After another devastating loss in which the Jayhawks blew the lead yet again, Kansas head coach Lance Leipold didn't give the update fans were hoping for when it came to quarterback Isaiah Marshall.
Marshall is suffering from a lower-leg injury that had him pop up in the initial injury report on Wednesday, but he was listed as probable. The Thursday injury report had Marshall listed as questionable, then a game-time decision on the final injury report. Ultimately, after going through warm-ups before the game, Marshall was a late scratch, putting the game in Cole Ballard's hands.
Even after being out vs. TCU, Leipold told the media in his Monday presser that Marshall's status for the UCF game is still up in the air because it is too early to tell whether he will be ready to go or not.
#KUfball coach Lance Leipold said it's too early to tell right now whether Isaiah Marshall will be back at QB for the Jayhawks this week... They'll monitor it throughout the week, but he said Zeke was moving around better Sunday night than he did last week.
— Matt Tait (@mctait) November 2, 2026
While this may not be the update fans would have wanted, it isn't the worst update Leipold could have provided. We could see Marshall go through the same injury report designations this week, not fully knowing whether or not he will play until game time against the Knights.
Kansas could get a breather when it comes to throwing the ball vs. UCF
Whether it is Ballard or Marshall starting for Kansas against UCF, the passing game should hopefully be easier to get started. While UCF's defense at times has looked really good this season, there are still a lot of weak points, especially in the secondary. The Knights have just seven interceptions and five forced fumbles this season.
The defensive line is definitely the bright spot of UCF's defense, which could cause some problems for whichever quarterback gets the start for Kansas, but UCF's defense is prone to giving too much space to receivers. While Ballard may not have as strong an arm as Marshall, short passes could help him in this game if he gets the start.
The Knights are allowing 249.6 passing yards per game to opponents this season, and 126.3 rushing yards, which could also bode well for a Kansas offense that likes to run the ball. The Jayhawks average 202.3 rushing yards per game this season compared to just 244.0 passing yards, but both are better than the Knights.
Marshall is clearly the better of the two quarterbacks, hence why he won the starting position at the start of the season, but if he is banged up and can't run as effectively, it might be smart to go with Ballard for another week.
Kansas has to be able to still run the ball efficiently to really help the passing game open up. Short passes will be the name of the game for the Jayhawks when facing a Knights defense that is coming off one of its worst defensive performances this season, allowing 319 passing yards to Baylor.
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