Cole Ballard, Isaiah Marshall Battle for Kansas Starting QB Job at Fall Camp

Kansas football fall camp began earlier this week, and several position groups are fighting it out for starting jobs. The most obvious of those competitions is at quarterback, where Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall are locked in a two-man duel.

As we've previously written at Kansas on SI, Ballard is viewed as the frontrunner to take the majority of the snaps by the beginning of the season. However, the race is still very much up in the air and could ultimately come down to how each quarterback performs throughout camp.

Head coach Lance Leipold discussed the QB1 battle on the opening day of fall camp and didn't give Jayhawk fans much clarity on the situation. In fact, he probably created even more confusion with his comments.

According to Leipold, both players will be used in different packages, and he refused to officially name a starter.

"I'll say it now, I'll probably say it through camp, I think there's a very high probability that you'll see both quarterbacks play in games this year," Leipold assured. "And they'll be used in multiple ways."

Isaiah Marshall and Cole Ballard 📼

Decisions decisions#kufball pic.twitter.com/Jr9rrlr8zf
— Kole Emplit (@KoleEmplit) August 4, 2026

Neither Cole Ballard or Isaiah Marshall Have Won the QB1 Job

As a lifelong KU football fan, this isn't exactly what I wanted to hear. It brings me right back to the David Beaty era when every offseason featured another quarterback competition because the coaching staff couldn't find anyone who could truly seize the job.

Ballard is likely the favorite among the coaching staff, as he's the definition of a "program guy." The Westfield, Indiana, native is entering his fourth year with the program after arriving as a player walk-on, starting two games for the Jayhawks in 2023 when Jason Bean went down. His career numbers include 35 completions on 64 attempts for 445 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions.

Meanwhile, Marshall was a highly touted recruit out of Southfield A&T High School in Michigan and saw limited action across nine games as a redshirt freshman. He attempted just three passes, all in one game, while rushing 15 times for 160 yards.

Although Marshall is viewed as a more dynamic runner, Ballard knows the offensive scheme better and has proven more as a game manager through the air. Each quarterback brings a different skill set to the table, but neither has done enough to clearly separate himself, which helps explain why Leipold remains noncommittal about naming a starter.

At this point, it seems highly unlikely either quarterback officially "wins" the job over the next couple of weeks of camp. Week 1 vs. LIU will probably serve as an audition for both players before the Jayhawks head into the Border Showdown against Missouri the following week.

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