Kansas Football Projected To Face AAC School in Bowl Projections

Without sugarcoating it, the Kansas Jayhawks were one of the most disappointing college football teams of the 2024 season.

Lance Leipold’s group went 5-7 after dropping several games that could have gone their way in the final minutes. Even a three-game win streak against ranked opponents late in the year was not enough to secure bowl eligibility.

The losing record snapped what would have been a three-year streak of KU appearing in a bowl game, something that has still never happened in school history.

Now, as the Jayhawks prepare for the 2025 campaign, the goal is once again to reach the postseason.

In CBS Sports’ most recent bowl projections, Kansas is expected to face Memphis in the Armed Forces Bowl on Jan. 2.

The matchup would provide the Jayhawks with a test against an AAC opponent in what has traditionally been a competitive bowl game.

Of course, it is still far too early to look into predictions before any team has played a snap. However, bowl projections give fans a look at what national outlets expect from the Jayhawks this season.

Kansas last won a bowl game two years ago when they defeated UNLV 49-36 in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

Now, Leipold enters his fifth season as head coach hoping to guide the program back to a 13th game.

KU did lose significant contributors with Devin Neal, Cobee Bryant, and Luke Grimm graduating, so the Jayhawks will lean on the return of star quarterback Jalon Daniels, who enters the year as one of the Big 12’s top signal callers.

Running back Daniel Hishaw Jr. and defensive end Dean Miller also return as key veterans who will anchor both sides of the ball.

MORE: Lance Leipold Gives Concerning Injury Details on Several Star Jayhawks

To fill the void of Kansas' departures, Leipold and his staff added a slew of talented transfers like Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (Alabama) and Bangally Kamara (South Carolina) who will compete for immediate playing time.

Most outlets project KU to finish in the upper half of the Big 12 standings. Still, last season proved how unpredictable the league can be, as the Jayhawks were expected to contend for a conference title but fell way short.

This year, the challenge will be taking the next step by showing that the program can close out games in crunch time.

Ultimately, a bowl appearance would be a good start, but Jayhawk fans should be yearning for something more in 2025.