The biggest talk of the Kansas Football offseason was always going to center on their ongoing quarterback battle between redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall and redshirt junior Cole Ballard. The pair has been duking it out since the dog days of spring camp and moments ago, a decision was finally announced.
Sources: Kansas has named Isaiah Marshall the school’s starting quarterback. He’s a redshirt sophomore dual-threat quarterback who has played in nine games, completed all 3 of his passes and rushed for 160 yards on 15 carries. pic.twitter.com/PaXKgMlPsl
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 27, 2026
Both Ballard and Marshall need more experience under their belt
Let's make one thing clear: both Ballard and Marshall are dwarfed in terms of experience by the outgoing Jalon Daniels. Daniels compiled over 1,100 throws in his 49 games with the program, all while adding 9,282 passing yards. So anyone was going to be a step down. But this big of a step was a bit concerning for KU fans.
Marshall is entering his third year with the program, but didn’t see any action in year one in 2024. Last season, Marshall entered games during a decent mix of garbage-time plays, with the occasional running set thrown to defenses off balance in the heat of the game.
Marshall totaled 28 passing yards last season across three attempts. Where he really made his mark was his ability to churn out yards on the ground, showing a decent mix of strength and speed to keep one foot ahead of the other. Marshall’s highlight play of the season came in Kansas’ final win of their 2025 campaign, when he churned out a 43-yard run in the Jayhawks’ 38-21 win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Marshall finished the season with 160 yards on the ground.
Both quarterbacks have clearly earned the staff’s respect
For one, a lot of quarterback battles are often just coaches using the presumed second-string QB to motivate the first. They do this by acting as if it really is a battle, while in the back of their mind they know who the starter really is.
This was not that. Both quarterbacks earned an equal number of reps during the offseason. Leipold has also stated multiple times that it is likely that both quarterbacks will see the field, which is something to keep an eye on.
It is also worth noting that the coaches have continuously relayed their brewing friendship, involving several off-the-field activities the pair have done, creating a bond between the two rather than a cold quarterback room. Associate head coach Andy Kotelnicki spoke on the battle being healthy earlier this month.
“And I've said before in that room, when you have competition in that room, which is a really, really important room, of course, and our football team can see those two individuals, handling it really, really well, and it's making both of them better, and no one can debate that. That's really healthy for a football team.”
This is a massive step forward for KU fans, as there was a rapidly rising sense of anticipation towards this decision that was becoming more anxiety than excitement, no matter who the selection. KU takes to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium against LIU in just over a week, on September 4 at 7 p.m. CT, with streaming available on ESPNU.
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