There really is no painting over what a quarterback offers a football team.
Which is why not knowing who QB1 is by now can create knots in any fan’s stomach.
For the Kansas Jayhawks, it would not be a shock to see either redshirt junior Cole Ballard or redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall start next season.
Both have their pros and cons, but let one thing be concerningly clear. Whoever is ultimately chosen will be leading an offense for the first time in their collegiate career, nonetheless a Big 12 team that is desperate for its first bowl in two seasons.
More often than not, Ballard has been selected in preseason predictions as the team’s starter come LIU on September 4, so for the sake of that, he is going first in this list. Last season, Ballard went 10-22 from the air, for 108 yards and one passing touchdown. Ballard also added 92 yards on the ground last season.
Marshall is entering year No. 2 with just 3 passes for 28 yards and 160 yards on the ground. Marshall was often thrown in during specific running sets last season, giving a great example of how much this staff trusts his ability on the ground. But his passing stats are essentially nonexistent, which is a massive concern.
If you are looking for the experience option, redshirt junior Chase Jenkins is the guy for you. In 2025 for Rice, Jenkins went for 1,025 yards on a 69.2% completion rate with 9 touchdowns and
2 interceptions. On the ground, Jenkins tallied 531 yards for 5 touchdowns, averaging 44.3 rushing yards per game.
While Jenkins spent three seasons at Rice, his sophomore season saw him make the move to wideout; however, he only played two games, making one catch.
Jenkins has largely been considered the last option out of the three, creating a battle solely between Ballard and Marshall.
The Jayhawks seem confident but their remains questions from the outside
Everyone knew that the Jayhawks were going to be forced to resort to a new quarterback next season. The fact that KU only reeled in one via the NCAA Transfer Portal, who seems to be the backup option, proves that they have confidence in either Ballard or Marshall to lead the way next season. Both options are strong on the ground, but neither has played too many serious snaps at power-conference level.
Overall Grade: C-
The best thing about this quarterback battle next season is that KU is bringing back Andy Kotelnicki to call the offense as the team’s associate head coach. The Jayhawks had two phenomenal offensive seasons in Kotelnicki’s last stint, before he made the move to Happy Valley to take on the Penn State offensive coordinator gig. Not only did KU make back-to-back bowl games in those seasons, but in 2022, Kotelnicki posted the nation’s 33rd-ranked offense that put up 432.8 yards per game as the Jayhawks went 6-7, only to average 439.9 yards (No. 21 in the country) a year later when the team went 9-4.
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