By the time Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown rolls around, the energy surrounding David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium will be at a fever pitch. Kansas hasn’t beaten Kansas State since November 1st, all the way back in 2008. For those who painfully need reminders, that is 16 times in a row. Okay, that is all we will say about that.
Many of these games have been decided by playmakers; individual bits of brilliance (or stupidity) have pushed the Wildcats over the edge. Look at the last two matchups, a 31-27 loss and a 29-27 loss, margins that are decided by a drive, and it's all it takes for Kansas to right the ship.
For this Kansas team, there have been a number of playmakers who have emerged on the offensive end. We have spoken ad-nauseum about the meteoric rise of Boden Groen and the improvements shown by quarterback Jalon Daniels in his final year. Alabama transfer Emmanuel Henderson has broken through and made several big plays.
Last week, Blake Brockermeyer of CBS Sports broke down an extensive list titled: College Football's Top 150 Players at Midseason of 2025: The definitive list, led by Miami's Rueben Bain Jr.
Two Kansas players made Brockerymeyers’ list.
No. 76 Jalon Daniels
If there was one player from Kansas who was a guarantee, it was bound to be Jalon Daniels. The signal-caller has seen his most impressive season as a member of Kansas. A 4-3 record may not show some elite offense, but Daniels has been able to cultivate an impressive 18 touchdowns to two interceptions. Combine that with 1,752 yards and so far a career-high 69.9% completion rate, and things Daniels looks as steady as he’s ever been
Further down the list, in 140th is Emmanuel Henderson Jr.
Henderson’s exceptional speed was going to be a groundbreaking asset for any school that wanted him in the portal. While Henderson was primarily used in special teams during his time with the Crimson Tide, Henderson has been tailored to perfection with a number of plays every game being designed to get the best out of Henderson’s elite first step and ability to cut inside on defenders.
In Henderson’s seven appearances this season, the senior has totaled 31 receptions and four touchdowns. When used in the return game, Henderson has been able to showcase his blistering speed even more, thanks to his 290 yards on 10 returns and one touchdown.
For both these players to be included in this narrow list proves a few slightly concerning things. It shows that both Daniels and Henderson are among the nation’s elite, and their stats back it up. It also shows how head coach Lance Leipold has been able to develop these two raw talents into consistent playmakers.
Yet, when you have this caliber of players and still stumble to a 4-3 record, there is reason for concern from a coaching perspective. For example, the Jayhawks still rank 123rd in the nation with just a 30.56% conversion rate on third down. Meanwhile, Kansas’ six yards per play ranks 31st in the nation, showing a polarizing reliance on breaking big plays early in drives, yet often finding itself in bleak third-down opportunities in which Kansas can not work itself out of, which drives such a fork between the two stats.
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