Team Info
Kansas Jayhawks
Head Coach: David Beaty
2015 record: 0-12 overall, 0-9 Big 12
2015 Bowl result: None
2016 returning starters: 8 offense, 8 defense

Betting Info
Odds to Win 2017 College Football Championship Game: 6000/1
Odds to Win 2016 Big 12 Championship: 425/1
Regular Season Wins: under 2 -115 / over 2 -105
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The Kansas Jayhawks have lost 15 straight games dating back to 2014. The good news is there is no where to go but up for the Jayhawks who along with Central Florida were the only two winless teams in FBS football last year. The season started off with an embarrassing loss to FCS school South Dakota State by three points. After that other than a surprisingly close loss to TCU, the Jayhawks lost every game by double digits. Coach David Beaty gets 16 starters back in 2016.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at Kansas on offense, defense and special teams, plus a look at the schedule.

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Offense

Kansas averaged a paltry 332 yards a game last year including just 113 rushing yards and only 15 points a game. They scored 38 against South Dakota State in the opener but never scored more than 23 in any other game for the rest of the season. Coordinator Bob Likens gets 8 starters back and some improvement is expected.

Much like their cross-state rivals Kansas State, the Jayhawks had multiple season ending injuries to quarterbacks and were down their fourth stringer. Montell Cozart started off the season as the starter and threw for 752 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception and rushed for 113 yards with a touchdown. He was injured after four games. Deondre Ford and Keaton Perry each took a few snaps before injuries sidelined them too. True freshmen Ryan Willis started the last 8 games of the season. He completed 52.1% of his passes for 1,719 yards with 9 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He suffered a wrist injury in the spring but is expected to be the starter again. All four quarterbacks are back in 2016.

Running back Ke’aun Kinner is back after rushing for 566 yards with 5 touchdowns on 134 carries, plus he had 16 catches. He played most of the season with a torn labrum and a deep thigh bruise.   De’Andre Mann and Taylor Cox have both graduated. They split most of the  back-up carries, but Taylor Martin will get a lot of those carries.

Texas A&M transfer LaQuivionte Gonzales looks to take over as the number one receiver for the departed Tre’ Parmalee. Steven Sims and Jeremiah Booker will also get plenty of catches after impressive freshmen seasons. Ben Johnson is the tight end.

Three starters are back on the offensive line including senior left tackle Jordan Shelley-Smith, senior guard D’Andre Banks and junior center Joe Gibson. They allowed 39 sacks last year and weren’t very good at opening up holes for the running game either.

Defense

If it is possible, the defense might have been worse than the offense last year. The Jayhawks gave up 562 yards and 46 points a game. Kansas was dead last in both categories.  Clint Bowen and Kenny Perry are the co-coordinators and get 8 starters back.

End Dorance Armstrong had 3.5 sacks last year as a freshman. The starting tackles are also sophomores in D.J. Williams and Daniel Wise.

Linebacker Joe Dineen had 86 tackles last year and 6.5 tackles for loss. Marcquis Roberts is also back and was third in tackles with 71.

Safety Anthony “Fish” Smithson led the Jayhawks in tackles with 111. Cornerback Brandon Stewart looks to reamin healthy after battling injuries for much of 2015. Derrick Neal and Tyrone Miller, Jr. will also start in the secondary.

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Special Teams

Kicker Matthew Wyman is back but needs to be more consistent. It still isn’t clear who the punter will be. Gonzales will return punts and safety Ryan Schadler will return kicks.

Schedule and Outlook

Kansas opens at home against Rhode Island who won exactly one more game than Kansas did last year. The Jayhawks should break the losing streak but they might not win another game the rest of the season. They host Ohio before traveling to Memphis. In conference, Kansas travels to Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Kansas State. TCU, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Texas come to Lawrence.

Look, Kansas is easily the worst team in the power five conferences. They will be awful again, but I will give them an upset or two and give them three wins.

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