Jayhawks ranked No. 22 in AP poll

For the first time in 15 years, the Kansas football team will enter the season ranked in the preseason AP poll.

KU, which is coming off of back-to-back bowl appearances and a win at last year’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl, came in at No. 22 in the first Associated Press poll of the season.

KU also was ranked 24th in the preseason coaches poll, marking the first time since 2008 that the Jayhawks have made an appearance in both major preseason polls.

Being ranked is certainly nothing new for these Jayhawks. But it remains a big deal for the KU program as a whole.

KU coach Lance Leipold acknowledged that on Monday morning, during his fourth meeting with the media of preseason camp.

“It doesn’t mean much, especially as you get close to kicking off, but I also have to make sure that it does mean something for this program, considering where we’re at (and) what it’s been,” Leipold said. “(It) is positive, because whether it be recruiting, whether it be our fan base, whatever the case may be, we’ve got to take these types of things for what they’re worth but also at face value. It doesn’t win you anything, but again, hopefully, people are going to get behind this program.”

In all, the KU football program has appeared in the preseason AP poll just seven times, with this year’s No. 22 ranking representing the fifth-highest in school history.

KU last appeared in the preseason AP poll in 2009, when it was ranked 25th to start the season. That year, the Jayhawks jumped all the way up to No. 16 in the AP poll after a 5-0 start before finishing the season with seven consecutive losses, which marked the start of a steep slide that lasted for more than a decade.

Fresh off of a 9-4 season and with a ton of its top offensive players back, KU recently was picked fourth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, which marked the Jayhawks’ highest preseason conference ranking since the Big 12 went to its non-divisional format in 2011.

Several Jayhawks also have been recognized on numerous preseason watch lists, including Lawrence Arnold Jr. (Biletnikoff), Jalon Daniels (Davey O’Brien, Walter Camp, Maxwell), Devin Neal (Doak Walker, Maxwell), Luke Hosford (Mannelly), Cobee Bryant (Bednarik, Nagurski, Thorpe) and Jared Casey (Wuerffel).

The Jayhawks will open the 2024 season against Lindenwood at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

With KU’s own home stadium receiving a major overhaul this year, the Jayhawks will play their first two home games at Sporting KC's Children’s Mercy Park and their final four at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs.