Kansas Football: 2025 Game-By-Game Schedule Predictions for Jayhawks

The Kansas Jayhawks had monumental expectations going into 2024 after their 9-win season the year prior. Call it bad luck or lack of killer instinct, but the Jayhawks just couldn’t close the door on their opponents. During a five-game losing streak, they had fourth-quarter leads in four games, and leads with less than a minute left in two of them. After a bit of an overhaul in the offseason, Lance Leipold is ready to get his team back to where they expected to be last season; and this is how we see the Kansas Jayhawks football schedule shaking out in 2025.

Kansas Football: 2025 Game-By-Game Schedule Predictions

August 23: vs Fresno State Bulldogs

Fresno State is coming off a six-win season that included one-score losses to two power conference opponents. While their quarterback, Mikey Keene, is now competing for the starting job at Michigan, his replacement has been just as productive at the collegiate level.

E.J. Warner, son of Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, has nearly 9000 passing yards and 60 touchdowns in his collegiate career. He’s no stranger to putting up numbers. However, his supporting cast can’t quite say the same.

Their running game was less than effective last season, collecting just 1276 yards on a measly 3.3 yards per attempt. Their top three receivers from last year’s team have either transferred or graduated. That includes 1000-yard receiver Mac Dalena, who is currently with the Kansas City Chiefs.

On the other side of the ball, eight of their top 10 tacklers from 2024 are no longer on the roster. The Bulldogs can be pesky and will put up a fight, but it’s just too many new faces in Week 0 to keep up with a more talented Kansas team.

Prediction: 34-20, Win (1-0)

August 29: vs Wagner Seahawks

If you watched KU’s season opener last year against Lindenwood, then you know how much of a slow start they got off to. After an opening-drive touchdown, their next two possessions were just five total plays and resulted in a pair of turnovers. They quickly found their footing after that, scoring on each of their final five possessions (aside from the one that ended the game), including a pick-six.

This year, they get a ramp up game before they face their FCS opponent. That’s likely bad news for Wagner, who is coming off of a 4-8 season with just two conference wins (Northeast Conference).

The Seahawks averaged just 19.3 points per game and that was against opponents nowhere near the caliber of Kansas. For a bit of a reference point, they played UMass, who has been one of the worst football programs over the past 15 years and won just two games last season. UMass beat them 35-7. With all due respect to Wagner, this game shouldn’t be even remotely close, and I don’t think it will be.

Prediction: 41-10, Win (2-0)

September 6: at Missouri Tigers

The rivalry formerly known as the Border War is one of the oldest in college sports and even goes back as far as the Civil War. It is 21st on the list of most-games played between two teams, but it would be around sixth had Missouri stayed in the Big 12.

The first matchup was way back in 1891, and they played every year (except 1918, thanks a lot World War I) until Missouri left for the SEC in 2012. The all-time series is 56-55-9 in favor of the Tigers, so a Kansas win would add even more to this bitter rivalry.

As far as the 2025 matchup goes, it should be an absolute dogfight. Missouri is replacing a lot of offensive production, including their quarterback, leading rusher, and two leading receivers.

Defensively, however, they will likely be an absolute force. They were 20th in the country in points allowed in 2024 and are 10th in returning production on the defensive side of the ball. They also brought in the seventh ranked transfer class, highlighted by five-star Damon Wilson. This will be the unit that makes the biggest difference in the game and ultimately ends up being the deciding factor.

Prediction: 20-24, Loss (2-1)

September 20: vs West Virginia Mountaineers

The Jayhawks will be coming off their first bye week as they come back home to take on West Virginia. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers will be coming off their yearly matchup with Pittsburgh. The Backyard Brawl is one of the most physical rivalries in college football, so Kansas will have a massive rest advantage for this matchup.

West Virginia also doesn’t have a concrete answer at quarterback after losing two-year starter Garrett Greene. That could still be an issue when this game rolls around. Not only that, but they are replacing their entire offensive line from last season. That is not a great combination when facing the Jayhawks.

West Virginia doesn’t have a proven quarterback to take advantage of a new Kansas secondary, and they’ll have a new offensive line to square off against a deep defensive line for the Jayhawks.

I think the Mountaineers will struggle to score points against most competent defenses they face this season, and the Jayhawks won’t be the exception.

Prediction: 30-16, Win (3-1)

September 27: vs Cincinnati Bearcats

The biggest worry for the Jayhawks in their matchup with Cincinnati is the mobility of their quarterback, Brendan Sorsby. Kansas has struggled mightily to slow running quarterbacks over the past few years.

Since 2022, Kansas has allowed 13 different quarterbacks to rush for 50-plus yards, with five of them going for 75 or more. Sorsby hit the 50-yard threshold three times last season and fell just two yards short in a pair of games.

Luckily for the Jayhawks, the Bearcats are replacing their top running back and top three wide receivers from 2024. That could allow the defense to focus a bit more on Sorsby’s legs than his arm. That could lead to a couple big plays through the air, but I think it will contain their offense enough to pull out a win and move to 2-0 in conference play.

Prediction: 34-24, Win (4-1)

October 4: at UCF Knights

Scott Frost is back at UCF after a handful of rocky years at Nebraska (and one year with the Los Angeles Rams). The last time he led the Knights, they were left out of the College Football Playoff after a 12-0 year. That was a dream season, but 2025 could be much closer to a nightmare for Frost and the Knights.

Their quarterback battle is between three different players, all of which have their question marks.

Jacurri Brown has five career starts in three seasons and Tayven Jackson has six career starts over two seasons. Cam Fancher has by far the most experience, but at a lower level of competition (Marshall and FAU). That means their quarterback will either be a player with less than a full season’s worth of starts, or one who was rather pedestrian at the mid-major level (5200 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions across three seasons). They also won’t have any returning pass-catchers to throw to.

If you thought the Jayhawks lost a lot of production with their receiving corps (which they did), wait until you hear this stat. UCF doesn’t return a single wide receiver who had a catch as a Knight in 2024. Their most productive receiver coming into the season is Chris Domercant, who had 640 yards and a pair of touchdowns at Chattanooga last season.

Questions at quarterback and wide receiver, plus losing their 1500-yard running back to the NFL draft, spells for trouble. I just don’t think the Knights will have the fire power to keep up with Jalon Daniels and company.

Prediction: 37-17, Win (5-1)

October 11: at Texas Tech Red Raiders

On paper, Texas Tech is loaded with talent. They are second in the Big 12 in returning production, which is good for ninth-best in the entire country. On top of that, they also brought in the second-ranked transfer portal class. According to 24/7 Sports rankings, the Red Raiders transfer class features 13 four-star players, highlighted by a pair of edge rushers and offensive tackles.

That group joins a team that returns it’s 3300-yard and 27 touchdown quarterback, two of its top three receivers, and seven of its top nine tacklers from a season ago. This game will also be their conference home opener.

With how their early schedule looks, the Red Raiders could very well be 5-0 when the Jayhawks roll into Lubbock. If they are, the crowd will be electric. All of that adds up to a really tough test for Kansas, especially with the biggest game on their schedule looming.

Prediction: 24-31, Loss (5-2)

October 25: vs Kansas State Wildcats

2008 was the last time the Jayhawks won the Sunflower Showdown. The Kansas State Wildcats have won the last 16 meetings between the two, but it took a lot more effort the past couple seasons.

Last year, Kansas took the lead with 36 seconds left in the third quarter and held it until a K-State field goal with 1:42 remaining flipped the outcome. After the touchdown to end the third quarter, the Jayhawks gained just 30 yards the rest of the game and turned the ball over twice.

In 2023, true freshman Cole Ballard led Kansas to an 11-point lead midway through the third quarter, but the offense stalled once again. Over the final 28 minutes of game time, the Jayhawks mustered just 79 yards; 64 of them coming on a drive that ended with a game-sealing interception in the endzone.

Needless to say, the gap between the two programs appears to be closing. With a rivalry like this, often times it doesn’t come down to the X’s and O’s of the game. It comes down to who wants it more, who is better prepared, or even who makes one more play than the other team.

The past two seasons, the Jayhawks were one play away from breaking the streak. In 2023, a third quarter pick-six would have extended the Kansas lead to 18 points. Instead, the ball fell harmlessly to the ground and the Wildcats took advantage. Last year, they had the lead and the ball with four minutes left until a Jalon Daniels fumble gave the Wildcats prime field position to kick the game-winning field goal.

This time, finally, I think it will be the Jayhawks that make the one extra play.

Prediction: 27-24, Win (6-2)

November 1: vs Oklahoma State Cowboys

To say last year was a disappointment for Oklahoma State would be a massive understatement. After an undefeated start in non-conference games, the Cowboys went winless in conference play and ended the season 3-9 after playing in the Big 12 Championship a year prior. Unfortunately for them, it might not be much better this year.

The Cowboys rank 90th in the country in overall returning production and 106th in returning offensive production. They are replacing every single starter on their offense except for the tight end. Their quarterback room consists of two true freshmen and two redshirt freshmen.

On defense, Oklahoma State brings back just three starters (one defensive lineman and two defensive backs). They do have the fifth-best transfer class in the Big 12, but that is more due to quantity and not necessarily quality (only one four-star player, but 38 three-star players).

The only thing that could keep this game close is the potential hangover from the Sunflower Showdown the week prior. However, I don’t think it makes that much of a difference.

Prediction: 40-20, Win (7-2)

November 8: at Arizona Wildcats

If Oklahoma State was the most disappointing team in the Big 12 last season, Arizona was battling with Utah for second on that list.

The Wildcats went into the season as one of the favorites in the conference, led by one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos in the country. Half of the duo lived up to the hype, as Tetairoa McMillan put up 1300 yards and was a top-10 pick in the NFL draft. Noah Fifita, however, struggled for the better part of the season.

Fifita’s yardage was basically identical to 2023, but his touchdowns dropped and his interceptions doubled from six to 12. They ended up winning just two conference games, both of which came against teams that finished in the bottom five of the conference. The defense also struggled in 2024, giving up 30-plus points in seven games against Big 12 opponents.

From the looks of it, Arizona didn’t improve either side of the ball that much in the offseason. They have the ninth-ranked freshman class and 11th ranked transfer portal class in the Big 12.

Unless Fifita can revert to his 2023 level of play and they find some unexpected production, it will likely be another down year for the Wildcats.

Prediction: 31-20, Win (8-2)

November 22: at Iowa State Cyclones

I didn’t mention this for the last two games coming off a bye because I didn’t think it would play as much of a factor. However, I figured this was as good of a time as any.

Since 2022, which was Leipold’s second year as head coach, the Jayhawks are 5-0 coming off of a bye. Four of those wins have come against ranked opponents. What does that mean for this game? Maybe nothing at all, but I told you it was a fun fact not a spoiler, so get off my back. What makes it potentially even less meaningful is the fact that Iowa State is also coming off a bye.

What will definitely impact the game, is Iowa State returning 14 starters from last season’s Big 12 runner-up team. For what it’s worth, the Jayhawks did hand them one of their two regular season losses. That was a 31-point first half that allowed the Jayhawks to coast in the second half and pull out a 45-36 win.

That game kicked off a streak of three straight ranked wins for Kansas. I don’t think the matchup this year comes anywhere close to that score. And unfortunately, I don’t think the Jayhawks are able to pull out a win in Ames.

Prediction: 20-27, Loss (8-3)

November 28: vs Utah Utes

The Kansas Jayhawks 2025 schedule features the trifecta of disappointing Big 12 teams from 2024. And the third and final team comes to Lawrence on Senior Day.

This is a significant one for the Jayhawks, with players like Jalon Daniels, Daniel Hishaw Jr, Bryce Foster, D.J. Withers, and Dean Miller (among many others) playing their final game in Lawrence. This is the first class that has played four years with Lance Leipold, so it’s a special group that has meant a ton for the program. They will want nothing more than to go out with a bang. Utah has one major weapon standing in their way, however; and it’s a weapon that has been a bit of a Kryptonite for the Jayhawks during the Leipold Era.

Devin Dampier joins Utah after spending a single season as the starter for New Mexico. He had a rather pedestrian 2800 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. However, he is an absolute force on the ground.

In 2024, he rushed for 1100 yards and a ridiculous 19 touchdowns. For reference, Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw combined for 1600 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. Dampier had six games with 100-plus rushing yards and seven games with multiple rushing touchdowns. Needless to say, he is electric with his legs.

If Cincinnati can hang around because of Sorsby’s rushing ability, Utah can absolutely cause problems with Dampier’s rushing ability. The Jayhawks will have to make the Utes win through the air. It won’t be easy, but I think they gut out a Senior Day win.

Prediction: 27-20, Win (9-3)

Kansas Football: Final Thoughts on the Schedule

Given how high last season’s expectations were and how that turned out, this is probably a bit of wishful thinking. However, Jalon Daniels really settled in and looked like his old self after the first handful of games last season.

The team’s new offensive coordinator (Jim Zebrowski) was the play-caller for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in 2023, a game in which the Jayhawks scored 49 points and totaled nearly 600 yards of offense. Obviously that won’t happen on a weekly basis, but he clearly has a solid grasp on the offensive scheme that best fits Daniels.

If the transfer receivers and defensive backs can click and be consistent, all the other pieces are in place for a solid season. If it were to play out like this, there’s a good chance the Jayhawks would be making a trip to Arlington for the Big 12 Championship.

Final Record Prediction: 9-3 | 7-2 in the Big 12