D.J. Withers
D.J. Withers
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. He has spent four seasons in the Kansas defensive front. The receipt on tape: 4 tackles, 1 TFL against Iowa State, Week 13, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Lance Leipold.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Lance Leipold
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR04 · Rotational
Rotational. Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2025
W 46–7
vs Wagner
2 TFL · 2 SACKS · 2 SOLO
Dominant 39-point win at home against Wagner.
How he plays
Play style
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Kansas
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive tackle · Kansas
Returning around him
- 2 Kansas players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +5 net (31 in / 26 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Kansas · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #48 · 2026 recruiting class #61
DNA match
Player DNA
3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Karl Brooks’s 2021 season.
Matches Karl on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Marcus Harris's senior season at Auburn (2023).
Matches Marcus on