Kansas football recruiting

The Kansas football team stayed local once again to recruit another member of its freshman class of 2026. Late on Saturday night, Lawrence High’s Joshua Galbreath announced that he will join the Jayhawks.

Galbreath is a three-star linebacker prospect at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds who had offers from the likes of Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Ole Miss (the day before his commitment announcement) and Wisconsin, not to mention Big 12 teams like Iowa State and Kansas State. He is also the son of former KU fullback Eric Galbreath, and now becomes the fifth in-state commitment among six total players Lance Leipold’s staff has secured for 2026 so far.

“During this recruiting process I got to see a lot of different places,” Galbreath told Jon Kirby of JayhawkSlant.com. “And it kind of really just got me thinking, what am I really chasing? And I found what I was looking for, which is a team that feels like family.”

He recently visited KU for its Junior Day event centered on the men’s basketball game against Kansas State on Jan. 18.

A Journal-World All-Area honorable mention for both football and boys basketball, Galbreath racked up 85 tackles, including 15.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks, during his junior season with the Chesty Lions. He also caught 13 passes as a wide receiver, according to MaxPreps.

He’ll try to parlay that success into an impactful career at his hometown school, following the conclusion of his senior season in the fall.

“It feels great and like a huge burden is lifted off me,” he told Kirby. “But at the same time, it’s not. Now is not the time to think I’m done. It’s only the beginning, and I am ready to get to work.”

Galbreath will join a group of young linebackers that currently includes 2025 signee Malachi Curvey and 2024 returners Jon Jon Kamara and JaCorey Stewart.

His commitment follows those of fellow Kansans Nate Sims (Ottawa), Hunter Higgins (Maize South), JJ Dunnigan (Manhattan) and Jaylen Mason (Wichita Southeast), as well as a cornerback from California, Lennie Brown.