This season, the Kansas Jayhawks will be faced with the task of reloading at quarterback. This is a first for head coach Lance Leipold and his staff, as the surefire Jalon Daniels has since been moved on to the NFL following a six-year stay with KU, where he totaled over 10,700 all-purpose yards to go along with 90 touchdowns.
Replacing him is set to be either redshirt junior Cole Ballard or redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall. Each has potential, but neither has routinely seen the rigors of the Big 12, nor have they cemented themselves as the starter heading into next month.
These are usually not promising signs for a team that is two years without a bowl like the Jayhawks are.
Earlier this month, Leipold spoke about the possibility of using both quarterbacks, saying, “...but I’ll say it now, and I’ll probably say it through camp, I think there's a very high probability that you'll see both quarterbacks play in games this year, and be used in multiple ways.”
Guessing what these respective roles may mean right now at the beginning of fall camp is not worth the time, as there are still several practices to go before the season kicks into full gear.
No matter who is truly the more prepared quarterback, standing in a situation like this, where both are projected to play, can create a confusing dynamic where neither Ballard nor Marshall has full command of the offense.
Passing game coordinator Jim Zebrowski stood in front of the media to take questions over this exact topic, relaying, “They know they have to be right at all times. Really, in theory, look at it, the number two guy has got to be ready to roll at any given moment. The shoe pops off, the helmet pops off. So it's like, I expect that.”
Across his 64 career attempts, Ballard has totaled 445 yards, 3 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Last season, Ballard finished with 108 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception on a 45.5% completion rate. Ballard also adds 209 yards on the ground, including 92 yards last season on just 15 attempts.
The 2025 campaign was the first where Marshall saw the field. Despite totaling just 28 yards across three completions, Marshall showcased a dynamic running ability with 160 yards on the ground, including a bustling 43-yard rush in Kansas’ 38-21 win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
“There's no excuse whatsoever. They need to be ready to go. So, like, rhythm-wise, again, but they just have to stay loose, be ready to go.”
The Jayhawks have limited time to pull this off
As fall camp is beginning to heat up, the time for whoever is going to start is now, while both Ballard and Marshall are set to play. Kickoff against Long Island University is now under a month away and what follows the Sharks is the infamous Border War against Missouri, before a trip overseas to the Union Jack Classic against Arizona State.
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