photo by: Missy Minear/Kansas Athletics

Kansas center Bryce Foster prepares to block during spring practice on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Lawrence.

Kansas center Bryce Foster was named to the Big 12’s preseason all-conference team, the league announced on Monday afternoon.

The honor for Foster, who was the only Jayhawk selected, follows his second-team all-league honor at the conclusion of the 2024 season, which was his first year at KU. Foster had arrived in Lawrence during the summer as a late transfer addition from Texas A&M.

Foster, who played a team-high 764 offensive snaps for KU last season according to Pro Football Focus, was one of the top linemen in the league in his first year with the Jayhawks. He had the highest PFF grade of any qualified player at his position in the Big 12, and served as the anchor of what was one of KU’s most consistent position groups in 2024.

Foster said during the spring that he is attempting to take on more of a leadership role on this year’s offense. That will be particularly critical as the Jayhawks add three new starters to the offensive line. He will also be playing at a lighter weight of approximately 305 pounds as compared to 322 or 323 during the 2024 campaign, which he has said makes him feel significantly better on the field

A two-sport athlete, he qualified for NCAA track nationals in the shot put this past spring and finished 11th in the country.

Foster will represent KU at the upcoming Big 12 media days in Frisco, Texas, which begin on Tuesday. The Jayhawks are set to speak on Wednesday at Ford Center at The Star.

Last year, KU put two players on the preseason all-league team in cornerbacks Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson, who later went on to the NFL. The preseason media poll, which in past years ranked the Big 12’s 16 teams ahead of the season, was abolished this year.

Defensive end Dean Miller, another second-team All-Big 12 selection, did not receive a spot on the preseason team.

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt was named the preseason offensive player of the year, while Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez was defensive player of the year. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier, a transfer from New Mexico, is the preseason newcomer of the year.