The face of most football franchises is the quarterback. Some of the best dynasties in both collegiate and professional levels have been dictated by the guys under center.
For Kansas, one of their best season since 2007 was spearheaded by current Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels. Daniels put the whole collegiate football landscape on watch as he tacked just over 2,000 yards, 18 touchdowns to just four interceptions, not to mention the extra seven touchdown the speedy quarterback picked up in just nine games played as Lance Leipold's teams led Kansas to a 9-4 record which saw the Jayhawks be ranked in the AP Poll for the first time since 2009.
Daniels was en route to light the NCAA on fire once again heading into the 2023/24 season as he notched five touchdowns to one interception and over 700 yards in just three games before going down with an injury that kept him out for the majority of that season.
Last year, Daniels experienced a mixed bag along with the rest of the Jayhawk squad. A 1-5 start was quickly rectified as Kansas marched on to nab four of its next six games before being squashed by Baylor in a 45-17 loss that knocked Daniels and Co. out of contention for Leipold's third bowl game in three years. In that 2024/25 season, Daniels finished with 24 touchdowns but added a hefty 12 interceptions, combined with a 57% passing completion rate.
Heading into the Big 12 Media Days, CBS sports writer Shehan Jeyarajah combed through the Big 12 and posed one question for each school.
"Question: How is Jalon Daniels' headspace doing?
"Two years ago, Daniels was voted Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and showed up to media days wearing a chain that played his highlights. Last year, he was the talk of media day as a reclamation story just trying to get back on the field. Now, Daniels is again a major story as he flashed both frustrating lows and game-changing highs last year. Major programs courted him in the offseason, but Daniels has been adamant about his desire to become a KU legend. This could be the year he does it. "
Last season, when the Hawks lit up the final few games, an impressive three-game winning streak against ranked opponents. Daniels marked a stretch where Kansas knocked off No. 17 Iowa State, No. 7 Brigham Young, and No. 16 Colorado with 653 yards with three touchdowns, and one interception. These aren't necessarily Heisman-winning numbers, but each laid a foundation for the team to win.