Some additional light has been shed on one of the more head-scratching personnel developments of the 2019 season.
Late last month, Khalil Herbert left the Kansas football team for unspecified personal reasons, with head coach Les Miles stating at the time that he didn’t expect the running back anytime soon. In a statement two days later, Miles wished Herbert and his family the best, saying that “Khalil is no longer a member of our football program and will not participate in any football activities.”
On his personal Twitter account Thursday, Herbert claimed that a misinterpretation was the reason he no longer was with the team. According to Herbert, he wanted to take advantage of the redshirt rule that allows players to play in four or fewer games in a season without losing a year of eligibility, then return to the Jayhawks in 2020. The way the tweet reads, Miles and the football program were under the impression he was going to transfer, leading to a parting of ways that Herbert never wanted.
“Redshirting had many unforeseen consequences that my family and I did not know would result from this decision,” Herbert wrote. “Although things did not work out the way either side intended, I want you to know my intention was not to hurt the university, Jayhawk Nation, or my teammates.”
— Khalil Herbert (@JuiceHerbert) October 4, 2019
Despite missing last week’s game, Herbert still leads the Jayhawks with 384 yards on the ground and a pair of rushing touchdowns. Pooka Williams, who led KU in rushing a year ago and then overcame offseason issues that led to a one-game suspension to start the 2019 campaign, is second on the team with 308 yards this season and will take over as the bellcow in the running game moving forward.