The Big 12 is going international, and Kansas gets to call Wembley Stadium home turf for a day against an Arizona State team that's still finding its quarterback.
Bush’s Picks
ASUKU
ASUKU
OverUnder
Best BetArizona State
Arizona State enters with more proven upside — a Playoff semifinal a year ago and a portal class that reloaded the skill positions even after losing Leavitt. Kansas is coming off back-to-back 5-7 seasons and replacing its own starter with an unsettled competition, so there's less margin for a shaky opening month. Back the Sun Devils to win outright in London.
Arizona State
+Reached CFP semifinal just one year ago
+Portal class reloaded playmakers around new QB
+Boley brought real starting production from Kentucky
−Lost star QB Sam Leavitt to LSU portal
−Four-man QB battle unresolved into fall camp
−Heavy roster turnover after 8-5 season
Kansas
+Chase Jenkins brings actual starting experience
+Marshall's rushing ability adds a change-of-pace option
+Nominal 'home' game gets a full stadium behind them
−Back-to-back 5-7 seasons under Leipold
−QB room ranked among the sport's worst tiers
−Losing starter Jalon Daniels with no clear heir
This is the inaugural Union Jack Classic, the first college football game ever played at Wembley Stadium and just the second in London history. Officially it's a Kansas home game, but neither fan base has any real home-field edge 5,000 miles from campus, which makes the actual football even more of an open question.
Arizona State is a year removed from a College Football Playoff semifinal run, but Sam Leavitt bolted for LSU in the portal, and Kenny Dillingham heads into fall camp with a four-man quarterback derby. Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley, who threw for 2,160 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, looks like the favorite over veteran Mikey Keene and a pair of blue-chip freshmen, but nothing's settled yet.
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ASU Arizona State
KU Kansas
Kansas has its own version of that problem, minus the Playoff pedigree. Jalon Daniels is gone, and Lance Leipold is choosing between redshirt junior Cole Ballard, dual-threat Isaiah Marshall and Rice transfer Chase Jenkins. National QB rankings have slotted the Jayhawks' room into the bottom tier heading into 2026, which tells you how unresolved this remains with kickoff still 2 months out.
