Kansas guard Kohl Rosario (7) waits for the huddle during a timeout in the second half against Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug

A new year and the start of the spring semester bring a variety of fresh opportunities for athletes across Kansas’ 16 varsity sports teams.

Below are some of the athletes who will have chances to seize the spotlight over the course of 2026.

As usual, the only criteria for these selections were 1) representation of each and every sport that KU offers and 2) the general avoidance of some of the department’s most prominent stars, whom readers have already gotten to know quite well. The list is in alphabetical order by last name.

photo by: AP Photo/Mike Buscher

Wichita St. starting pitcher/relief pitcher Chloe Barber (26) during an NCAA softball game against Kentucky on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Clearwater, Fla.

1. Chloe Barber (softball): KU lost its most consistent pitcher (and best power hitter) from 2025 with the graduation of Olivia Bruno. The Jayhawks gave plenty of innings last season to veteran Lizzy Ludwig and newcomers Kennedy Diggs and Kaelee Washington, but they also brought in a slew of new pitchers, with the Wichita State transfer Barber perhaps the headliner. The key for KU is channeling the version of Barber from 2024, when she accrued a 3.70 ERA with 143 strikeouts, including a 15-strikeout complete game in a road win over No. 14 Arkansas. In 2025, she had less than half as many strikeouts and at one point allowed at least three earned runs in 11 straight appearances.

photo by: Kansas Athletics

Kansas’ Bryce Barkdull competes in the men’s pole vault at NCAA outdoor nationals in Eugene, Ore., on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.

2. Bryce Barkdull (men’s track and field): Either Barkdull brother would be a valid choice here, especially given that Ashton finished as the national runner-up in the pole vault last year and could find himself battling again with Texas A&M’s title winner Aleksandr Solovev again this season. But Bryce came in fifth in the event by clearing 5.53 meters and was the only freshman to record a result in the national final. The sky is the limit for the rest of his career.

photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas pin hitter Logan Bell bumps the ball to a teammate against Colorado in Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on November 6, 2025 in Lawrence, Kansas.

3. Logan Bell (volleyball): The highly touted freshman from Indiana played extensively as a defensive specialist in her first season with the Jayhawks, playing in 129 of a possible 131 sets with an average of 1.46 digs. The question is whether she continues to contribute primarily on the defensive end or, at 5-foot-11, transitions into an undersized pin hitter like head coach Matt Ulmer’s former Oregon standout Brooke Nuneviller.

photo by: Kansas Athletics

Kansas pitcher Mason Cook is pictured during a fall baseball game against Bradley on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Lawrence.

4. Mason Cook (baseball): In what should be a competitive group of starting pitchers for the 2026 Jayhawks, Cook has put himself in position to earn a spot in the rotation, potentially as the Saturday starter (behind Friday night mainstay Dominic Voegele). Cook struck out 54 batters with a 4.68 ERA in his lone season at McLennan Community College.

5. Sammy Cummins (swimming and diving): In her first semester with the Jayhawks out of Orange County, California, Cummins twice earned the title of Big 12 women’s newcomer of the week. She is one of just two swimmers to have earned the distinction more than once this season, along with TCU’s Avery Dillon.

photo by: Darren Carroll/USGA

Amy DeKock plays her second shot at the fourth hole during the second round of stroke play of the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025.

6. Amy DeKock (women’s golf): DeKock is one of just two seniors on this year’s KU women’s golf squad, and in the fall season she was the most consistent Jayhawk with a per-round average of 72.7 strokes, edging out Ebba Nordstedt and Lyla Louderbaugh. DeKock has one individual title already this season, the first of her career, from when she tied for first with a 3-over 219 at the Jayhawk Invitational in August.

7. Gabi Dyer (swimming and diving): A sophomore from Castle Pines, Colorado, who competes primarily in the freestyle, Dyer earned three first-place finishes in her first season and has shown no signs of slowing down. Most notably, she won both the 200 and 500 freestyle races in KU’s 153-147 victory over Houston, earning her the title of Big 12 women’s swimmer of the week.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas guard Libby Fandel shoots a 3-pointer over Kansas City’s Emani Bennett during the Jayhawks’ game on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence.

8. Libby Fandel (women’s basketball): The freshman from Iowa may have received third billing in the Jayhawks’ momentous 2025 recruiting class, but she has hit her stride of late and found her way back into the starting lineup. Over KU’s last three games, she is averaging 14.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 10-for-22 (45.5%) from deep. Like the rest of the Jayhawks’ first-year standouts, she’ll still have plenty of growing to do in 2026.

photo by: Sarah Buchanan/Special to the Journal-World

Sophomore midfielder Jillian Gregorski scores for Kansas with a penalty kick, tying the game at 1-1 against Kansas State on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Lawrence.

9. Jillian Gregorski (soccer): Gregorski will undoubtedly need to take on a significant role for KU soccer in 2025 as the Jayhawks look to account for the departures of Lexi Watts (graduation) and Saige Wimes (transferred to West Virginia), who made for a potent forward duo for several seasons. Gregorski has already been starting for each of the last two years as an attacking midfielder and has 18 career goals to her name.

photo by: AP Photo/Colin E. Braley

Fresno State quarterback E.J. Warner (13) gets sacked for a loss by Kansas defensive end Leroy Harris III (33) during the second half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Lawrence.

10. Leroy Harris III (football): Harris arrived at KU as a rather under-the-radar transfer from Chattanooga, but he came in with premier measurables, NFL bloodlines and an excellent work ethic. That got him on the field early and often as a true sophomore, and it paid off for the Jayhawks as he led the team in sacks (4.5) and pass breakups (eight).

11. Norah Jacomen (soccer): One of few additions on this list who has yet to play in the crimson and blue, Jacomen will join KU after three years and 47 career starts as a forward at Butler. KU coach Nate Lie, who once faced her in the Big East, will look to recapture the form that got her nine goals and conference freshman of the year honors in 2023.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas’ Emmaculate Jemutai runs the 800 meters at the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship at Rock Chalk Park on Friday, May 16, 2025.

12. Emmah Jemutai (women’s cross-country, track and field): Jemutai already holds three school records in track and field across both the indoor and outdoor seasons and she’s essentially halfway through her career. The third-year Kenyan distance runner is coming off a Big 12 title in the outdoor 1,500-meter race.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas junior Presley Limbaugh slaps at a UCF pitch on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at Arrocha Ballpark in Lawrence, Kansas.

13. Presley Limbaugh (softball): Limbaugh has led the Jayhawks in batting average each of the last two seasons and as a junior was also an all-defensive selection in the outfield. She is a valuable two-way piece and one of the key members of a returning core that will hope to lead KU to a bounce-back season.

14. Taylor Stanley (volleyball): One of the top players in KU’s robust and wide-ranging 2026 volleyball recruiting class, Stanley will have the chance to contribute immediately at opposite hitter, especially with Jovana Zelenović gone to Miami. Stanley is a highly regarded recruit who has represented the United States at the youth level and will be in the spotlight as a local product from Blue Valley Southwest High School.

15. Reagan Kibet (men’s cross-country, track and field): From Ravine, Kenya, Kibet has yet to make his track and field debut. But he’s already shown significant potential in his freshman cross-country season by leading the pack for the KU men’s team with a 25th-place finish in 30 minutes, 59.2 seconds in the men’s 10K at the NCAA Midwest Regional in November.

photo by: Kā‘anapali Golf Courses

Kansas’ Will King is pictured at the Kāʻanapali Classic on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Lahaina, Hawaii.

16. Will King (men’s golf): King, a senior from Olathe, has had a series of shining moments throughout his career, including an individual victory at the Hawkeye Invitational in April that is the only such title for KU since 2022. Most recently, he broke the program record for the lowest 54-hole total with a 14-under 199 in Hawaii in October. Head coach Jamie Bermel has said he thinks the Jayhawks can play better in the spring. UC Riverside transfer Hartej Grewal and King will likely be at the forefront of any such effort.

photo by: Emma Crouch/Kansas Athletics

Kansas sophomore Kyoka Kubo celebrates during the match against Wichita State on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Lawrence.

17. Kyoka Kubo (tennis): The Japanese junior shone in the NCAA singles championship, which took place in the fall this season as part of a two-year pilot program. In reaching the round of 16 by beating Vanderbilt’s Mia Yamakita in three sets, she earned first-team All-American honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association; she beat one more foe for good measure before losing in the quarterfinals. Team play for the Jayhawks resumes with the Jayhawk Invitational beginning on Jan. 15.

photo by: AP Photo/Colin E. Braley

Kansas linebacker Trey Lathan (4) during an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in Lawrence.

18. Trey Lathan (football): The West Virginia transfer exceeded expectations, serving as one of KU’s defensive leaders and racking up a team-high 86 tackles, including seven for loss. He was one of the most consistent Jayhawks and could turn in a similar performance in his final year of eligibility.

Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall (8) takes off on a long run against Oklahoma State during the third quarter on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Photo by Nick Krug

19. Isaiah Marshall (football): Marshall was technically KU’s third-string quarterback during his redshirt freshman season, but the Jayhawks couldn’t keep him off the field. They developed a sort of wildcat package to take some of the quarterback-run burden off Jalon Daniels, and Marshall carried the ball 15 times for 160 yards. Now, in 2026, he’ll get a chance to compete for the starting role under center.

Kansas center Paul Mbiya (34) tries to break free under the bucket during the second half of an exhibition game on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug

20. Paul Mbiya (men’s basketball): It’s easy to see the vision with Mbiya, a 7-footer with an unparalleled 7-foot-8 wingspan. But he lacks polish at this early stage of his basketball career, even after some time in the French youth league. Simply keeping the ball higher and developing greater comfort with his back to the basket would go a long way as he spends more time with the Jayhawks.

21. Tate Nagy (football): A converted quarterback listed at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, the receiver from Blue Valley West appeared an unlikely choice to contribute to KU as a true freshman. But he did just that, acquitting himself well all year as the Jayhawks’ primary punt returner with no significant mishaps and a few big returns, and could take another step forward as a sophomore, perhaps even adding to his responsibilities with some time on offense.

22. Kohl Rosario (men’s basketball): The freshman wing from Miami reclassified to join KU in the fall after a breakout summer and immediately found himself in the Jayhawks’ starting lineup. A dynamic, high-motor player, Rosario has thrived in transition and made his fair share of hustle plays but still has work to do to defend consistently and hasn’t shot the ball well. If his 3-pointers start falling, look out.

23. Gretchen Schmierer Knust (rowing): A former swimmer at Valparaiso, the Overland Park native was part of both the 3 Varsity 8+ boat that earned a runner-up finish at last season’s Big 12 Championships (KU’s best performance at the event) and the women’s Club Fours crew that gave the Jayhawks their first win under Andrew Derrick in October.

24. Sofia Sluchaninova (women’s track and field): The Russian discus thrower finished her junior season as a second-team All-American with a 12th-place finish at outdoor nationals. She also competes in the weight throw during the indoor season.

photo by: Arun Halder/Kansas Athletics

Kansas catcher Max Soliz Jr. swings during a fall baseball game against Bradley on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Lawrence.

25. Max Soliz Jr. (baseball): Soliz looked poised to earn a big role at catcher for KU in 2025 but lost his starting job and saw minimal action late in the season. He entered the portal and dazzled in summer ball for the Wausau Woodchucks. Head coach Dan Fitzgerald stayed in contact with Soliz, but he still decided to commit to Hawaii — only to reverse course and return to KU soon afterward. Then he proceeded to become one of the Jayhawks’ top performers in fall ball.

photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas forward Regan Williams celebrates running off the court after defeating Missouri on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo.

26. Regan Williams (women’s basketball): The 6-foot-3 forward from Kansas City, Missouri, has demonstrated a lot of adaptability early in her college career. She was thrust into the position of starting center as a freshman when KU did not have a pure post player at its disposal during the 2024-25 season, she served as the Jayhawks’ sixth player to open her sophomore year and she quickly returned to the lineup when Jaliya Davis started to battle injury. Williams impressed with a 22-point, nine-rebound performance on Dec. 3 at Northwestern, but she too suffered an injury in the following game at Missouri State and has been sidelined since.