For the Kansas Jayhawks gearing up for their fifth season under coach Lance Leipold, this comes a year removed from a frustrating season where KU missed a bowl. Now Leipold is looking to find a way to avoid repeating that next year. Fall Camp is now underway for the program. In a season where Kansas has heavily invested in a new roster, bringing in 27 incoming transfers and a full freshman class. One senior rusher was already there.

It could easily have the feel of a rebooted camp from Year 1, with fresh faces and full installs. But that’s not how Lance Leipold sees it. In fact, he noted Kansas isn’t dealing with as many transitional issues as outsiders might expect. And one reason the machine might already be humming? Their Week 0 showdown might have more juice than anyone’s giving it credit for. On Andy & Ari’s On3 show, Andy Staples teased, “Actually, another Week 0 game that we haven’t talked about at all that I think is really interesting—well, at least I hope it’s interesting. Fresno State–Kansas. That’s after Armageddon. Fresno State at Kansas. I think that one could be a fun game.”

That off-the-radar Week 0 tilt has the makings of something much bigger, especially with a Big 12 sleeper in the mix. Ari Wasserman followed up with some real context. “If we are as far away from Kansas taking the country by storm as people might feel,” Ari said, “Kansas two years ago was really exciting, but the second half of last year… like, when things are working for them, it’s working for them, right? You know, there’s always got to be a Big 12 sweetheart that comes out of nowhere, right? And this could be yours again this year. I don’t know.” They’re not shouting “New Year’s Six” from the rooftops, but you can sense it—something about this Kansas team has more edge than usual. That something just might be their backfield battering ram.

Daniel Hishaw Jr. is a barreling back. Staples added, “Daniel Hishaw, by the way, I love watching him play. He’s the running back who just obliterates. He’s 5’10”, 220. He’s a cannonball, essentially. He just obliterates people. And I don’t just mean when carrying the ball—I mean when he’s blocking as well.” That’s not just analyst fluff. That’s a line delivered with admiration—and not a little fear. When Hishaw is healthy, there may not be a more violent runner in the Big 12. And finally, for once, he looks fully healthy. A recently shared photo on X confirms what Lance Leipold hinted at: he’s in peak physical condition.

It’s been a winding road for Daniel Hishaw Jr. He’s missed chunks of multiple seasons, including a 2022 campaign that ended early and a four-game absence last year. Still, he averaged a career-best 5.8 yards per carry in 2024 and carved out a bruising role behind star tailback Devin Neal. Now, with Neal no longer with the program and Iowa transfer Leshon Williams joining the rotation, Hishaw gives Kansas what most Power Five programs desperately crave—true depth at running back.

And when it comes to impact, Hishaw doesn’t need a full workload to change a game. His 1,490 career rushing yards and 18 touchdowns have come in just 27 appearances, many of them limited. He’s also been named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List for the third consecutive year, a nod to how respected his game is when he’s healthy. But what really makes him dangerous in 2025 isn’t the stat line—it’s the timing. Fresno State’s Week 0 visit will be the first national look at what Kansas has rebuilt. Nine returning OL, a veteran QB in Jalon Daniels, and a backfield trio that can pound, bounce, or burst.

That’s a different tone than the Jayhawks’ 2023 offense, which sputtered when injuries piled up. So when Andy said, “Just keep it jotted down in the back of your mind—Week 0,” he wasn’t exaggerating. “There’s more to watch after the game in Ireland ends. You’re going to watch K-State and Iowa State, but the other side of the Sunflower State showdown—Kansas—will be playing well, as well.”

Lance Leipold’s Jayhawks skip the reset button

As KU gears up for their Week 0 opener against Fresno State, there’s a noticeable calm around Fall Camp—and not the kind that comes before a storm. Lance Leipold, now in his fifth year in Lawrence, isn’t dealing with the kind of chaos that usually comes with a revamped roster. The team’s chemistry is already clicking. No awkward introductions. No growing pains. Just football.

“Yes. I would say that,” Leipold said when asked if the team had avoided a transitional phase. “And part of it was I thought with as many newcomers that we have, like 50 new scholarships, I thought we’d have a lot more transitional type things, like we did in the first couple of years. We really haven’t. That’s a credit to the players, our leadership within the locker room, our strength and conditioning staff, and our assistant coaches that our guys are in a pretty good routine.”

It’s a stark contrast from when Leipold first arrived in 2021, inheriting a team that had just gone 0-9 in a COVID-shortened year. Add in last season’s awkward camp setup—thanks to ongoing facility construction that forced home games to Kansas City—and it’s no wonder Leipold is breathing easier now.