it means in the big picture of their college football journey to get to this point.

“I was kind of tearing up, and I kind of caught myself,” Foster said of hearing his name called. ‘It gives me goosebumps and I’m just excited to represent this team the way should be represented.”

Added Finkley: It was great. I just appreciate my teammates a lot, the way that they see me and hold me it that light. I never thought I'd be able to be in this position when I first
came in here.”

• Real quick, three ‘Don’t Forget This Guy’ names that appeared on the first depth chart of 2025…

Wide Receiver Cam Pickett – Has a chance to make some plays, catch a ton of balls and really surprise people with how shifty and talented he is after the catch. He’s on here as a potential kickoff return guy, too.
D-End Dak Brinkley – Listed as an OR behind starter Dean Miller and rising transfer Leroy Harris III, but even if those two are good, I still think there’s room for Brinkley to play a big role.
Safety Mason Ellis – Listed third string at the “Hawk” position and second behind starter Lyrik Rawls at one of the two safety spots, Ellis has worked a ton at nickel this offseason and is healthy and flying around pretty well. I’d imagine he’ll play a lot of snaps somewhere as long as his health remains solid.