Jalon Daniels Poised to Lead Kansas Toward Third Bowl-Eligible Season Since 2022
Jalon Daniels is once again at the center of Kansas football’s ambitions, carrying the weight of leading the Jayhawks to a third bowl-eligible season in four years.
Daniels shined in his first full season as a starter, throwing for just over 2,000 yards, 18 touchdowns, and only four interceptions in nine games. However, his 2023 campaign was derailed early by injury, forcing him out of the spotlight after just three games.
Despite that setback, Kansas mounted a late-season surge, winning four of their final six games. Still, a lopsided 45–17 loss to Baylor in the regular-season finale kept them just short of postseason play.
Ahead of the 2025 season, CBS Sports analyst Brad Crawford ranked every Big 12 starting quarterback—and Daniels landed at No. 8, lower than many Kansas fans might have expected.
“Healthy for the first time in years,” Crawford wrote, “the sixth-year senior passed up a portal entry this offseason to finish what he started with the Jayhawks.” He added that Daniels was instrumental in Kansas reaching bowl eligibility two years ago, racking up 25 total touchdowns and leading the conference in third-down conversion rate at 50.6%. That third-down efficiency returned in 2024, but Kansas struggled in late-game situations, with four of their seven losses coming by just one possession.
Daniels was ranked just behind Texas Tech’s Behren Morton (No. 7) and ahead of Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby (No. 9). Morton was praised in the rankings as a potential breakout senior, while Utah’s Devon Dampier—ranked just above Morton—was described as “one of this cycle’s hidden gems.”
In that context, Daniels’ placement at No. 8 doesn’t necessarily reflect a lack of talent—it highlights the depth and quality of this year’s Big 12 quarterback group.
There are still uncertainties surrounding Kansas heading into the fall: former assistants Jim Zebrowski and D.K. McDonald have been promoted to offensive and defensive coordinator roles, respectively, and the roster has undergone significant turnover, with 27 new players looking to make their mark.
But with a fully healthy Daniels under center, Kansas has a proven leader who’s capable of elevating the team beyond expectations—and beyond the quarterbacks ranked ahead of him.
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