3 reasons Kansas football will struggle in 2024

Last season was a great year for Kansas football. After years of being a Big 12 doormat, the Rock Chalk faithful finally experienced excitement around their football program. The Jayhawks ended last season with a win over UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl and finished 9-4. It was the first time that Kansas had nine wins since 2007.

They also finished the season ranked in the final AP Top 25 for the first time since 2007. The Jayhawks also defeated Oklahoma in their final Big 12 meeting. It was the Jayhawks' first win over the Sooners since 1997.

For the first time in decades, the feelings are pretty bright for the team and some expect Kansas to be a contender in a non-Texas and Oklahoma Big 12.

The team has loads of veteran talent on both sides of the ball. According to Bill Connelly of ESPN, Kansas ranks 78th nationwide in returning production. They only have 59 percent of returning production, 62 percent on offense, and 56 percent on defense. However, the schedule seems favorable, as they play seven opponents that finished 2023 with losing records.

Of course, returning production isn't the "end all, be all" statistic that determines how good a team can be. There's lots of promise surrounding Kansas for the upcoming 2024 season. They can be even better than last year with a versatile offense and stingy defense. However, no matter how promising a team can be heading into a season, things can happen that send a squad spiraling down.

Here are three reasons Kansas could struggle in 2024.