This season will be a transitional one for the Kansas football team, especially at the quarterback position. After six years on campus, Jalon Daniels is gone, and the Jayhawks need to figure out who will be the primary signal-caller for KU in 2026.
There are three legitimate candidates at quarterback for Kansas, and the battle for the starting role will definitely be the most interesting storyline leading into the season. The biggest question remaining is whether any of them are good enough to lead KU to a bowl game this season.
There is a chance that all three quarterbacks could see time under center in specialized packages, but it is always better if one player earns the starting job and can keep it throughout the season.
Who are the three main candidates to be the Kansas starting quarterback in 2026?
Cole Ballard
The quarterback with the most time spent in the program is redshirt junior Cole Ballard. He has seen some action during all three seasons he's been on the roster. Here's a glance at his passing stats for his career.
- Attempts: 64
- Completions: 35
- Completion Percentage: 54.7%
- Touchdowns: 3
- Interceptions: 4
- Yards: 445
- Yards per completion: 12.7
Nothing much stands out. His percentage isn't great, and it is never good to have thrown more picks than scores. There is one thing about Ballard that doesn't show up in these passing stats, however. He is a better runner than people may think. In his 15 appearances, he's carried the ball 20 times for 209 yards for a 5.2 average per carry. Over his last two seasons, he has 20 carries for 134 yards. That breaks down to 6.7 yards per carry, which is much better than his 3.8 average as a freshman.
Isaiah Marshall
The fan favorite might be redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall. The biggest problem with Marshall is that he hasn't been given many opportunities to throw the ball yet. Last season, he completed all three of his attempts for 28 yards, but that is a tiny sample size.
Marshall was used mainly in specialized packages for the run game. He gained an impressive 160 yards on just 15 carries for a 10.7-yard-per-carry average. That speed and athleticism are certainly a weapon, especially if he can throw with accuracy and his decision-making is good.
Chase Jenkins
The dark horse candidate is redshirt junior transfer Chase Jenkins, who has the most experience of anyone behind the center. Jenkins played a limited number of snaps as a freshman at Rice, then switched to wide receiver as a sophomore. He saw very little playing time at the new position, so he switched back to quarterback and had a productive season last year. Here is a glance at his passing stats with the Owls.
- Attempts: 191
- Completions: 119
- Completion Percentage: 69.1
- Touchdowns: 9
- Inteerceptionls: 3
- Yards: 1,125
- Yards per Completion: 8.5
What jumps out immediately is the high completion percentage and the terrific touchdown-to-interception ratio. The numbers are clearly better than Ballard's. The average per completion makes you wonder how effective he might be at getting the ball deep downfield.
Like the other two, Jenkins can run the ball, though statistically, he isn't as effective. He has 166 carries for 615 yards and six touchdowns. That comes out to only 3.7 yards per carry. This stat could very well be a product of the system, and these numbers could improve at Kansas.
Kansas' running game under head coach Lance Leipold has always utilized effective runners at quarterback. That's mostly been Daniels and Jason Bean in the past, but both Ballard and Marshall have shown the ability to run the ball as quarterbacks.
All three candidates have their individual strengths and weaknesses, but it may come down to which one improves those weaknesses the most. Can Marshall be trusted to throw the ball? Is Jenkins a better runner than his numbers indicate? Is Ballard good enough overall to beat out the others?
The Jayhawks also have three freshman quarterbacks on the roster, but it seems unlikely that Jaylen Mason, Braylen Mooney, or Connor Hanika will vault themselves into a starting role this season.
Competition is always good, so hopefully all of these players will push each other to get better and make the group as a whole improve. It will be interesting to see if anyone will separate themselves from the pack.
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