Lance Leipold Offers Thoughts on Kansas QB Jalon Daniels' Season

The success of the Kansas football offense is largely predicated on the play of quarterback Jalon Daniels, one of the most dynamic signal-callers in the nation.

Through the first few games of the 2025 season, Daniels has returned to his 2022–2023 form, showing off his big arm and making good reads for the most part.

During Tuesday's media appearance, head coach Lance Leipold talked about how Daniels performed in nonconference play and what he has seen from the California native.

“I think there were a couple of times in the Missouri game where he tried to do a little bit much,” Leipold told reporters. “All in all, he’s continued to play confidently within himself and not tried to put everything on his shoulders. I thought maybe there was a time or two in the game where we tried to get something going and… face it. He’s done it a lot in his career and he’s created a lot of plays for us here.”

Daniels wasn't perfect against Missouri, completing 18 of his 30 pass attempts and throwing an interception late in the game. He also lost a costly fumble on a strip sack that resulted in a safety and really turned the tide of the game.

MORE: Kansas Football QB Jalon Daniels’ Miscues Prove Costly in Loss to Missouri

But in his defense, he was working with a running back group that totaled just six yards on nine attempts, and he wasn't able to overcome a costly drop from Emmanuel Henderson Jr. on a potential game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.

Nonetheless, Daniels knows he has to be better. He has thrown for 679 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions across three contests, completing 72.0% of his pass attempts.

Leipold was also asked about Daniels' maturity and how he understands the game, and he praised him for his decision-making.

“That’s a hard one to totally reel in and stuff but like I continue to say, his maturity and his understanding (and he’s been that way all the way through) is good because he doesn’t show frustration and panic in what he’s doing,” Leipold said. “This team is gonna need that throughout conference play.”

Coming off a disappointing 2024 campaign in which he tied for the Big 12 lead in interceptions (12), Daniels and the Jayhawks look poised for a much more successful season in his sixth year in Lawrence.

With a favorable start to conference play beginning this Saturday against West Virginia, Daniels will continue to learn from his mistakes and has an opportunity to rebound against the Mountaineers.