Trey Lathan anticipating a Jayhawk revival for Leipold’s sixth year

FRISCO, Texas — Although the Jayhawks are coming off back-to-back losing seasons, it doesn’t concern their senior linebacker, who believes his head coach is gearing them up for a successful campaign.

Trey Lathan made an immediate impact in his first year at Kansas, in which he started all 12 games, led the team in tackles and earned Honorable Mention All-Big 12. However, what haunts Lathan to this day is the close losses, and the fact that the Jayhawks couldn’t reach the postseason for Coach Lance Leipold.

The bowl drought is adding more fuel to the fire in fall camp, as everyone continues to work hard. Leipold is making practices more intense each day, and Lathan feels that’s benefiting the team overall.

“It’s nothing but amazing, he (Leipold) is a stubborn dude, but he’s going to fight for you,” Lathan said. “He’s going to do it the right way no matter what, and make sure it’s the way that he wants it.”

Lathan is trusting the process, and doing his part with leadership on the defensive side of the ball. The linebacker room is a brotherhood that Lathan has a voice in, but he doesn’t think he’s better than any of his teammates. There’s mutual respect, no egos, and that’s the way Lathan likes it.

“I’m neutral, but I’m just like everybody else, despite having a great season,” he said. “Everybody is the same in the locker room, there’s not one person higher than the other, no matter what they did.”

Kansas lost two conference games by less than a touchdown in 2025, and those would’ve made a difference in terms of a bowl bid, and potential winning season. Which is why Lathan and his teammates are putting an emphasis on closing out games, and finishing strong down the stretch. That starts with conditioning, and building depth in fall camp.

“There were a bunch of games where we left one play out there that cost us not having a postseason,” the Florida native said. “So it definitely left a sour taste in our mouths, and we want to get that back.”

Lathan believes Leipold is a better coach that what his record shows over the past two years. It’s going to take better defensive play for Kansas to get to the promised land. After all, the Jayhawks finished 85th nationally in total defense last year, and the urgency is there to improve.

Practices are looking promising in Lathan’s eyes, with the younger defenders being more comfortable. Even Lathan is trying to become a better tackler, which is mind-boggling for a defender that has 16 tackles for loss over the past two seasons.

“Being able to finish tackles, it’s a lot about wrapping up guys and being able to bring them down, is something I really excel at,” the redshirt senior said. “Shoutout to my guys in the locker room, that’s where most of it comes from, wrestling with them, and stuff like that.”

There’s no denying that having just one winning campaign over a five-year span has the fans on edge. That doesn’t mean Leipold has a slim margin for error, but the Jayhawks have to start taking advantage of the homefield. It’s no mystery that quarterback play has been a liability for the team, but the defense need to cause more turnovers. From the players, to the coaching staff, everyone share the same goals.

The Jayhawks are flying under the radar, and ready to emerge from the shadows. Regardless, Lathan has no doubt that Leipold is assembling one of his best teams yet, and welcomes his grueling tasks in practice to make the team better.

“It’s good to use discipline in your life, so it’s nothing but the best from him.”