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Where Did Kansas Football Finish in Post-Spring SP+ Rankings?

Kansas football finished in the top 50 of ESPN's latest SP+ rankings. Where did the Jayhawks land this year?
Aug 29, 2024; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold takes the field before a game against the Lindenwood Lions at Children's Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Aug 29, 2024; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold takes the field before a game against the Lindenwood Lions at Children's Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

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Most outlets project the Kansas Jayhawks to finish in the middle of the pack in the Big 12 in 2025 after a disappointing season a year ago.

ESPN's Bill Connelly recently unveiled his updated post-spring SP+ rankings, a system he developed over a decade ago that measures efficiency and tempo (among other things) for college football teams.

Lance Leipold and KU landed No. 50 overall in Connelly's rankings out of 136 Division I schools.

Kansas tied with James Madison with a 3.0 SP+ ranking. Its 32.0 offense grade is good for No. 31 in the country, while the 29.0 defense rating is No. 75 nationally.

Seven schools in the conference finished above the Jayhawks — Kansas State, Arizona State, Texas Tech, BYU, TCU, Utah, Iowa State, and Baylor, respectively, all of whom ranked in the top 35.

As Connelly outlines in his explanation of SP+ rankings, this is not a personalized ranking, but rather a system to gauge what the early power rankings may look like.

He also released updated returning production figures, where Kansas did not fare as well. The program finished 64th in terms of returning production, with 62% of the offense production coming back compared to 49% of defensive production.

Kansas suffered a mass exodus of starting players to graduation, including longtime contributors like Devin Neal, Cobee Bryant, Luke Grimm, Mello Dotson, and others.

The team is relying on a bounce-back season with quarterback Jalon Daniels back under center and a handful of veteran additions in the transfer portal.

It might be an uphill battle for Leipold and Kansas football this year, but the Jayhawks' roster is talented enough to compete with the best teams in the Big 12.

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Joshua Schulman
JOSHUA SCHULMAN

A lifelong Kansas basketball and football fan, Josh recently graduated from The College of New Jersey, majoring in Communications and minoring in Journalism. Josh has over 1,500 published articles on KU athletics across Kansas on SI and FanSided's Through the Phog, with additional work at Indiana on SI, Notre Dame on SI, and Pro Football Network. Josh looks to provide a fan's perspective in his writing for the school he has loved since he was a kid. KC Sports Network is the premier destination for Kansas City sports fans with podcasts, YouTube and social media content. Stay connected with the latest news and analysis by following KCSN on all social media platforms.

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