After series of injuries, Jalon Daniels to start at QB for No. 22 Kansas in season opener next week

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jalon Daniels will be under center when No. 22 Kansas opens the season against Lindenwood next week.

Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold confirmed Tuesday the electrifying but injury-prone quarterback had remained healthy through fall camp and would be ready for the game on Aug. 29. Daniels hurt his shoulder and missed half of their breakout 2022 season, then had a back injury that limited him to just three games last season.

“He will start the opener,” Leipold said. “I’ve seen a lot of good things from Jalon Daniels in the last 10 days, and he hasn’t missed anything. He’s played well and he’s confident and he’s excited. His enthusiasm is contagious. And we all know that it’s important for him to stay healthy, but it’s good to see.”

The health of Daniels could be what decides whether the Jayhawks can make a college football playoff run in the new-look Big 12, where Texas and Oklahoma are no longer around and the path toward its championship game is wide open.

“I mean, it’s definitely exciting. My last game actually being able to play was against BYU,” Daniels said, referring to a win over the Cougars on Sept. 23, 2023. “So I feel like, you know, I’m just going to take advantage of the opportunity that’s given.”

The dual-threat quarterback has thrown for 2,729 yards and 23 touchdowns with only five interceptions over 12 games the past two seasons, though even those impressive numbers are a bit deceiving. He didn’t play the full game in several instances.

In the Jayhawks’ bowl game against Arkansas two years ago, Daniels threw for 555 yards and five scores while running for another touchdown in a triple-overtime loss. And in the three games he played last season, Daniels completed nearly 75% of his passes for 705 yards with five touchdowns and a single interception in wins over Illinois, Nevada and BYU.

The fact that Daniels has been on the field, uninterrupted, throughout training camp has buoyed the confidence of a team that has higher expectations than at any point in recent memory. Kansas returns its top four wide receivers — Lawrence Arnold, Luke Grimm, Quentin Skinner and Trevor Wilson — along with 1,200-yard rusher Devin Neal and backup Daniel Hishaw Jr. from a team that went 9-4 and finished No. 23 in the final AP Top 25, even with productive backup Jason Bean at quarterback.

“They’re all excited. Quentin Skinner is his roommate, he and (linebacker) Cornell (Wheeler) live with Jalon, and they’ve been great support for him the entire way,” Leipold said. “Devin and Jalon are very close as well. To see those guys — they’re not just talented guys but they are good friends, too. And great teammates and supporting, and it’s been great to see.”

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