2026 Mizzou Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 2: Kansas

While Missouri's Week 2 game against Kansas may not be the most important game in the grand scheme of the Tigers' season, it's certainly the most important game in the hearts of most fans of either program. The longstanding rivalry between Missouri and Kansas can't be overstated — it dates back hundreds of years, even beyond football.

Last season, Missouri completed a daunting comeback to take down the Jayhawks in the first matchup between the teams since 2011. This go around, the Tigers will travel across the border into Jayhawk territory to steal yet another win in Lawrence and extend their series winning streak to five.

The rivalry showdown will be the last meeting between the two teams until the 2031 season, meaning the game holds high stakes, as the winner will walk away with bragging rights for half a decade.

Here's what Missouri can expect in the newest iteration of its historical foes.

Offense

The previous four seasons of Jayhawk football were helmed by starting quarterback Jalon Daniels, who 76 total touchdowns and 9,048 total yards since being named the starter ahead of the 2022 season. He racked up nearly 250 yards and scored three touchdowns against Missouri last season.

He won't be under center for the Jayhawks in 2026, though, as the longtime signal-caller exhausted his eligibility and signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, teaming up with former Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter. Although sixth-year head coach Lance Leipold is yet to name his QB1, rising redshirt junior Cole Ballard and rising redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall are competing for the job. According to KCSN podcaster and Kansas City Star reporter Shreyas Laddha, Ballard may have the advantage in the battle.

"I think Isaiah Marshall might have a higher ceiling than Cole Ballard does, but at the moment, it's a fierce competition with Ballard probably having a slight edge," Laddha said. "There's a belief that Ballard is a better thrower than Marshall, but Marshall has the legs to extend plays and do things that you need quarterbacks to do, especially the way Andy Kotelnicki plays offense."

Whoever starts at quarterback for Kansas should have a strong support system on the ground. Although the Jayhawks lost former contributors Daniel Hishaw and Leshon Williams, they earned the commitment of Dylan Edwards, the No. 11-ranked running back in the transfer portal. Edwards rushed for 205 yards on 34 carries last season at Kansas State, but tallied 546 on 76 carries the season before, averaging 7.4 yards per attempt. Injuries hampered his 2025 season, limiting the tailback to just four games, but he could bounce back in 2026. Joining him in the running back room is Syracuse transfer Yasin Willis and Colorado State transfer Jalen Dupree, both of whom rushed for more than 500 yards in 2025.

Like the previously mentioned positions, Kansas' pass-catcher group is also losing top-end production — Emmanuel Henderson, the leading receiver, exhausted his eligibility. While returners Cam Pickett and Keaton Kubecka headline returning production, the Jayhawks landed a transfer wieout that projects to lead the entire room: Nik McMillan, who amassed nearly 1,000 receiving yards at Buffalo in 2026. Middle Tennessee transfer Nahzae Cox also projects to play a rotational role.

Overall, there'll be plenty of new faces around the offense in upcoming iteration of the Border War showdown

Defense

While the Jayhawks' offense lost loads of production over the offseason, the defense returns more value. Defense coordinator D.K. McDonald's unit was around the middle of the pack in the Big 12 last season, allowing the eighth-most touchdowns (40) and the 10th-most yards (4,646). He's set to begin his second full season as the lone defensive coordinator, and bringing back a group of returners with experience in his system.

Rising redshirt senior linebacker Trey Lathan, who logged a team-high 86 tackles last season, is headlining a linebacker room that will be largely tasked with shutting down a high-octane Missouri run game. Transfers Daveon Crouch and Jabril Al-Amin join him in the room.

Jalen Todd and Austin Alexander return to start at boundary cornerback, while Syeed Gibbs looks to play an increased role as a full-time starter in the slot. Starting safety and second-leading tackler Lyrik Rawls transferred to Arizona State, but he's projected to be replaced by Louisville transfer Corey Gordon.

Standout defensive tackle Blake Herold, who logged 43 tackles and two sacks in 2025, helms the defensive line group. Leroy Harris III, who recorded a team-high 4.5 sacks and eight passes defended, will return as the Jayhawks' top edge rusher.

Schedule

While this is neither Kansas or Missouri's first game of the season — the Jayhawks hosting Long Island and Missouri hosting Arkansas-Pine Bluff — it is, in all reality, the first real game of the season. Both teams will likely be using their respective Week 1 opponents to discover identity, test depth and further prepare for the gigantic Week 2 clash.

Missouri will have one more get-right game after Kansas in the form of Troy in Week 3, but the Tigers will dive into their Southeastern Conference gauntlet schedule in Week 4.

Outlook

While the showdown may not be a must-win for Missouri in regards to potential College Football Playoff bids — although a loss certainly wouldn't look good on the resume — it is absolutely a must-win in the hearts of the fans. The feeling after 2025's Border War victory was grand, and should it have been a loss, the feeling would have been equally as dissappoointing.

Missouri, even as the road opponents, will most likely be the favorites for the matchup, but it probably won't be lopsided. Kansas will prove to be the Tigers' first real test of the season, and could be an indicator for what's to come in the 10 games following.

Game Info

Date: Friday, September 11
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: FOX
Location: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium
Series history: Missouri leads 58-54-9

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