Kansas Football’s QB Room Ranked Among the Worst in Power 4

Among all the position groups on the field, quarterback has been Kansas football's steadiest since Lance Leipold took over as head coach in 2021. Longtime signal caller Jalon Daniels was one of the most experienced passers in the sport and was the only Division I quarterback to make starts under center at the same school for six straight years.

But now, Leipold and Co. will have to pivot since Daniels has exhausted his eligibility. It presents yet another challenge for the coaching staff coming off consecutive 5-7 seasons in which the program missed out on bowl eligibility.

ESPN columnist Bill Connelly recently posted an article ranking all 68 starting quarterbacks at the Power 4 level. Needless to say, his ranking for KU was not too generous.

Returning quarterback Cole Ballard was listed No. 66 out of 68 possible spots, one of the worst marks he could receive. And we know what you're probably thinking as a reader, but we'll address that in just a moment.

ESPN Chooses Cole Ballard Over Isaiah Marshall as Kansas’ QB

We don't necessarily disagree with Ballard's ranking, given the situation KU is in. Whoever steps in to start will be doing so with very little power conference experience and will be filling some big shoes after Daniels' departure.

However, Connelly appears to have missed the memo of most Jayhawk fans buying into Isaiah Marshall as the team's next dual-threat star. There is little doubt that he is entering the spring as the projected starting quarterback for the upcoming season.

Ballard does have a bit more on-field tape as a Jayhawk, starting two games in 2023 when Jason Bean went down with an injury. Across three years in Lawrence, Ballard has completed 54.7% of his passes, throwing for 445 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions.

The expectations for Ballard and Marshall were vastly different when they first arrived, as the former joined as a preferred walk-on, while the latter was viewed as one of KU's best quarterback prospects in recent memory. Regardless, the staff has clearly handed the keys to Marshall for the taking, assuming he can win the job.

Connelly went on to suggest a multi-quarterback approach that will almost certainly never come to fruition. "With playcaller Andy Kotelnicki back in town, KU could have fun with a multi-QB approach, but Ballard will likely have to take on the obvious passing situations," he wrote.

ESPN's ranking is so far off that it even fails to recognize the addition of Rice transfer Chase Jenkins this offseason, who could very well beat out Ballard for the second-string spot and even compete for the starting role depending on his spring performance. It seems that Connelly didn't exactly do his research on the Jayhawks before posting the ranking.

Although Marshall is no sure thing, his skill set and ability to escape the pocket make him a much more seamless transition from the offense Daniels conducted. If he can prove himself as a passer, the sky is the limit for the talented Michigan native.