photo by: Chance Parker/Journal-World photo

Kansas freshman Blake Herold during practice on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023.

Kansas head coach Lance Leipold opted to limit this year’s initial depth chart to a strict two-deep format, resulting in just 58 players — as opposed to the 70 included on last year’s season-opening edition.

But what if we wanted to account for that difference in some way?

Here’s a list of the next 12 players most likely to make an impact during the 2024 KU football season. To be clear, it’s not necessarily that these would strictly be the next players up on the depth chart if it were expanded, say, from two to three entries for position — though in many cases they would. Rather, due to the nature of their positions or their specific skills, these dozen players are set up well to leave a mark of some kind on this year’s campaign, which begins Thursday.

photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas linebacker Logan Brantley during practice on Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Lawrence.

• Logan Brantley: The redshirt freshman from Cherry Creek, Colorado, possesses in many ways the prototypical skill set for KU’s hybrid Hawk linebacker position, but the challenges for him, as outlined by position coach Chris Simpson, have been mental: controlling his emotions and knowing precisely what to do when the ball gets snapped. The good news for Brantley is that Hawk is one of the Jayhawks’ shallower positions, with Jayson Gilliom and Alex Raich leading the way (at least when KU is using its base defense), meaning that if he gets settled in he may give KU no choice but to deploy him.

photo by: Chance Parker/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas freshman Dakyus Brinkley runs through drills during the spring showcase at Rock Chalk Park on Friday, April 12, 2024.

• Dakyus Brinkley: Much like the rest of the defensive linemen on this list, Brinkley is bound to get snaps simply because of the rotation at his position, pass-rush defensive end. He had the advantage of enrolling early, but during the spring was hampered by an injury from his high school days, and he saw the room get a lot more cluttered behind Dean Miller with the enrollment of DJ Warner (who won the backup spot) and transfer addition of Bai Jobe.

• Leyton Cure: Cure fits the mold of the kind of pass-catching tight end offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes enjoys using, and with Trevor Kardell technically now the backup to Jared Casey, there may be less distance separating Cure from significant snaps than it initially seemed. Cure also has the chance to see some action as a bit of a gadget player given his history as a high school quarterback.

• Javier Derritt: Derritt’s complete absence from the depth chart in favor of longtime reserve Kenean Caldwell was a bit of a surprise, given that Derritt comes in as a sixth-year senior from a well-regarded FCS program and provides a twitchy, athletic quality that sets him apart on the defensive line. But defensive coordinator Brian Borland has said that in most situations, KU will use five or six tackles. Derritt and Blake Herold figure to be Nos. 5 and 6, though it’s not clear in what order.

• Mason Ellis: Ellis’ path to playing time at safety is not particularly obvious with Marvin Grant, O.J. Burroughs and both of the Dye brothers ahead of him this year. His best chance to get on the field may be an occasional opportunity here or there in the 4-2-5 nickel package when Grant is playing the Cinco position. As with Brantley, though, Ellis’ physical skill set, as possibly the fastest player on the team and definitely the strongest defensive back, will make it difficult to keep him off the field all the time. He’ll certainly continue to appear on special teams.

• Blake Herold: Physically undersized when he arrived at KU in 2023, but already possessing “all the intangibles to be successful,” Herold has “skyrocketed” in the Jayhawks’ strength and nutrition programs, defensive tackles coach Jim Panagos said. Herold is now listed at 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds and Borland has placed him firmly in contention for rotational snaps.

photo by: Chance Parker/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas defensive end Bai Jobe during the first day of fall camp on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Lawrence.

• Bai Jobe: The public perception at the time of Jobe’s summer transfer commitment out of Michigan State might have been that he would challenge Dean Miller for snaps right away at weak-side end, but Miller’s continued surge, Warner’s arrival and ensuing development and Jobe’s hand injury during fall camp seem to have tempered the hype somewhat. Borland has said that Jobe is eager to prove himself and that he’s particularly eager to see Jobe without a cast on, as he’s dealt with the injury since the third practice of fall camp.

• Keaton Kubecka: Wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel made a strong statement in support of Kubecka during fall camp, when he said, “Put it this way: I do not have a problem with Keaton playing an entire game or an entire season.” That’s high praise for the team’s apparent No. 7 wideout. Wide receiver Lawrence Arnold recently mentioned that Kubecka has been hurt, so that combined with Torry Locklin’s increased focus on wide receiver could explain why Locklin got a backup spot on the depth chart.

• Ron McGee: It won’t be easy to get Jereme Robinson or Dylan Wudke off the field, but McGee is next in line after that pair and has been in Leipold and Borland’s system longer than just about anyone. McGee is entering his seventh year of college football after missing last season, which was supposed to be his sixth, due to an ACL injury.

• Cole Petrus: Petrus’ name rarely gets mentioned by coaches, but even as a walk-on, he has developed a reputation for his “unselfishness” and “relentless work ethic,” as Leipold recently put it. He’s even served as an offseason captain for the Jayhawks. Beyond that, though, he’s apparently pretty talented on the field, as a top special teamer for one thing, and even as a pass-rusher. Bryce Cabeldue once said of Petrus, “I cannot block that kid to save my life.” If KU decides to favor experience at this position, he could get the edge, at least in the early stages of the year, over Brinkley and Jobe behind Miller and Warner.

• Harry Stewart III: The first-year running back from Frisco, Texas, didn’t make it on the depth chart but has been one of KU’s most consistently impressive freshmen, perhaps even best of all, since his arrival in the spring. The presence of Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. necessarily limits Stewart’s potential action, but it’s not hard to envision him carving out a role in the vein of last year’s third-stringer Dylan McDuffie, or at least sharing the McDuffie carries with Sevion Morrison and Johnny Thompson Jr.

• Johnny Thompson Jr.: In part because of Stewart’s breakout, Thompson doesn’t necessarily receive the most attention, but running backs coach Jonathan Wallace said he’s starting to put it all together. Thompson placed a particular emphasis on reading defenses during the offseason. He and Stewart alike are benefiting from the veteran mentorship for the three running backs above them, and both could easily see occasional carries in 2024.