Kansas head coach Lance Leipold met with the media on Monday to discuss his team's Week 1 performance. The Jayhawks are coming off a season-opening win over Long Island, where they came away victorious by a score of 51-6 .
That meeting was merely a tune-up for the matchup looming this Friday. Longtime rival Missouri will come to Lawrence
for the first time since 2005 as the Jayhawks look to avenge their defeat last year in Columbia.
MU is already dealing with injury issues of its own with the uncertain status of superstar running back Ahmad Hardy, but Leipold was asked about the health of two key players today. Neither wide receiver Cam Pickett
nor linebacker Bam Crouch has been ruled active for the upcoming contest, though Leipold left some room for optimism regarding both injuries.
"Not yet," Leipold said when he was asked if he had a timetable for their recovery. "Bam did not practice today. Cam was out there, still has a ways to go. So, I really don't have the status yet, but trying to be hopeful on both."
Pickett has been dealing with a leg injury that has partially sidelined him since fall camp. He was seen on the field during warmups in the opener but was not in full uniform.
While Pickett was a participant in practice today, Crouch appears to be a bit further away from returning. He did not practice at all today, which isn't a good sign for his status with kickoff four days away.
Kansas redshirt senior linebacker Bam Crouch (7) looks on during practice at The University of Kansas on Aug. 6, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Boston College transfer sustained an upper-body injury on the second defensive drive of the night, colliding with a Long Island ball carrier before immediately grabbing his shoulder. After missing most of BC's 2025 season, another significant injury would be a tough break for Crouch, but his appearance on this week's depth chart suggests the ailment may not be as serious as initially feared.
The Jayhawks will need to be as healthy as possible this weekend against the No. 25-ranked Tigers. They have very little margin for error in this critical rivalry matchup.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kansas as Kansas vs Missouri Injury Update: Statuses of Bam Crouch, Cam Pickett .
