Kansas football: Nagging injuries already becoming an issue for the Jayhawks

It didn’t take long for injuries to start piling up for Kansas football.

Aside from lousy defensive performances, injuries on the offensive end were one of the greatest downfalls of the Kansas Jayhawks 2022 season. A shoulder injury sustained by star quarterback Jalon Daniels halted KU’s momentum after the team started the year 5-0.

Players will always miss games in football due to injuries — it’s in the sport’s nature. Kansas fans also can’t complain about them much, as the entire defense stayed healthy last season and the core of the team stuck together. However, several players are banged up early on in fall camp.

This is the full injury report from Kansas football:

• Jalon Daniels (back tightness)
• Craig Young
• Mello Dotson
• Taiwan Berryhill
• OJ Burroughs

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Head coach Lance Leipold doesn’t describe the players’ injuries as anything more than “bumps and bruises,” but Daniels has been dealing with back problems for nearly a week now and has not gotten reps in for three practices. For what it’s worth, Kansas has one of the nation’s best backup signal callers in Jason Bean, who Leipold mentioned is having a strong preseason camp thus far.

Craig Young and Taiwan Berryhill are the No. 2 and 3 linebackers on the depth chart, so that news does not bode well for an already struggling Jayhawk defense. Mello Dotson is also one of the squad’s starting outside cornerbacks. He typically plays opposite of Cobee Bryant.

It seems as though Daniels could be limited in KU’s opening matchup versus Missouri State on Sept. 1. If he were to receive a rest game during the season, though, that would be the one, as the Bears are an FCS school that should be easy pickings for the Jayhawks. We’ll continue to post updates on the team’s injuries as the preseason progresses.

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