Kansas QB Isaiah Marshall Feels Like Himself Again After Bye: ‘I Have More Confidence'

There's no sugarcoating Isaiah Marshall's troublesome start as Kansas football's starting signal-caller. Since taking over under center as Jalon Daniels' successor, he has led the Jayhawks to a 1-2 record and consecutive losses to Missouri and Arizona State.

The traits are all there for the dual-threat standout, but he lacks consistency with his arm and has been turnover-prone. Lance Leipold and the coaching staff hope that he can develop more precision through the air as the season goes on.

Regardless of the questions surrounding him, Marshall continues to grow more confident with each passing week and believes he's making strides in his game. He spoke about his progress during a brief press conference Tuesday.

"I feel like each game, I'm starting to get more comfortable and starting to be more relaxed," Marshall said. "I have more confidence."

Here's some of what #kufball quarterback Isaiah Marshall had to say today: pic.twitter.com/SH9eVaB8dj
— Jordan Guskey (@JordanGuskey) September 29, 2026

While the Jayhawks were unable to defeat ASU in London, Marshall played one of his better halves of football in the third and fourth quarters of the Union Jack Classic. He totaled 195 yards passing with one touchdown and 45 additional yards on the ground, making some excellent throws along the way. Those flashes are exactly why his struggles have been so frustrating, because the raw talent is absolutely there for the Michigan native.

"I feel like as an offense, our pre-snap communication was clean. I think we were clean," Marshall said about last game's performance. "I just hit a certain flow state that game, throwing the ball felt good. It just started to come back to me all in one."

In KU's 38-21 loss against Mizzou, Marshall took a nasty hit on his throwing arm that hampered him throughout the rest of the night. He remained banged up going into the bye, making the extra week of rest crucial for his recovery.

Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Isaiah Marshall (8) runs the ball against Missouri Tigers during the game inside David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Sept. 11, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Marshall's biggest expected strength entering his first year as a starter was his ability to make plays with his legs, but he's been surprisingly quiet in the rushing attack. He's rushed for 124 yards on 40 carries compared to 160 yards on just 15 totes last year. He identified this as something he wants to improve upon moving forward.

"I could do better on runs, but I'm starting to get to 100%," he stated. "So, I feel like this past week, the bye week was huge. I feel great right now, legs fresh. I have to be more explosive in the run game for the offense."

As cliché as it sounds, the redshirt sophomore may have found something in those two meaningless quarters after the game was already decided in London. If he can find his rhythm in the first few drives rather than waiting until a couple of hours into the day, the sky is the limit for KU's quarterback.

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