While the Kansas football team began the 2024 season with ranked hopes, they may have to alter the chemistry moving forward.
Quarterback Jalon Daniels was thought to be the missing piece for the Jayhawks after serving as the starter for parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Daniels went down each season with back and shoulder injuries that lingered for quite awhile.
The quarterback was considered a potential Heisman Trophy candidate during the 2022 season after leading the Jayhawks to a 5-0 record. The Kansas football team also entered the AP Poll for the first time since the 2009 season. Daniels would return with a lingering injury to lead the Jayhawks to a 6-7 record and a 108-point triple-overtime bowl game.
Daniels previously had a solid quarterback behind him in Jason Bean, with the two battling for the starting spot the past three seasons. With Bean now in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts practice squad, Daniels must step-up and play the way he was expected to.
With a fully healthy Daniels, Kansas football entered the season ranked in the AP Poll, but has since dropped out in part because of the play of Daniels.
The quarterback has started the 2024 season off with six interceptions, three touchdowns passes, and just 442-yards passing.
Benching Jalon Daniels Could Become Necessary For the Kansas Football Staff
Benching a quarterback is never fun, and it is certainly something both the staff and fans would not want to see after Daniels went down during promising seasons. However, it could be a move that the Kansas staff has to make moving forward.
The Group of Five have proven that they are not just your run-of-the-mill, easy win on the schedule anymore. The UNLV Rebels proved that by taking down the 10-point favorite Kansas Jayhawks, picking Daniels off twice in the process. The Rebels looked great, but Daniels looked like a fish out of water against the defense when Kansas needed to pass.
Daniels has run the ball extremely well this season, with 100-yards and two touchdowns to his name thus far. However, Daniels has been both inaccurate and also impatient with the ball as the quarterback has forced far too many passes.
The three interceptions against the Illinois Fighting Illini in particular stung due to the multiple chances the team had to win the game.
Daniels could very well continue to lead the Kansas football team moving forward, but must improve his play to do so. The Kansas staff has already given freshman quarterback Cole Ballard snaps this season during the blowout win over Lindenwood. Ballard would be the next man up due to his ability to also run the option offense when needed.
The Kansas football staff will likely have a tough decision ahead of them as the Jayhawks take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Mountaineers have started the season 1-2, with a bad defensive showing thus far generating one takeaway and zero interceptions.
If the Kansas football quarterback struggles through the air against the Mountaineers, it may seriously be time for a benching.
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