The Kansas Jayhawks season will rely on the health of quarterback Jalon Daniels in 2024.
The success of the Kansas Jayhawks football team in 2024 heavily relies on the health of their starting quarterback, Jalon Daniels. Now, it’s obvious that this is not revealing groundbreaking information. Nearly every team’s success relies on their starting quarterback, and if they aren’t healthy, the team will likely struggle. However, that sentiment is tenfold for the Jayhawks in 2024.
Jalon Daniels health is key
Daniels was the preseason Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year last offseason. Those dreams were dashed after a back injury derailed his season after just three games. Luckily for the Jayhawks, Jason Bean decided to come back to Kansas for his final season. Bean would help lead the team to nine wins (the most since 2007) and save the season. This year, they don’t have as strong of a safety net behind Daniels.
Assuming Daniels is healthy might be a bit naive, but for the sake of the Jayhawks season, he needs to be.
The Kansas offense with Daniels is probably the most explosive in the conference, and near the top of the entire country. With every major receiver and running back returning, he has plenty of weapons at his disposal. Daniels made great use of them in his time last season, completing 75 percent of passes and throwing five touchdowns (with just a single interception) in his three games.
It’s unlikely that Daniels will complete three quarters of his passes over the course of a 12-game season, but even if he is closer to the 67 percent he was at the two years prior, the Jayhawks offense will be very tough to stop. While he doesn’t have the rushing upside that Bean brought last season, Daniels is plenty capable on the ground and more than makes up the difference with his arm.
The Backup Plan(s)?
If Daniels were to miss time, it’s possible that the offense would still be in a position to succeed. Cole Ballard would be the likely replacement, and he showed that he can at least be a semi-competent emergency backup.
After Bean was injured in the Texas Tech game last season, Ballard came in and kept the Jayhawks in the game and gave them a chance to win. He then went out and did the same thing the following week against Kansas State. His numbers were nothing to write home about, but he did okay for a true freshman making an unexpected appearance and then against a top-25 team.
Depending on when a hypothetical injury to Daniels would take place, the backup might actually be true freshman Isaiah Marshall. The three-star recruit was the 31st ranked quarterback in the class and fits the Daniels mold a bit better than Ballard does.
Marshall had over 4,600 total yards in his senior season of high school, with 1,500 of them coming on the ground. His ability to use his legs as a weapon, both as a runner and a playmaker, replicates both Bean and Daniels. While he ideally doesn’t see the field until 2025, he might be the player coach Leipold turns to if he wants someone who fits the offense a bit more.
Again, saying that the Jayhawks need Daniels to stay healthy is not breaking news, nor would it be for nearly any team in the country. However, this is the most hyped up season the team has had in a long time. While the team could be okay if either of the backups needed to play, a healthy season for Daniels could very well lead to double digits wins for Kansas for the first time in nearly two decades.
