Kansas Football: A ‘Thank You’ Letter to Jalon Daniels

In 2019, the Kansas Jayhawks were coming off a three-win season. They won a single conference game and were outscored by an average of 20 points in their nine Big 12 games. It was their second consecutive season with just three wins, which was actually an improvement from the three combined wins they had from 2015-2017. Needless to say, things were as bad as ever in Lawrence. Freshman quarterback Jalon Daniels stepped onto campus as a three-star recruit, nothing special at the time. Little did everyone know, he and a handful of his classmates would leave a lasting impression on Kansas football.

Kansas Football: The Legacy of Jalon Daniels

The first year wasn’t better than the previous years upon the arrival of Jalon Daniels and the 2020 class. In fact, it was even worse.

During the Covid-shortened 2020 season, the Jayhawks didn’t win a single game, and lost by an average of 30 points per game. They did, however, give Daniels a chance to show what he’s made of. And with all due respect to Daniels, it didn’t look like much.

Daniels threw for 162 yards per game in four starts, with four touchdowns (three rushing) and four interceptions. In 2021, he also saw a handful of starts. He bumped his yardage up to 203 yards per game, with an impressive 7:3 touchdown to interception ratio and adding a bit with his legs (two games with 35-plus rushing yards).

The highlight of the 2021 season came in his second start, when he tallied 247 total yards and four touchdowns in a 57-56 overtime win over Texas. One of the most famous plays in Kansas history came in this game, when Jared Casey caught the game-winning two-point conversion from Daniels. This game would kickstart what would become one of the best and most important careers in the history of Jayhawk football.

Breakout, Injuries, and Heartbreak

The 2022 season was the breakout for Daniels and the program as a whole. They started the season undefeated at 5-0, which already matched the most wins they’d had in a season since 2009. In the first four victories, Daniels averaged 304 yards and just shy of four touchdowns per game. Unfortunately, he sustained an injury against TCU that would force him to miss the next three games. The team rallied around backup quarterback Jason Bean and secured bowl eligibility in Daniels’ absence. In the bowl game, Daniels and the rest of the offense put the college football world on notice. Even though it came in a loss, Daniels exploded for 565 yards and six touchdowns against Arkansas.

The following season was the best in Kansas history in over 15 years. Unfortunately, it didn’t include much of Daniels. He picked up right where he left off, collecting nearly 800 yards and five touchdowns in three wins to start the season. A back injury, however, would force him to miss the rest of the season. Bean would once again take over at quarterback and lead the Jayhawks. They rattled off six more wins, including a victory in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl over the UNLV Rebels. With Daniels back for the 2024 season, the stage was set for the Jayhawks to get back near the top.

If times weren’t hard prior to 2024, they certainly got to that point. After a season opening blowout win, the Jayhawks proceeded to lose five straight games. Four of those were decided by one score, and Kansas led with less than a minute left in each one of them. It was heartbreaking loss after heartbreaking loss. A fourth quarter collapse two weeks later to rival Kansas State put a bow on what was a season full of ‘what ifs’. Even still, they rattled off three straight ranked wins to end the year and came one win shy of a bowl game. If 2024 was a lost season, 2025 was supposed to be the season for finding themselves.

Unfortunately, it was more of the same. Two last-second losses were the difference between a “turning of the tides” seven-win season and a second consecutive season without a bowl game. Daniels had by far the best season of his career, totaling just shy of 3000 yards with 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Culture Change, and What-Ifs

To say things didn’t go as planned during Daniels career would be malpractice due to hindsight. Were the Jayhawks expected to be near the top of the Big 12 the past few seasons and fail to meet those expectations? Yes. Were they expected to be a bowl team and failed to meet those expectations? Yes. However, because of the team, expectations were much higher than they ever were in 2019. Were the Jayhawks expected to be anything resembling a competitive football team over the past four seasons? Absolutely not. Were they expected to win nine games and find themselves in a College Football Playoff ranking? Absolutely not.

The 2020 freshman class changed Kansas football. Players like Cobee Bryant, Mello Dotson, Lawrence Arnold, Luke Grimm, and Bryce Cabeldue set the tone for what Jayhawk fans should expect from the program. However, none of them had the impact that Jalon Daniels had on Kansas football.

Daniels finished second all-time in school history for passing yards and touchdowns, behind only the legendary Todd Reesing. He came into a program that was a bottom of the barrel power conference school and turned them into a team that expects to be a perennial bowl contender. He turned a fanbase that got excited every time they won a game into a fanbase that is disappointed with five wins, and that’s a good thing.

On top of his achievements, Daniels also overcame multiple significant injuries. He kept fighting after losing close game after close game. He blocked out the noise and rumors about transferring to a better program.

Daniels chose Kansas and stuck with his decision until the unfortunate bitter end. He revitalized a program that was completely dead. His impact on Kansas football cannot be overstated. He is this generation’s Todd Reesing. He is and will forever be a Jayhawk legend.

So from all of Jayhawk Nation, thank you Jalon. Rock Chalk Forever.