Kansas coach Lance Leipold talked a little bit about new Jayhawks running back Dylan Edwards on Wednesday.
Yeah, that's going to take a minute to get used to saying. The former Wildcats star, who was anticipated to be the face of the offense last season, transferred to Kansas after a disappointing 2025 season. Leipold discussed Edwards' potential new rivalry with his former Wildcats squad.
"Rivalries and emotions and things can be there, and it probably will continue until a game is played," Leipold said in a press conference. "For us, it was more of him being healthy and being in a great mindset, knowing that this is a place that can utilize his skills. For him, it's about playing his best football that he possibly can."
Edwards suffered an ankle injury against Iowa State in the opening week and never recovered. He redshirted his junior year after playing just four games, logging just 205 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Many fans felt Edwards had given up on the team or had focused on compensation rather than contributing.
Even if there weren't any hard feelings, transferring to your old team's biggest rival certainly will ruffle some feathers. Edwards has become a borderline Kansas State villain, while the Jayhawks get a dynamic playmaker to replace Daniel Hishaw and Leshon Williams departing from the program.
Boy, that return to Manhattan, KS, is going to be a whirlwind for the star running back.
CBS SPORTS KNOCKS KANSAS STATE DOWN IN EARLY BIG 12 PREDICTIONS
Last season, Kansas State was favored by many to take the Big 12 and potentially clinch a spot in the postseason.
They're a little more cautious this time around. A rollercoaster 2025 season, followed by an offseason with significant star losses, has many resorting the Wildcats back to a mid-tier team this August. CBS Sports gave its early Big 12 rankings for next season, placing Kansas State at No. 9. Texas Tech and BYU are the favorites to win the conference in 2026.
The article wrote:
"Quarterback Avery Johnson had a disappointing second season, but help is on the way in the form of new coach Collin Klein. Klein was central to recruiting Johnson under Chris Klieman and now has a chance to put his stamp on the program. The defense lost a great deal of talent to the transfer portal, though, so competing at the highest level could come with complications to start."
Quarterback Avery Johnson dipped in production, star players suffered major injuries, and the offensive line had no cohesion. And that's not even getting into the defensive lapses. The lackluster defense and fading rushing attack took away staples of Kansas State's program identity.