Kansas quarterback Cole Ballard (15) warms up on the sidelines during the fourth quarter on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Photo by Nick Krug

LONDON — Two notable offensive players for the Kansas football team were ruled out for the Union Jack Classic as part of an availability report released on Friday night.

Backup quarterback Cole Ballard and starting tight end Carson Bruhn will not play against Arizona State in the matchup at Wembley Stadium on Saturday at 11 a.m. Central time, after each was injured in KU’s loss to Missouri last week.

Isaiah Marshall may have beaten out Ballard for the starting job in fall camp, but the KU coaches have made no secret of their desire to continue to find ways to deploy Ballard throughout the season. After going 4-for-6 passing for 90 yards in mop-up duty in the season opener against Long Island, he completed a reverse pass to Marshall on a trick play against Missouri, but both players took big hits and Ballard suffered an apparent shoulder injury, heading to the locker room before returning to the sideline in a sling.

He had previously been listed as doubtful in Wednesday and Thursday’s availability reports before KU ruled him out. In his absence, Rice transfer Chase Jenkins, who battled minor injuries of his own for much of the offseason, will serve as Marshall’s backup. Head coach Lance Leipold said earlier in the week that he has confidence in Jenkins to run the offense if needed, and associate head coach Andy Kotelnicki has stated that he will still be willing to put multiple quarterbacks on the field.

The circumstances of Bruhn’s injury are somewhat less clear, but it also happened during the Missouri game. He has started and played extensively at tight end for KU in both games this season while catching three passes for 55 yards. In his absence, Old Dominion transfer Jailen Butler, who has not yet made a reception this year, will be the first-choice tight end, with Albany transfer Carter Moses and veteran Leyton Cure in line for additional playing time.

Bruhn’s status will undoubtedly be a notable topic going forward after a season-ending foot injury cost him the final third of the 2025 campaign as well.

Elsewhere on the availability report, quarterback Jaylen Mason, running backs Kory Amachree and Justin Thurman and defensive tackles Tre’von McAlpine and Grady Seyfert are also out. McAlpine and Thurman are out for the year, while Amachree’s injury is considered long-term. Mason’s absence means that redshirt freshman walk-on Braylen Rooney will be KU’s third-string quarterback on Saturday.

Linebacker Bam Crouch, backup running back Jalen Dupree and wide receiver Cam Pickett were all listed as probable on Friday. Getting Crouch back on the weak side would be significant for the Jayhawks after he hurt his shoulder just a few defensive snaps into the year (and has since been replaced by Quincy Davis). Pickett played against Missouri despite an injury late in fall camp but only appeared in a few plays, and it’s not clear how much KU might choose to use him against ASU, especially because Kotelnicki has been pleased by the development of Tate Nagy. Leipold said it is a “fine line” trying to make those decisions and that the injury has been “disappointing and frustrating” for Pickett, who tied for the team lead in receptions in 2025 despite playing through another early-season injury.

Kansas tight end Carson Bruhn (44) is tailed by an LIU defender after a catch during the first quarter on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Photo by Nick Krug