LAWRENCE — There are high expectations for 2024 Kansas football.
Head coach Lance Leipold has already led his team to a second consecutive bowl game, despite the rebuild only just beginning in 2021. Redshirt junior Jaylon Daniels is expected to return from injury to start at quarterback again and, if healthy, provide the Jayhawks with one of the most intriguing talents in the Big 12 Conference. Daniels isn't the only notable returner, as senior running back Devin Neal, senior cornerback Kobe Bryant and senior offensive lineman Bryce Cabeldue also return.
But it won't just be the returning players from the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl winning team that will be a factor in Kansas' success in 2024. A number of newcomers joined the team during the offseason, ranging from freshmen to veterans with several years of experience at the collegiate level, and these newcomers and their development will be key as the Jayhawks look to find more success in the early days of the Leipold era in Lawrence.
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As we approach Big 12 Media Days, which will be held July 9-10 in Las Vegas, here are five new faces to watch.
Bryce Foster, offensive lineman
Bryce Foster has committed to Kansas as an offensive lineman from Texas A&M, where he spent the past few seasons. In 2023, he started all 12 games he played as a center for the Southeastern Conference program. After a spectacular freshman season in 2021, he could be the answer the Jayhawks have been looking for at center after Mike Nowitzki's college career comes to an end.
Shane Bumgardner, offensive lineman
Shane Bumgardner appeared to be the answer at center early in the offseason and competed for the center spot in the spring with returning offensive lineman, senior Michael Ford Jr. The addition of Foster will increase competition for Bumgardner, a redshirt senior, but there is still time to compete for a starting spot or some kind of role. Bumgardner is moving up to Division I from Division II Tiffin, where he was named center of the year at that level last season, but whether he starts at Kansas or not, the Jayhawks want to have two of their top eight offensive linemen under center.
Javier Dellit, defensive tackle
Kansas needed experience at defensive tackle after departures from last season's team, and redshirt senior Javier Dellitto fits the bill, transferring from FCS-level North Dakota State. Dellitto is making his own leap to the FBS, but he enjoyed extensive playing time at a college level where he's accustomed to success. Regardless of how he fits into the defensive tackle rotation head coach Jim Panagos employs, Dellitto's veteran status should be valuable to the Jayhawks.
Dacus Brinkley, defensive end
Dacus Brinkley enrolled early at Kansas and the freshman defensive end impressed in his first spring with the Jayhawks. There may be players on the roster with more experience than Brinkley at the collegiate level, but that doesn't mean he won't compete for playing time in some capacity. He committed to Kansas in the 2024 cycle and was rated as a four-star edge talent by the 247Sports Composite.
DJ Warner, defensive end
DJ Warner, like Brinkley, is a member of the 2024 freshman class and a four-star edge in the 247Sports Composite. Brinkley was ranked 25th nationally at his position while Warner was ranked 10th, making him an especially impressive addition for the Kansas coaching staff as they continue to build their program. Warner didn't get as early a start to his collegiate career as Brinkley, and it will ask a lot from both of them to play significant snaps this early, but Warner is another player whose arrival was highly anticipated.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas sports for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He was named the National Sports Media Association's 2022 Kansas Sports Writer of the Year. He can be reached at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter @JordanGuskey.
