A week from now, we'll be diving into Long Island and getting ready for the first KU football game of the 2026 season, which is slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Friday, Sept. 4 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
That means we've got one last full week to share a few things we learned about this team during the offseason, most recently at preseason camp, where effort was high, battles were waged and anticipation grew day by day.
🚨 Coming Tuesday: A similar look at the KU offense 🚨
We heard from KU coach Lance Leipold four times during the past few weeks, both coordinators (Andy Kotelnicki and D.K. McDonald twice each) and every position coach, as well.
That's to say nothing of the few dozen players who talked after KU camp practices to fill us in on their progress, their position group, the team as a whole and the outlook for the upcoming season.
After digesting it all — or at least as much of it as I was able to get to — I came up with two lists of players to keep an eye on. One for the offense and one for the defense.
It doesn't include everyone, of course. And some of the more obvious names were left off. For instance, you won't see either quarterback, Cole Ballard or Zeke Marshall. You also won't see top cornerback Jalen Todd, defensive end Leroy Harris III, middle linebacker Trey Lathan or left tackle Calvin Clements.
You likely know most of those guys and their positions on the team are pretty well set in stone.
The following list of KU defenders — check back for offense tomorrow — is made up of three players you'll know soon and three players who need to show up strong to start the season to secure their spots.
DEFENSE
Three names you need to know
- Defensive End David Santiago (No. 44) – Regarded by many as the defensive player who had the best camp from start to finish, Santiago is a dynamic pass rusher with great size, strength and experience. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound end spent time at Air Force and Michigan State before coming to KU and he grew up watching and admiring former Denver Broncos D-End Von Miller.
- Linebacker Jibreel Al-Amin (No. 25) – Wait until you see this guy fly around. KU's got a bunch of new faces at linebacker, but Al-Amin is among the most exciting of the bunch because of the way he blends, size, speed, athleticism and all-out effort. With the Jayhawks playing a base 4-2-5 defense, he's probably not a starter. That distinction likely belongs to Lathan and Bam Crouch. But Al-Amin figures to be out there for plenty of snaps and the guess here is you'll notice him when he is.
- Safety Taylor Davis (No. 27) – He’s been around a while so it's a name you probably recognize. But the role is totally new. Not only is he an important piece at a position of need, but Davis also has emerged as a bit of a leader, especially when it comes to communication. The coaches have said he's been pretty flawless in that area throughout camp and now they're eager to see him take that effort and attention to detail to game day.
Honorable mention: Safety Khi Cummings-Coleman, D-End Garrett Martin, O-Lineman DeAndre Harper, DB Trey Brown.
Three names that need to show
- Cornerback Austin Alexander (No. 0) – They call him "Double-A" and he's another name you might recognize. But injuries, both last season and in the offseason left him playing catch-up after looking like he might really be ready to emerge. He said he's back to feeling 100% and ready to make a big splash, and the Jayhawks need him to do just that. There is depth behind him, though — most notably in the form of veteran newcomer Roman Pearson — so if Alexander struggles early or gets off to a slow start, he might be fighting for time the rest of the way. The third-year Jayhawk who resides from the Chicago/Chicago suburbs area is full of confidence, personality and passion for the game. He believes it's his time. The early weeks will show whether that's the case.
- Safety Jaden Harris (No. 12) – This dude came to KU after three seasons at Miami, Fla., and one at Georgia. So he's seen big time football and he's a big time hitter with an elite mentality for how to play the game. Being consistent in everything he does is the biggest thing that will get him on the field. Even though he's been battling with Davis at that free safety position — and what a battle it has been; the two have bonded over trying to push each other as hard as possible every day and with every single rep — showing up early and making an impact right away will likely inspire the coaches to make sure he's on the field as much as possible.
- D-Lineman Eamon Smalls (No. 99) – Biggie, as they call him, (more on that in a story soon), has a massive amount of confidence and believes that he can do whatever this team needs him to do when he's on the field. If he's right, he'll be out there a lot, and the fact that he seems to understand that, at D-Tackle, it's not all about highlight plays but rather doing your job in whatever way you can leads me to believe he'll be successful. The 6-2, 335-pound lineman came to KU after 3 seasons at UAB, and he's eager to show the world that he's ready to make the jump to Power 4 football.
Honorable mention: D-Lineman Marcus Calvin, RB Jalen Dupree, LB Quincy Davis, TE Jailen Butler.
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