Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels will get the start in the Jayhawks’ Aug. 29 season opener against Lindenwood, Jayhwaks coach Lance Leipold announced Tuesday. Daniels missed a majority of the 2023 season, including the first game of the year, due to lingering back tightness.
“I’ll announce him as our starting quarterback, he will start the opener,” Leipold told reporters Tuesday. “I’ve seen a lot of good things from Jalon Daniels the last 10 days, and he hasn’t missed anything. He’s played well and he’s confident. He’s excited. His enthusiasm is contagious, and we all know that it’s important for him to stay healthy and it’s good to see.”
Daniels did note at Big 12 Media Days in July that he felt healthy enough to play in the summer, but the Jayhawks have been cautious in their approach with Daniels this offseason.
Though naming Daniels the starter isn’t a surprise, it is notable that he’s set to return. When healthy, he is one of the top quarterbacks in college football. But nagging injuries have lingered throughout his career.
He only played in three games through the first third of the season in 2023 before shutting things down the rest of the year. In that span, he led Kansas to a 3-0 record while completing almost 75% of his passes for 705 yards and five touchdowns.
Daniels has yet to play a full season since signing with Kansas in 2020. His best year came in 2022, when he was available for nine games. He threw for 2,014 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for another 419 yards and seven touchdowns.
Though other Jayhawks quarterbacks have stepped up admirably in his stead, Daniels holds the key to unlocking Kansas’ full potential. With Daniels, Kansas — which was picked fourth and received five first-place votes in the preseason Big 12 media poll — has conference championship upside.
