The Kansas Jayhawks football program has been in the shadow of its in-state rival for the better part of two decades. They haven’t beaten Kansas State since 2008, with 10 the K-State’s 16 consecutive wins coming by 20+ points. However, the tides appear to be turning over the past couple years. While the streak is still alive, the last two wins for the Wildcats have come by a combined six points.
In 2023, third string quarterback Cole Ballard threw an interception in the endzone with six minutes left to spoil the upset. Last year, the Jayhawks took a lead into the fourth quarter, only to turn the ball over twice and fail to end the streak for yet another season. On the field, the gap is being closed. The same can also be said for the recruiting trail, starting with what is happening in their home state.
Kansas Jayhawks look to revamp football team with 2026 recruiting class
There has already been plenty of commitments in the 2026 class, especially in Kansas. So far, the Jayhawks have commitments from seven of the top-11 players in the state. The Wildcats currently don’t have a single top-10 player in the class committed. That is a seismic shift in the norm for these two teams.
The Wildcats have landed 11 top-10 players in the state over the past three years (including 2025). For reference, that number matches what the Jayhawks have landed since 2015. The Jayhawks’ six top-10 commits matches the total from the previous seven years combined and is the most in a single year since 2018. Going back to 2015, Kansas has landed less than two top-10 football players from the state nine times. Not only are they controlling their own state, they also have commitments from top-10 players in Oklahoma, Iowa, and Missouri. Clearly, Lance Leipold and his staff have broken through with local players and it is paying off in a major way.
Key Commits in 2026 for Kansas
The highlight of the class, as far as ranking is concerned, is Kaden Snyder. The offensive tackle from Salina Central is a four-star recruit with a 90 grade from 247 Sports. Snyder is the highest ranked in-state commit for the Jayhawks since Devin Neal (91 grade) in 2021, who worked out pretty well.
The other six players include defensive end Hunter Higgins (89), cornerback JJ Dunnigan (88), linebacker Joshua Galbreath (88), wide receiver Nate Sims (87), wide receiver Tyren Parker (86), and quarterback Jaylen Mason (85).
The Jayhawks don’t have the best recruiting class in 2025, currently sitting at 12th in the conference. However, that is boosted by the 24th-ranked transfer class. Their 2026 class currently ranks fourth in the entire country, behind only USC, Oregon, and Texas A&M. While the Jayhawks don’t have the high end prospects that those schools do (zero five-star recruits and only two four-star recruits), they already have an abundance of quality players.
If Kansas can recreate the same level of success in the transfer portal, the 2026 football class could be a really special one for the Jayhawks. As far as in-state recruits go, there are only two top-10 players uncommitted for 2026. One is linebacker Johnmichael Fountain (87). The other is four-star tight end Ian Premer.
As of writing this article, Kansas is the only school with an official visit locked in with Premer. He will be on campus June 6, and will be joined by nine players that are already committed to Kansas. I have a feeling they will be doing their best to convince the top ranked prospect to join them in Lawrence.
Even if they don’t land Premer or Fountain, the Jayhawks will still have made a massive dent in the local recruiting. Kansas State has made a living on turning lesser recruited Kansas kids and turning them into quality players. If the Jayhawks take that away from them, this rivalry could shift even further in the Jayhawks favor. There is still a lot of work to do, but Lance Leipold and his staff couldn’t have asked for a much better start to the 2026 recruiting circuit.
Kyle Jones
Kyle joined The League Winners in May of 2024 and is currently covering the Kansas Jayhawks, while also dabbling in the Kansas City Chiefs. He is a born and raised Chiefs and Jayhawks fan, as well as the Royals. When he's not watching and writing about sports, Kyle enjoys reading, playing video games, and spending time with his wife and dog.