Kansas Jayhawks deemed 'biggest question mark' in Big 12 football heading into 2024

Lance Leipold has taken the Kansas football program to unprecedented heights since taking over at the helm in 2021. He led the Jayhawks to their first bowl win and season above .500 in 15 years last year, and things are only trending up as he continues to assemble strong recruiting and transfer classes.

While fans might be sold on the 2024 Jayhawks, not everyone else is fully bought in. 247 Sports analyst Carter Bahns believes that KU still has questions to answer and believes it is a wildcard that could have many different outcomes. He listed Kansas as one of the 10 most unpredictable college football teams heading into the upcoming campaign.

CFB analyst believes Kansas football is biggest wildcard in Big 12

"The Big 12 could realistically account for many of the nation's most unpredictable teams given the parity in the top half of the expanded conference. Kansas is the biggest question mark of the bunch, though, because of its quarterback situation. Jalon Daniels is among college football's most dynamic quarterbacks when healthy, and the roster around him is on an upward trajectory that could lead to a conference title. But the dual-threat weapon has yet to start a full season and missed the majority of the 2023 season due to nagging injuries. Another prolonged absence would spell trouble for the Jayhawks in the Big 12 race."

- 247 Sports' Carter Bahns

Kansas has a handful of all-conference players and experienced veterans across the roster. Many facets of the team are "proven," so to speak. Regardless, he called KU the Big 12's biggest question mark — primarily due to the injury history of standout quarterback Jalon Daniels.

It's hard to blame Bahns for having his doubts about Kansas. At the end of the day, JD6 needs to prove he can stay healthy for an entire season before we start calling the Jayhawks College Football Playoff contenders. There is no experienced backup like Jason Bean to come in and save the day like he did last year. It all depends on Daniels' health.

Additionally, the loss of OC Andy Kotelnicki and OL coach Scott Fuchs could prove to be damaging to the offense depending on how their replacements fit in. New OC Jeff Grimes has run similar offenses to KU's in the past, but it is still something to monitor as the season progresses.

On the bright side, there are many reasons to be excited for the upcoming season. Kansas has one of the easiest schedules in the conference and the most well-rounded roster during Leipold's tenure in Lawrence. If Daniels can stay on the field, expect the Jayhawks to compete for a Big 12 title and potentially more.