Senior running back Khalil Herbert, the leading rusher for Kansas this season, has left the Jayhawks and won’t return as he hoped, he said in a social media post.
Herbert played in four games for the Jayhawks, gaining 384 yards on 43 carries — an average of 8.9 yards per carry — plus two touchdowns. He sat out the Week 5 game against TCU for what was announced as “personal reasons.”
On Thursday night, he posted a letter on social media and said he had intended to take a redshirt, which is allowable under NCAA rules, and return in 2020 as a redshirt senior.
But coach Les Miles announced Wednesday that Herbert had permanently departed. He remains enrolled as a student KUSports.com reported.
“We would like to wish Khalil Herbert and his family well moving forward,” Miles said in a news release. “With that said, Khalil is no longer a member of our football program and will not participate in any football activities.”
Herbert’s post gave his side of the story.
“I intended to come back for my redshirt senior year (in 2020), not to transfer or to leave my teammates,” Herbert wrote. “Redshirting had many unforeseen consequences that my family and I did not know would result from this decision. Although things did not work out the way either side intended, I want you to know my intentions was not to hurt the university, Jayhawk Nation or my teammates.”
He continued to his teammates:”I love and miss you already. I’m sorry things turned out the way they did because this was the last thing I wanted.”
Should he go on to graduate from Kansas, he could play next season as a grad transfer without sitting out a season.
Without Herbert, the Jayhawks likely will turn to sophomore Pooka Williams to carry the load. The 2018 Offensive Freshman of the Year in the Big 12, Williams has gained 308 yards on 67 carries with a touchdown in four games.
Kansas (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) host No. 6 Oklahoma on Saturday.
