Defensive tackle is one of the rare positions on the 2025 Kansas football team that returns a lot of talent. The Jayhawks return three of their top DTs from last year– D.J. Withers, Tommy Dunn and Blake Herold– and Gage Keys, who transferred back to Kansas after a season at Auburn.

Defensive Tackles coach Jim Panagos spoke with the media on Thursday, highlighting what went into Keys’ return and what he’s seen from the group.

Kansas wanted Keys back, has to work his way back up the depth chart

Keys definitely didn't have the season he wanted at Auburn, appearing in just two games. When he entered the portal, both Kansas players and staff wanted him back. However, Panagos said he isn’t giving Keys any handouts because they have a prior relationship.

“Players wanted him back. He left the right way. We wanted him back,” Panagos said. “And I was very direct with Gage. I said, ‘Gage, you didn't play football last season. You're going to start at the bottom of the depth chart.’ And all he has done here is work.”

Panagos said Kansas was looking for an experienced defensive tackle who fit what the Jayhawks were trying to do. Keys seemed like a logical addition, as this will be his sixth college season, and he has a knowledge of the program.

“When he entered the portal, we decided we wanted to bring an experience. We need a defensive inside player in here,” Panagos said. “The players came to me and said, ‘Coach, I know we want to bring one in here. What about him?’ Because it's about a fit in the room… We're looking for a guy who can fit in the room. We believe that he's the perfect fit for us, what we're doing this year.”

Panagos said Keys appreciates Kansas and is happy and honored to be back.

“I think he knows why we do things here,” Panagos said. “I think he knows how we care about the players. I think he knows about the resources here, and I think he sees this is the place he wanted to be. We want players to be at Kansas with Gage.”

Experienced room creating good competition

Kansas has six DTs competing for playing time, all of them technically returners if you count Keys. Panagos said it has created competition, which he called “The greatest answer in life. [It] cures all problems.”

“They all want to play,” Panagos said. “Right now we have six guys that are competing for jobs, which is really a good thing as long as they keep working.”

With everyone fighting for playing time, the defensive tackles have been extremely focused during spring practice. Panagos called his room the “engine of the defense.”

“It's really competition right now, that's what the key is right now,” Panagos said. “We have great competition in the room, only the competition is great because of what it makes them really lock in focus when they see this guy make a play. Well, I better make a play. I gotta make a play. He's making a play.”

Looking for D.J. Withers and Tommy Dunn to have big senior seasons

Kansas has relied heavily on senior leadership over Lance Leipold’s tenure. While there aren’t a ton of returning seniors, Dunn and Withers have a great opportunity to step into a leadership position.

“I think they're all learning to be more vocal,” Panagos said. “So now they're learning. They're learning when to say it, how to say it, why to say it. So it's a lot of those kind of conversations with me.”

Panagos said he’s teaching them how to be leaders. He said Withers and Dunn are on track to have big senior seasons.

“They know this is the last season, so, and they're excited,” Panagos said. “They're playing with great energy, great effort. They're playing with toughness. So this is exactly where we need to be their senior year.”