It's truly hard to put into words the emotions one feels when watching Isaiah Marshall quarterback the Kansas football team. There are so many ups and downs that it becomes a roller coaster ride for all 60 minutes.
During his first four starts for the Jayhawks, Marshall's backyard football style of play had become frustrating to some. With every brilliant throw he seemed to make
, he'd counter it with a puzzling mistake later on.
However, the Southfield A&T product showed enough glimpses in KU's 41-24 loss to Utah
tonight to feel encouraged by his growth through the first handful of contests this season. It was, without a doubt, the best performance he's had as a Jayhawk.
Marshall tallied a career-high 333 yards through the air, along with two passing touchdowns and an additional score on the ground. Some of the throws he made were magnificent, showcasing arm talent reminiscent of former Jayhawk signal-caller Jalon Daniels
.
There's an important caveat to note with that statement, though. Marshall still has a lot to learn, especially toward the beginning of games. He opened the evening 4-for-10 passing with 17 yards, forcing the Jayhawks to play from behind despite his later efforts to stay competitive.
The first two drives were incredibly frustrating to watch for KU fans. Utah jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, and the Utes were nearly gifted free points when Marshall threw an inexplicable interception to James Chenault Jr. on the sideline on a third-down pass he was trying to throw away.
At that point, the outcome was trending toward another blowout loss for the Jayhawks, and the coaching staff may have even been considering a quarterback change. However, just when we thought Marshall was a lost cause, he reeled us back in.
In terms of raw talent alone, Marshall has to be among the best in the entire Big 12 Conference. As we learned today, he's more than capable of connecting on strikes 25+ yards downfield, and everyone knows what he can do with his legs . The question is whether he can put all of that progress together and sustain it across four quarters.
From a fan's perspective, it feels like Marshall is afraid to take chances early, which actually makes him more mistake-prone. Once the Jayhawks begin to trail, that's when he finally looks confident enough to zip balls to his receivers and threaten defenses with his arm.
Oct 10, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Isaiah Marshall (8) runs the ball during the first half against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A similar scenario occurred in the loss to Arizona State
a few weeks ago. The offense didn't score a touchdown until the fourth quarter, but Marshall came into his own after halftime with nearly 200 passing yards in a span of 20 minutes.
As an inexperienced redshirt sophomore, it's the coaching staff's job to prepare Marshall for these tests and get him into a rhythm from the jump. Andy Kotelnicki needs to be held responsible
for Marshall's inconsistency and must figure out a way to have his quarterback feeling comfortable from the time the opening whistle sounds.
There are two ways Marshall's tenure as a starter could go from here: he either continues to struggle early in games and remains a wild card every week, or he finally taps into his potential and develops into the elite quarterback he's destined to become. If the latter is going to happen, the coaching staff has plenty of work to do in the coming weeks.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kansas as Isaiah Marshall Stock Report: Kansas QB Continues to Rise After Career Day vs. Utah .
