Lance Leipold reflects on KU’s 2023 success: ‘Hopefully, this is just the beginning’
Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant smiled ear-to-ear, raised his arms and let out a yell.
“Ahhhhh, what they going to say next? Rock Chalk!” Bryant yelled after KU’s 49-36 win over UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
The Jayhawks (9-4, 5-4 Big 12) had accomplished yet another feat under coach Lance Leipold: their first bowl win since 2008. KU also finished with its best record since the 2007 season.
The accomplishments are one thing. The mood around the program is another.
The Jayhawks now hold a feeling of belief, as they’ve improved from 0 wins the year before Leipold arrived to two in 2021, six in 2022 and now nine in 2023.
That’s partly why the usually quiet Bryant has broken out of his shell this season — unafraid to speak on his accomplishments on his way to earning another All-Big 12 first-team selection.
It’s why Kansas players were confident that they’d contend for a Big 12 title, just two seasons removed from going 2-10 in Leipold’s first season.
Naturally, KU didn’t flinch after three seemingly crucial turnovers, nor did the Jayhawks crumble after setting a Guaranteed Rate Bowl record for penalties, with 18 for 210 yards.
The Jayhawks overcame those obstacles to win convincingly.
“It means a lot,” Leipold said. “It means a lot to these young men. It means a lot for the program going forward, where we’ve come from. All those things that you guys know that have been around us for 30 months. (To) think where this started and where these guys have put this program means a lot.
“It means a lot for our staff... It’s great to see these guys celebrate and have fun ... especially with all the things we ask them to do.”
Nearly a year removed from a heartbreaking 55-53 triple OT loss to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl, the Jayhawks earned their right to celebrate. That celebration left a mark on Chase Field, with the smell of cigars lingering into the press conference room.
But the path to KU’s eventual bowl win wasn’t easy.
Kansas came into the season with heightened expectations, though still only projected to finish ninth in the conference, according to the Big 12 preseason poll.
The Jayhawks started the season 4-0 but received a significant blow when star quarterback Jalon Daniels was knocked out of the lineup with an apparent back injury.
Jason Bean took over, leading KU to five regular-season victories and a sixth in the bowl game. Even when they were down to third-string freshman (and former walk-on) QB Cole Ballard, the Jayhawks only lost by a combined seven points to K-State and Texas Tech.
Those were the only games the Jayhawks lost from the midpoint of October-on.
The 2023 Jayhawks were hard to count out, suffering only one blowout defeat against College Football Playoff participant Texas, when their quarterback room was shaken up mere hours before kickoff.
“We got something to believe in,” safety Kenny Logan Jr. said. “That’s all we ever wanted to do — just flip the program and give the people something to believe in.”
And much of that same team returns next season.
KU will lose Bean, alongside two offensive linemen: left tackle Dominick Puni and center Mike Novitsky. Tight end Mason Fairchild is also done, and Austin Booker, an All-Big 12 defensive end, is almost certainly moving on after opting out of the bowl game.
The Jayhawks will also lose Logan, a multiyear standout at safety, but they return most of their offensive and defensive starters from a team that ranked No. 7 in yards per play and upset Oklahoma on the way to a memorable season.
Could a Big 12 championship be in the cards for 2024?
“We’ve talked about putting ourselves in a position with the amount of players that we have returning that we can be now — and I kind of said it to them one time, and I kind of chuckled — we can be in a conversation to compete for a conference championship,” Leipold said. “And I don’t think I ever would have thought I would be saying that this quick into this time here at Kansas.
“It’s because of (the players) and what they’ve done: their belief in one another, belief in what we do and continually striving to get better each and every day. And hopefully, this is just the beginning of having these types of opportunities.”
This story was originally published December 28, 2023 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Lance Leipold reflects on KU’s 2023 success: ‘Hopefully, this is just the beginning’."
