How KU’s Lance Leipold reacted to Landyn Watson’s eligibility ruling

LAWRENCE — Among the many transfer portal additions that Kansas football made this offseason was Kentucky transfer and linebacker Landyn Watson.

Watson was rated as a three-star prospect in the transfer portal by 247Sports. He was set to bring experience from his time at TCU and Marshall, too. He figured to be someone capable of contributing to a defense looking to take a step forward in 2026.

But in early June, Watson announced in a social media post on X that his appeal for a final season of eligibility had been denied. Speaking recently, as fall camp started to unfold for the Jayhawks , coach Lance Leipold noted that rulings these days don’t surprise him anymore — however they go. Despite that, though, Leipold was disappointed in the result and mentioned that all the information the team had on Watson led the program to think the redshirt senior would be able to play for KU.