Kansas football: What will the offense look like under each QB

The first Kansas football game of the season is less than a week away. And as the anticipation builds, Jayhawk fans are still left wondering who will start at quarterback game one.

New head coach Lance Leipold gave an update on the quarterback competition at his presser a few days ago, and all signs point to fans not knowing until game day. When asked how the quarterback competition was shaping up by KUSports.com writer Benton Smith, Leipold seemed confident that whoever they choose at quarterback will be able to lead the team.

"It continues to be very competitive. Different guys on different days have been available and things, but I think they’re all getting better. I’m pleased with all of their progress and, yeah, that’s probably — I feel confident that once we decide who that … starter may be that they’ll be able to lead our offense."

The three quarterbacks in competition for the starting job appear to be Jason Bean, Jalon Daniels, and Miles Kendrick. Last week it appeared Kendrick was in the lead to take the starting job, but according to Jesse Newell of the KC Star, it’s looking like Bean is making a late push.

"Leipold has declined to give substantive updates on his quarterback position, and in early practices, it seemed like Miles Kendrick’s leadership and knowledge of the system put him well ahead of both Jason Bean and Jalon Daniels. That’s changed recently, though, as Bean — a North Texas transfer — has wowed with his athleticism and ability to make plays in scrimmages."

Whoever the starting quarterback ends up being, the big question is how the offense will look under each candidate.

Miles Kendrick (Senior)

If the Jayhawks want a quarterback that offers the most consistency and experience within the program, Kendrick will be the guy. He’s not flashy with his speed or arm strength, but he will make the least amount of mistakes and manage the game when it comes down to it.

In speaking with Scott Chasen of 247 Sports, runningback Amauri Pesek-Hickson made a pretty big endorsement for Kendrick as starting quarterback.

"I think he deserves the opportunity. Personally, I think everybody deserves opportunity, but MK, he puts in the work — like tremendously. I’m rooting for MK."

This same sentiment isn’t quite shared among the fanbase, though. It’s not that Jayhawk fans don’t like Kendrick; it’s that they feel they’ve seen what he can bring to the table, and they want to see someone new get the opportunity.

If Kendrick does win the job, it’s likely the offense will be a bit more conservative than with the other two options at quarterback. The Jayhawks will be more dependent on the run game, and there won’t be many big plays.

But, what the Jayhawks will get is a game manager. Kendrick will make the safer decisions, and he’ll keep the game under control. This could lead to a slower-paced offense, but it could also be more efficient.

Jalon Daniels (Sophomore)

Jayhawk fans got their first look at Daniels last year when he started and played in seven total games. While it was tough to see his full potential watching him run for his life most of the season, Daniels still showed a lot of promise.

If Kansas chooses Daniels as their starting quarterback, they’ll have a guy with tremendous arm strength and big play-making ability. Not only does Daniels have a strong arm, but he can escape the pocket and extend the play.

Daniels told Sam Lance with 247 Sports, confidence is the key in competing for the starting quarterback position.

"Reading defenses and everything, that’s fine and dandy. But if you know where to go and the ball doesn’t get there, what does that help you with? You need to have the confidence to make every throw, because you can’t play quarterback if you can’t do that."

An offense with Daniels under center will still likely be run-heavy, given the sack issues he dealt with last year, but the Jayhawks could see more RPO–or run-pass-option plays. This will allow Daniels to get out of the pocket with the opportunity to make big plays downfield.

And now that the offensive line projects to be much improved, maybe Jayhawk fans will be able to witness the true potential Daniels has to offer.

Jason Bean (Junior)

The favorite to win the starting job among Jayhawk fans is easily Jason Bean. It’s not just his skill set they’re attracted to; it’s that they haven’t yet seen him play in a Kansas uniform.

Aside from the attraction of the “unknown,” Bean does have a lot to offer as the starting quarterback for the Jayhawks. He has tremendous speed and impressive arm strength.

Quarterback Daniels had nothing but praise for his fellow competitor.

"Jason is a very fast guy, very quick, has a whole bunch of abilities. I like to learn from people that are older than me. Jason Bean is one of those guys. He’s very explosive, can make a lot of plays, can make a lot of things happen."

When coaches and players talk about Bean’s speed, they really mean it. He told Scott Chasen of 247 Sports his fastest 100-meter time was 10.3 seconds. To put this into context, Chasen wrote, “which would have put him 0.5 seconds behind the gold-medal finisher at the Tokyo Olympics in the same category.”

This kind of speed instantly makes Bean a big-play threat every time he’s on the field. And that’s something opposing defenses will have to game plan for.

Again, even with Bean in at quarterback, the game plan will still likely be run-heavy, but we’ll see the quarterback more involved. And being that he also has tremendous arm strength, the Jayhawks could see a lot more plays downfield.

The keys with Bean will be accuracy and confidence. If he can hone in on those two things, the sky is the limit for his success.