Cole Ballard May Be Kansas Football’s QB1 on the Depth Chart

The Kansas football team's quarterback battle has been one of the biggest storylines of the 2026 offseason, as head coach Lance Leipold looks to replace longtime signal-caller Jalon Daniels. The race to win the starting job is down to three players who have very different skill sets.

The hope among many KU fans was that quarterback Isaiah Marshall could win the job in spring practice. Instead, even more uncertainty has grown in the QB room, and there may be a new favorite to start under center in the opening game.

Kansas City Star reporter and KCSN's very own podcast co-host Shreyas Laddha discussed this topic on a recent episode of the Pay Heed Podcast. According to what he has heard from sources close to the program, Cole Ballard may be the top option to take snaps at quarterback this season.

"I think Isaiah Marshall might have a higher ceiling than Cole Ballard does, but at the moment, it's a fierce competition with Ballard probably having a slight edge," Laddha said. "There's a belief that Ballard is a better thrower than Marshall, but Marshall has the legs to extend plays and do things that you need quarterbacks to do, especially the way Andy Kotelnicki plays offense."

With less than four months until the Jayhawks' first game, Ballard appears to have a relatively firm hold on the QB1 job. Whether this is an attempt by the coaching staff to push Marshall to play his best remains to be seen, but it feels like an uphill battle for the former Southfield A&T standout from here.

Marshall and Ballard have taken very different paths, as the former made national headlines as a high school senior for defeating Belleville and Bryce Underwood to win the state championship. Meanwhile, Ballard came to KU as an unknown walk-on who worked his way up the depth chart and even started two games for the Jayhawks back in 2023.

Nov 28, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Isaiah Marshall (8) runs the ball during the first half against the Utah Utes at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Laddha noted that Marshall is probably KU's best option at quarterback when it comes to making big plays and pulling the team out of a large deficit with his game-breaking running ability. However, Ballard is the safer bet to run the offense as a game manager and execute the plays the coaching staff asks him to.

Another player who cannot be ruled out is Rice transfer Chase Jenkins, who opened spring camp with an injury. Although he appears to be the odd man out right now, he threw for over 1,000 yards last season and ran for 531 yards and five touchdowns.

It is still too early to say which quarterback will ultimately win the battle for Kansas. Regardless, it has become apparent that there are serious concerns about Marshall's arm talent and processing ability, giving Ballard a solid chance to run away with the job.

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