It wasn’t that long ago that Kansas football quarterback Jalon Daniels was seen as the star of the Big 12. In 2023, he was named the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year. The future looked bright for Daniels and the Jayhawks.
Things went downhill from there for Daniels. The 2023 season started off well enough for Daniels. In the first three games, he completed 74.7 percent of his pass attempts for 705 yards. He had five passing touchdowns and just one interception. He added 74 more yards on the ground.
The Jayhawks were 3-0 and flying high with Daniels at the helm. Unfortunately, an injury derailed his season, and he was unable to return to the field. Jason Bean stepped in, and KU went on to nine wins, including their first bowl victory in 15 years.
Though Daniels returned in 2024 and set career highs in passing and rushing yards, he also had 12 interceptions to just 14 touchdowns passing. He committed many of these at the end of halves and games, especially early in the season. He also fumbled away a sure victory in Manhattan, which allowed K-State to come back late and beat Kansas. He struggled with his accuracy throughout the season.
Still, he played much better in the second half of the season, leading KU to four wins in their last six games, including three in a row against ranked opponents.
Jalon Daniels is getting little respect prior to the 2025 season
This summer, there is little love for Daniels. People have forgotten how good he was in 2022 and before his 2023 injury.
Andy Staples from On3 ranks Daniels as the seventh-best quarterback in the conference. Bill Bender of The Sporting News ranks him ninth, Josh Crawford with SI.com, seventh, as does Jordan Mendoza with USA Today, and 247Sports doesn’t have him in the top five. You get the point.
TOP 5️⃣ BIG 12 QBs
— 247Sports (@247Sports) June 3, 2025
Sam Leavitt ranks No. 1 amongst Big 12 QBs next season according to @BudElliott3 and @CoachGVDixon
What do you think? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/3ylvKg2RQL
Everyone has forgotten how good Daniels can be. He’s been electric to watch, extremely productive, and a team leader in the past. There is no way to ignore his injury history and his early-season struggles last year, but that star quarterback is still at Kansas.
Daniels has the opportunity to solidify an already impressive legacy with the Kansas football team. He was one of the leaders who helped pull this program from obscurity to respectability.
He has an entirely new cast of receivers this season, and he’s worked with them this summer on the players’ own time. He’s showing the leadership qualities that have made him such a great leader at Kansas.
It is hard to understand, even after last year, how people have already forgotten that he was so well-thought of just two years ago as to be named the Big 12 preseason Player of the Year. He can justify that trust with a magnificent final collegiate season.
Daniels has a lot to prove, and don't be shocked if he performs like the star quarterback he is.