​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.RELATED: Where Kansas football’s starting QB battle stands, as fall camp starts“There was some missing documentation at the start; back-tracking on that became difficult,” Leipold said. “We thought we had everything in order, had the people that gave the information that we thought we needed to make it happen. But, nonetheless, unfortunately, it was denied. So, a tough way for someone to find out that their eligibility’s been exhausted.”Kansas’ linebackers room will still be led by redshirt senior linebacker Trey Lathan, who was the team’s leading tackler last season. The fact that Lathan is back is significant for the Jayhawks. But not having Watson, who according to the Lawrence Journal-World was seeking this appeal due to a previous injury suffered during his college career, does negatively affect the depth the team could otherwise have at that position.KU’s 2026 season begins Sept. 4 at home against LIU. Then the Jayhawks will have a rivalry game Sept. 11 at home against Missouri, before going on a trip overseas for a Sept. 19 game in London against Arizona State. Kansas will be looking to bounce back this season after a pair of disappointing finishes in 2024 and 2025 that followed success in 2022 and 2023.Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: How KU’s Lance Leipold reacted to Landyn Watson’s eligibility ruling