Kansas Adds Running Back Chase Belcher After Midseason Portal Opening
Kansas football has added another player to its roster in the middle of the season, bringing in running back Chase Belcher after he became eligible to enter the transfer portal through an ongoing eligibility lawsuit.
Kansas head coach Lance Leipold confirmed Monday that Belcher and former Central Connecticut State defensive tackle Clifton Thompson have joined the Jayhawks. Both players were among 97 plaintiffs involved in an Indiana lawsuit that resulted in an injunction granting them a fifth year of eligibility. The ruling also required the NCAA to open the transfer portal for the players involved for one week.
Belcher gives Kansas another option in the backfield at a time when the Jayhawks are dealing with injuries at the running back position. Yasin Willis recently underwent surgery after suffering an injury against Arizona State, while Kansas has also dealt with other availability concerns within the position group.
Leipold explained that the opportunity to add players came at a time when Kansas needed more depth at certain positions.
“Both young men got in this weekend, going through the acclimation periods that are going to be needed,” Leipold said. “It’s hard to tell, this stage of it, but when the opportunity by rule and roster slots presented itself of areas where we’re banged up and thin in some spots, we decided to make this move.”
Belcher arrives in Lawrence after spending the 2025 season at Kennesaw State. The 6-foot-1, 213-pound running back appeared in 13 games and carried the ball 107 times for 566 yards. He also caught 13 passes for 194 yards and finished the season with four total touchdowns.
Before Kennesaw State, Belcher spent time at Northern Arizona and West Georgia, making Kansas his fourth college program and his first opportunity to play at the FBS level. His experience at multiple programs gives him a significant amount of college football experience despite joining Kansas during the middle of the season.
However, Belcher will not immediately be thrown into the lineup. Because of NCAA acclimatization requirements, he must complete the necessary practice period before becoming eligible to play. The timing also means he will need to learn Kansas' offensive system and terminology before potentially seeing meaningful snaps.
That process could be especially important for Kansas as it prepares for the remainder of the season. The Jayhawks are coming off a bye week following their loss to Arizona State and will return to action against Middle Tennessee on Oct. 3.
For Kansas, adding Belcher is less about immediately replacing one player and more about giving the coaching staff another option. With injuries creating uncertainty in the backfield, his arrival provides Leipold and the Jayhawks with additional depth as they enter the second half of the season.
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Jimmy Adeniran is a contributor to JayhawksROUNDTABLE. He can be reached at [email protected]
