Kansas Football Could Soon Regret Moving on From QB David McComb

Kansas' quarterback struggles have made David McComb an interesting "what-if" now that the transfer has held his own at his new school.

Sep 19, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Miami (OH) RedHawks quarterback David McComb (16) signals prior to a play at the line of scrimmage against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first half at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After the 2025 season concluded, the lingering question around the Kansas football program was who would replace Jalon Daniels under center. Perhaps Jayhawk fans were leaving one player out of the equation.

Since transferring to Miami (Ohio) this offseason, former KU signal-caller David McComb has been a revelation. He's quietly been one of the best quarterbacks among all Group of Five teams in the country.

While he tweaked his knee and missed the majority of the fourth quarter in yesterday's win over UConn, McComb has been better than anyone could have expected. He beat out sophomore Thomas Gotkowski for the starting job in fall camp and now boasts 1,121 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns, and one interception.

These are unquestionably better numbers than Marshall's through his first three games as a starter, as he's guided the Jayhawks to a 1-2 record, turned the ball over four times, and completed a subpar 53.7% of his passes.

DIVING DAVID ‼️‼️@David_McComb8 reaches over the pylon for the RedHawk TD#RiseUpRedHawks | 🎓 pic.twitter.com/shCVkTwQKt

— Miami Football (@MiamiOHFootball) September 26, 2026

Coming out of Edmond Memorial High School in Oklahoma, McComb ranked among the highest-rated quarterbacks to ever commit to Kansas. ESPN listed him as a 4-star recruit and the No. 21 quarterback in the nation.

Standing at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, McComb has excellent size and has built an immediate reputation for his elite deep-ball capability. The RedHawks currently have one of the most explosive vertical-threat attacks in the entire sport, evidenced by his absurd 17.2 yards per completion, which currently leads the FBS.

You might be thinking that McComb is only putting up these numbers because he's facing lower-tier schools, but that's not necessarily true. He threw for 241 yards and a touchdown against Pittsburgh in Week 1 and nearly led his squad to an upset over fellow Big 12 program Cincinnati last week before the Bearcats came back in the fourth quarter to win 35-31.

.@MiamiOHFootball responds!

David McComb throws a 75-yard TD strike to Damarion Witten. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/7hIGp1wVLq

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) September 5, 2026

Across his first four games of collegiate action, McComb ranks among the top FBS passers in the country and has turned Miami into a top-three favorite to win the MAC. We're not saying that similar success can't lie ahead for Marshall in due time, but it certainly doesn't look like it will be this year.

Considering McComb transferred to a MAC school, it is clear that his decision was solely about playing time rather than not buying into the program at Kansas. He understandably wanted an opportunity to start from Day 1, which suggests the KU coaching staff refused to promise that to him.

Both Marshall and McComb are still early in their careers, but it's important to note that McComb is doing this as a redshirt freshman, whereas Marshall has an additional year of experience on him. Despite that fact, there's a clear answer to who has looked like the better quarterback so far.

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