For over half a decade, Kansas had a consistent quarterback in longtime starter Jalon Daniels despite his injuries. However, head coach Lance Leipold will be rolling with a new signal-caller this year now that Daniels has graduated.
Maintaining the same offensive scheme he has utilized the past five seasons will be difficult with a new player guiding the offense, so it is imperative that he makes the right choice under center. The Jayhawks are looking to improve their offense after rehiring Andy Kotelnicki to the staff
this offseason.
With spring practice beginning on Thursday, the team gathered on the field ahead of the highly anticipated 2026 campaign. There are still nearly five months until the season kicks off, but there is no clear answer on who Daniels' replacement will be.
While there is certainly one favorite to win the job, Leipold has not ruled out any possibilities yet. During an interview yesterday, he suggested it would be a three-way competition between Isaiah Marshall, Cole Ballard, and Chase Jenkins.
"I might as well answer it now. I do not - we do not - and have not discussed when we are going to name a starter," Leipold affirmed. "It's not planned to be named in spring at this time. Could it? I don't know. But I don't have a timetable in mind about when we're going to do that.
Marshall has been the presumed favorite for a while, as the former highly touted recruit showed flashes with his dual-threat ability this past season. Still, Leipold is not ruling out either of his competitors from taking the starting job.
Ballard is in his fourth year with the program and has improved significantly since arriving at the university as a player walk-on. He started two games in 2023 when Jason Bean went down and has been Daniels' backup the past two seasons.
Meanwhile, Jenkins is a transfer from Rice who committed to the Jayhawks in January. The mobile quarterback finished last year with 1,025 passing yards and nine touchdowns through the air, in addition to 531 yards and five more scores on the ground.
The coaching staff brought in Jenkins to compete for the backup spot with Ballard, but it is still possible that he gives Marshall a run for his money for the starting job
. He has proven himself in the option game and could be a valuable weapon in certain packages on the ground.
Either way, fans should still view Marshall as the clear starter until proven otherwise. He has been praised by the coaching staff as a high-potential player in the past, and his dual-threat ability would make the transition from Daniels a seamless one.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kansas as Kansas HC Lance Leipold Noncommittal on Starting QB Selection For Jayhawks .
