Kansas vs. Wagner 2025: Must-Know Keys and Predictions for Week 1

The Kansas Jayhawks showed no signs of rust or unfamiliarity in their season opener in Week 0. The program dominated Fresno State en route to a 31-7 win. Jalon Daniels looked like the quarterback that he has shown flashes of numerous times over the past few years. The defense looked as good as one can remember. Even special teams was clicking on all cylinders. Aside from an early touchdown and a handful of penalties, you couldn’t tell that the Jayhawks were playing their first game in nearly nine months. And entering Week 1, it’s Kansas vs. Wagner in a 2025 matchup where predictions are heavily favoring the home team.

And entering this Week 1 matchup, the Jayhawks will have the advantage in just about every area possible when the Seahawks come to Lawrence on Friday night.

Kansas Jayhawks vs. Wagner Seahawks: Matchup History

To make a short story even shorter: there is none. For the second week in a row, Kansas will face a team for the first time in its 135-year history. That means it’s time for everyone’s favorite segment. Say it with me now: Random Team Historical Facts!

Wagner has been a Division I football team since 1993 and has been a part of the Northeast Conference since 1996. They are two-time conference champions, first in 2012 and again in 2014. They have a Division I record of 153-187, but are just 25-78 over the past 10 years. Their last winning season was in 2016, when they went 6-5.

Their last 5 games against power conference opponents have gone as follows:

• 2023: 52-3 loss to Rutgers
• 2022: 59-0 loss to Syracuse
• 2022: 66-7 loss to Rutgers
• 2018: 62-10 loss to Syracuse
• 2016: 42-10 loss to Boston College

That is a cumulative score of 281-30. In other words, they have been a bit out of their league when playing against power conference opponents in the past. Unfortunately for Wagner and the Seahawk faithful, Friday shouldn’t be any different.

Kansas vs. Wagner 2025: Keys to the Game and Predictions

Key Players for Kansas

Jalon Daniels looked like a star quarterback in Kansas’ Week 0 dismantling of Fresno State. He threw just two incompletions (one drop and one deep miss), totaled 223 yards, and tallied three touchdowns in about three quarters of serious action. He completed passes to 10 different players and was sacked just once. Daniels extended plays and used his legs masterfully like he has done so many times throughout his career.

Fresno State allowed about 25 points per game last season against Mountain West competition. Wagner also gave up about 25 points per game, but against Northeast Conference competition. Fans shouldn’t expect the Seahawks to have the juice to keep up with Daniels and the Jayhawk offense.

The Kansas defense was very balanced in Week 0, with no single player standing out above the rest. With that said, the entire front seven deserves acknowledgement for their domination of Fresno State for the better part of the game. The line got pressure seemingly every time the Bulldogs tried to pass the ball. Bangally Kamara and Leroy Harris both collected impressive sacks, with Kamara forcing E.J. Warner to fumble that was recovered by the Jayhawks.

Trey Lathan led the team in tackles and Dakyus Brinkley was tied for the second most. The secondary was impressive as well, but the level of play from the front seven set the tone for the defense.

Key Players for Wagner

The Wagner Seahawks are replacing a massive amount of production from what was already an underperforming team last season.

Offensively, they’ve replaced their starting quarterback, running back, and two of their top three receivers. They do return a running back duo that combined for over 600 rushing yards last season, but they weren’t the primary starters from last year.

If there is a way for a severely undermanned team to hang around, it’s by utilizing the ground game and milking the clock. However, if the Kansas run defense in Week 0 was any indication of how good the unit actually is, it won’t matter much. Fresno State had two running backs who averaged 4.7 cumulative yards per carry in 2024. The Jayhawks held them to 13 carries for 37 yards, which comes out to 2.8 yards per carry.

Defensively, Wagner is in just as bad of shape. They return just three of their top 12 tacklers from 2024, one at each level of the defense. Linebacker Jordan Johnson was second on the team in tackles and will be one of the leaders on the defense as a senior.

Another senior, Sam Martin, will lead the secondary after being third on the team in tackles and passes defended a year ago. Junior Logan Barnes will be the leader in the trenches, as he led the team in sacks as a sophomore.

Keys for a Jayhawk Win in Week 1

I hate to use a cliche “get off the bus, get dressed, take the field” type of saying. However, this is about as applicable as it will ever be for the Jayhawks.

Wagner would be outmatched against any power conference opponent in any given year. However, having to replace most of their premium production from a year ago makes it unlikely for them to compete in this matchup. The Seahawks should use this as a game to knock off the rust and see what they have with all the new faces.

For the Jayhawks, they can try new formations or get backups playing time to see what the future might look like. Regardless, this game shouldn’t be competitive for very long.