Tag: Kansas Football

Wisconsin football top-ranked class of 2026 edge rusher target commits to Big 12 program

Wisconsin football top-ranked class of 2026 edge rusher target commits to Big 12 program

Wisconsin top class of 2026 target Hunter Higgins announced his commitment to Kansas on Wednesday.

On Dec. 13, the three-star defensive lineman narrowed his final list of collegiate landing spots down to Wisconsin, Nebraska, Michigan and Kansas. He ultimately chose the hometown Jayhawks.

Lance Leipold’s crew first emerged as the front-runner in early January when several recruiting analysts, including 247Sports’ Michael Swain and Rivals’ Jon McNamara, released forecasts linking Higgins to Kansas.

Higgins becomes the third highly-touted 2026 Badger recruit to commit elsewhere since Dec. 24. Other notable ones include top-ranked offensive lineman Ben Nichols choosing Notre Dame and running back Shahn Alston committing to USC.

247Sports’ composite ranking currently considers Higgins the No. 429 overall recruit in the class of 2026, No. 32 edge and and No. 4 prospect from his home state of Kansas.

Including Higgins, the Badgers have offered 24 total edge rusher prospects in the class of 2026. The program boats one commitment in the class at this early stage in the recruiting cycle.

Former Wisconsin offensive tackle declares for 2025 NFL draft

Former Wisconsin offensive tackle declares for 2025 NFL Draft

Former Wisconsin Badgers and current Kansas Jayhawks offensive tackle Logan Brown declared for the 2025 NFL draft on Wednesday.

“It has been an honor to represent the University of Kansas football program these past two years,” Brown wrote on X. “I want to thank my teammates for the memories we have made on and off the field and for competing with me day in and day out. I want to thank the coaching, athletic training, and support staff for allowing me to grow into the player and person I am today. I could not be more excited to declare for the 2025 NFL draft.”

The 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive tackle spent four seasons with the Badgers from 2019-2022. After redshirting his freshman season, he appeared in 26 games, including three starts, for Wisconsin before entering the transfer portal in November 2022.

Brown joined Lance Leipold and the Kansas Jayhawks beginning in 2023. There, he logged 13 total appearances over two years before making the decision to go pro.

As a recruit, Brown was arguably the best offensive tackle in the country. 247Sports composite ranking considered Brown was the No. 17 overall prospect in the 2019 recruiting class, the No. 1 offensive tackle, and the No. 1 player from Michigan.

Brown never ended up panning out in Madison, but his move to Kansas appears to have worked in his favor. He blocked for 1,266-yard rusher Devin Neal for the 5-7 Jayhawks, a team responsible for eliminating the Colorado Buffaloes from College Football Playoff contention on Nov. 23.

He’s now projected as a mid-round pick in April’s draft.

Kansas WR Quentin Skinner makes leaping TD catch at Arrowhead Stadium

Check out this highlight-reel play by Kansas WR Quentin Skinner from the #Jayhawks’ homecoming game against the Houston #Cougars at Arrowhead.

The Kansas Jayhawks are off to their hottest start of the season on Saturday as they look to win their homecoming game against the Houston Cougars at Arrowhead Stadium.

After star quarterback Jalon Daniels and tight end Jared Casey got the Jayhawks out to an early lead in the first quarter, Kansas didn’t let its foot off the gas.

Later in the opening period, Daniels hit speedy wide receiver Quentin Skinner deep downfield with a 48-yard pass that required a leaping effort to haul in.

Check out this video of Skinner’s impressive catch, which was posted to Twitter by Kansas Football’s official account:

https://twitter.com/KU_Football/status/1847729999433900268

The Jayhawks currently hold a 1-5 record, but a win over the Cougars would be a step in the right direction for Kansas as head coach Lance Leipold looks to salvage the rest of his team’s 2024 campaign.

Expect to see more highlight plays from Daniels and Skinner as Saturday’s Big 12 showdown at Arrowhead Stadium continues.

Jalon Daniels struggles in nightmare loss for Kansas to Illinois

The Kansas Jayhawks lost to Illinois Saturday in Week 2 College Football action.

It was a nightmare for the 19th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday night. In front of a sold-out crowd of 60,000 Orange-clad fans at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Kansas fell to the Fighting Illini of Illinois, 23-17.

Jalon Daniels, the Jayhawks signal caller, finished the game with just 141 passing yards, and the most important note was the three interceptions. One of the interceptions led to a final-minute touchdown for the Illini just before halftime.

The Jayhawks seemingly went away from their strongest offensive weapon, running back Devin Neal. Neal finished the game with 14 carries and 101 yards, an average of 7.2 yards per carry. Daniel Hishaw, the other running back also averaged 5.6 yards per carry for Kansas.

Illinois took the lead with 9:34 to go in the game, as Kaden Feagin rushed in from 1-yard out. After Kansas could not move the ball, Illinois milked over 6:00 off the clock and knocked down a field goal to go ahead by six points.

Kansas could not get the ball into the end zone at the end of the game, including a fumble on the final play from Daniels to set up the Hail Mary.

Luke Atmyer finished with 192 yards passing for Illinois. Zakhari Franklin was his top target, with nine receptions and 99 yards in the game. He did lose a fumble in the game.

Kansas will now likely be unranked, and is currently out of the current College Football Playoff picture. Despite the loss, Kansas will still be a dark horse pick in the Big 12 standings when it gets underway. The Jayhawks will now head home and host UNLV in Week 3. The Rebels are 2-0, and reached a bowl game a season ago.

Illinois will remain at home, and seek to win their third straight game when the Chippewas of Central Michigan come to town.

Michigan State football DE transfer Bai Jobe chooses Kansas

Former MSU DE Bai Jobe picks Kansas over Mississippi State and UTSA

Michigan State lost defensive end Bai Jobe to the transfer portal during the spring portal window, much to the dismay of the fanbase. Jobe was a former top-75, 4-star recruit out of Oklahoma in the 2023 recruiting class. Once a crown jewel, now off to the transfer portal.

Jobe has now found his landing spot, making a decision between Kansas, Mississippi State and UTSA. He chose the Jayhawks.

Jobe did not record any playing time during his time at MSU.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner.

Mountain West Football: 2023 Bowl Season Opt-Out And Transfer Tracker

The transfer portal is open. NFL Draft prep looms. Business decisions are made. Which players will sit out the Mountain West’s bowl games?

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Mountain West Football: 2023 Bowl Season Opt-Out and Transfer Tracker

The transfer portal is open. NFL Draft prep looms. Business decisions are made. Which players will sit out the Mountain West’s bowl games?

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Not all the stars will be out in December.

December marks perhaps the busiest time of college football season. Between the upcoming slate of bowl games, the official opening of the transfer portal, and buzz surrounding the game’s brightest stars and their standing in next year’s NFL Draft, players have plenty on their minds when deciding how to finish their season.

Not everyone will choose to stay on the field, though. Check back here throughout the month as we watch which athletes opt out of bowl season, both among the Mountain West’s seven bowl teams and their opponents.

Note: Significant contributors among opponents will be noted in italics.

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Air Force

  • Aidan Behymer, TE
  • Caden Blum, DL
  • Mason Carlan, OL
  • John Lee Eldridge III, RB
  • Jonah Jensen, QB
  • Brady Phillips, DL
  • Caleb Rillos, TE
  • Jarius Stewart, QB
  • Anthony Wenson, WR

James Madison

  • Brent Austin, DB
  • Kaelon Black, RB — team-high 594 rushing yards, 23 catches, 220 receiving yards in 2023
  • James Carpenter, DL — FCS Freshman All-American in 2021; two-time all-Sun Belt
  • Aiden Fisher, LB — third-team all-Sun Belt, 91 tackles, seven passes defended, six tackles for loss in 2023
  • Desmond Green, WR
  • Zach Horton, TE — first-team all-Sun Belt, 26 catches, 266 yards, six touchdowns in 2023
  • Taurus Jones, LB — first-team all-Sun Belt, 82 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss in 2022
  • Mikail Kamara, DL — second-team all-Sun Belt, 18.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks in 2023
  • Wayne Knight, RB
  • Ty Son Lawton, RB — 742 all-purpose yards, six total touchdowns in 2023
  • Chauncey Logan, DB — 42 tackles, four tackles for loss, six passes defended in 2023
  • Carter Miller, OL — redshirt freshman, nine starts, 639 snaps at left guard in 2023
  • Abi Nwabuoku-Okonji, DL
  • Tyler Stephens, OL — 30 career starts; four starts each at left guard, right tackle, left tackle in 2023
  • Jailin Walker, LB — 30 career starts; 55 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four passes defended in 2023
  • Tyshawn Wyatt, OL

Starco Brands LA Bowl, Hosted By Gronk

Boise State 

  • Taylen Green, QB
  • Eric McAlister, WR
  • Keenan McCaddy, DB
  • Kivon Wright, DL

UCLA

  • Kam Brown, WR
  • Keegan Jones, WR
  • Laiatu Latu, DL — Ted Hendricks Award winner, Lombardi Award winner, Pac-12 defensive player of the year in 2023
  • Dante Moore, QB — five-star true freshman, five starts in 2023
  • William Nimmo Jr., DB
  • Kamari Ramsey, DB — redshirt freshman safety, 11 starts in 2023
  • Carsen Ryan, TE
  • Jake Wiley, OL

Isleta New Mexico Bowl

Fresno State

  • Tanner Blount, LB
  • Logan Fife, QB
  • Chrishawn Gordon, DB
  • Abraham Montaño, K
  • Hayden Pulis, OL
  • Raymond Scott, LB

New Mexico State

  • Reggie Akles, WR
  • Ta’ir Brooks, WR
  • Jamari Buddin, LB
  • Tyler Devera, TE
  • Trent Hudson, WR — 36 catches, 571 yards, team-high ten touchdowns in 2023
  • PJ Johnson, WR
  • Malachi McLean, DB
  • Jordin Parker, WR
  • Tyriece Thomas, DL

EasyPost Hawaii Bowl

San Jose State

  • Branden Alvarez, WR
  • Fernando Carmona Jr., OL
  • Blake Davis, DB
  • Charlie Leota, DL
  • Anthony Madrigal, OL
  • Dominick Mazotti, TE
  • Elijah Wood, LB

Coastal Carolina

  • CJ Beasley, RB — team-high 717 rushing yards in 2022; 262 rushing yards, two touchdowns in 2023
  • Mason Bowers, OL
  • Jahmar Brown, DB
  • Jared Brown, WR — 2022 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year; 108 career receptions, 1,534 career receiving yards, 11 career touchdowns
  • Bailey Carraway, LB
  • Evan Crenshaw, P — sophomore; 83 career punts, 39.7 career yards per punt
  • Aaron Diggs, DB
  • Jarrett Guest, QB — two starts in 2023 following injury to Grayson McCall
  • Eli Hillman, DB
  • Kaleb Hutchinson, DB
  • Tavyn Jackson, DB
  • JT Killen, LB — 25 career starts; 65 tackles, three tackles for loss in 2023
  • Derrick Maxey, DB
  • Grayson McCall, QB — three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year
  • Tyson Mobley, WR
  • Tre Pinkney, LB
  • Jacob Proche, DB
  • Chris Rhone, WR
  • Braylon Ryan, DL — 38 career games, 21 career starts; 24 tackles, two tackles for loss in 2023
  • Laurence Sullivan, DB
  • Bryson Summers, OL
  • Dami’on Thompson, WR
  • Donnell Wilson, OL

Guaranteed Rate Bowl

UNLV

  • Jordan Jakes, WR
  • Jordyn Morgan, DB

Kansas

  • Will Huggins, TE
  • Reece Thomas, WR

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Utah State

  • William Testa, K
  • Josh Williams, LB

Georgia State

  • KZ Adams, RB
  • Rico Arnold, WR
  • Bryquice Brown, DB — 42 career games; 35 tackles, six passes defended in nine games
  • Marcus Carroll, RB — first-team all-Sun Belt, 1,350 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns
  • Montavious Cunningham, OL — redshirt sophomore, 15 career starts, 737 snaps at right tackle in 2023
  • Jaquon Dixon, RB
  • Cameron Dye, OL
  • Evan Graham, LB
  • JayT Jackson, DB
  • Jordan Jones, LB
  • Robert Lewis, WR — led team with 70 catches, 877 yards, five receiving touchdowns
  • Tony McCray, DB
  • Jalen Tate, DB

Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl

Wyoming

  • DQ James, RB
  • Kolbey Taylor, DB

Toledo

  • Dequan Finn, QB — three-time all-MAC, 2023 MAC Vern Smith Leadership Award winner (conference MVP)
  • Jaret Frantz, WR
  • Micah Kelly, RB
  • Brad Ling, K
  • Vinny Sciury, OL — first-team all-MAC in 2023, 836 snaps at left guard
  • Ty Thomas, DL

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UNLV Football: Rebels To Face Kansas In Guaranteed Rate Bowl

The Rebels fell short in their quest for a conference title, but they can end one of their best years ever with a win against the Jayhawks.

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UNLV Football: Rebels To Face Kansas In Guaranteed Rate Bowl

The Rebels came up short in their quest for a conference title, but they can still end one of their best seasons ever with a win against the Jayhawks.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

The Rebels are bowling for the first time in a while.

Generally speaking, not much was expected of the UNLV Rebels this fall, but the program defied expectations and will head to their first bowl since 2013 when they square off with the Big 12’s Kansas Jayhawks in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

UNLV had high internal expectations for itself, however, dismissing former head coach Marcus Arroyo last off-season and bringing in Barry Odom to replace him. In Odom’s first year at the helm, the Rebels posted a 9-4 record, the first time the program had won that many games since winning 11 in 1984, and reached the Mountain West championship game for the first time. Though they fell short on Saturday against Boise State, UNLV still has a chance to reach double-digit wins for the first time in 40 years.

Kansas, meanwhile, continued their renaissance under head coach Lance Leipold and won eight games for the first time since 2008. The highwater mark came in defeating Oklahoma at home back in late October, though they’ll have the rare opportunity to defeat both teams from the Silver State having beaten Nevada on the road in non-conference play.

This year’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl is set for Tuesday, December 26. It will be broadcast on ESPN, kicking off at 6:00 PM Pacific/7:00 PM Mountain.

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Social media reacts to Oklahoma’s elimination from Big 12 title race

Oklahoma misses the Big 12 title game for a third straight season.

The Texas Longhorns (11-1) will not face the Oklahoma Sooners (10-2) in the Big 12 title game. Oklahoma won’t be there.

The Sooners loudly celebrated a midseason win over the Longhorns in October. Some even mocked a possible reunion between Texas and Oklahoma in Arlington for the conference championship. It turns out, they were right. Texas won’t be seeing Oklahoma in the title game.

After beating Texas in October, Oklahoma promptly lost to the Kansas Jayhawks and Oklahoma State Cowboys before finishing 10-2 and losing control of its destiny.

Heading into the final Saturday of the season, Sooner faithful needed the Cowboys to lose to make it into the title game. Oklahoma State defeated BYU in double overtime to knock Oklahoma from the Big 12 championship race.

Here’s a look at how social media took in Oklahoma’s Big 12 title elimination.

Week 10 picks including Texas and Kansas State

Texas better be prepared to tackle.

The path to the College Football Playoff narrows this week. Several teams are set to clash in big time matchups while others look to avoid upsets for another week.

The headliner of the week takes place between SEC West rivals LSU and Alabama. Texas has an interest in the game given its resume-defining win over the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Elsewhere, the Big 12 title race could be all but decided this week. Four one-loss conference teams face another team of the same conference pedigree on the day.

Texas and Kansas State meet for Big Noon Kickoff. Afterward Oklahoma and Oklahoma State play what could be the final Bedlam rivalry matchup. A loss could end a title bid for any of the four teams.

Let’s predict some of the best games from Week 10.

College Football Week 9 Winners and Losers: Oklahoma unbeaten no more, Oregon sends a clear message

If we’re truly going to get a chaotic conclusion to the 2023 college football season, Week 9 felt like the calm before the storm.

If we’re truly going to get the chaotic conclusion to the 2023 college football season that has been teased, Week 9 felt like the calm before the storm.

It was far from the most loaded weekend slate we’ve seen since the season really kicked into gear, and most of the nation’s top teams survived relatively unscathed.

That is unless you’re Oklahoma.

The list of unbeaten teams shrunk from nine to eight as the Sooners were stunned in Lawrence by Kansas, which claimed its first victory over its border state rival since 1997 in what was the final conference matchup between the two programs.

The most high-profile matchup of the day proved to be a relative snooze as Oregon had no problems dispatching Utah, making a clear statement to the rest of the Pac-12 in the process.

October is in the books, and the season is now on its home stretch. The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday night, and Week 10 features some games that are sure to carry massive postseason implications.

In the meantime, here were the winners and losers from Week 9.