With collegiate football back into the full swing of things, analysts and reporters have gotten their first taste of some of the nation's best quarterbacks. The Jayhawks were given the rare ability to flex their muscles a week earlier than most others as Lance Leipold’s team dismantled Fresno State before doing the same against Wagner with 31-7 and 46-7 victories, respectively.
A lot of the praise from Kansas fans and reporters thus far has been heaped on quarterback Jalon Daniels. While we aren’t going to ignore the fact that Kansas has played two weaker teams thus far, his stats still hold up well.
Daniels has compiled seven touchdowns to just one interception, with a startling 80% completion rate and what ESPN rates as the 16th-best QBR in the nation through week one.
CBS Sports writer David Cobb released a College football power rankings article, which sees Daniels placed just outside the top-10.
“A soft opening is probably what Daniels needed coming off injury, and he's looked good so far in easy wins over Fresno State and Wagner, totaling seven passing touchdowns and demonstrating that he still has some wiggle as a runner. Now comes a much bigger test against Missouri. Last week: 12”
We all know the added spectacle of Missouri vs Kansas this upcoming Saturday, the winner most likely gets ranked and their season is propelled with a strong Power 4 win. With all the eyes on Daniels, if he performs, he will surely be a top-10 piece by next week's addition.
This is where fans will get a true first glimpse of Daniels’ improvements from last season. While at times excellent, the Lawndale, California native was also inconsistent and gave away a lot of points in the early portions of last season. It was clear when he turned a corner during the middle of the 2024 campaign, so did the rest of the team.
The Jayhawks shook off a 1-5 start to finish 5-7 and were 60 minutes away from what would have been a remarkable turnaround that would have seen Daniels and co. achieve its third bowl game in three years.
Instead, Kansas fell well short of the mark and was forced to prop its eyes onto this season and this Saturday as a chance to show the nation this team is one of the best.