Previewing the Quarterbacks: 75 Days Until Kansas Football
We've reached the part of the countdown where we start breaking down the players that are on the roster for the Kansas Jayhawks. Each week, we will take a deep dive into one of the 10 main position groups, highlighting the key players to watch and giving you an idea of what to expect from the position this year. Up first is the position that once again has no questions in terms of lineups but also has a ridiculous amount of depth.
Last Season
The Jayhawks had only two players log a significant number of snaps at the quarterback position last season, with a third getting minimal time in mop-up duty.
| Player Name | Games Played | Games Started | Completions | Attempts | Yards | TDs | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jalon Daniels | 9 | 9 | 152 | 230 | 2014 | 18 | 4 |
Jason Bean | 12 | 4 | 87 | 136 | 1280 | 14 | 4 |
Ethan Vasko | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
Jalon Daniels won the starting job out of camp, but the injury bug bit the Jayhawks again last season, as Daniels went down in the first half of the TCU game and missed the next four games. Incredibly, Bean took over and the offense didn't miss a beat, although it looked a bit different.
It's not often where you have two quarterbacks that you would be comfortable leading your team if needed, but Lance Leipold and Andy Kotelnicki had exactly that last season, as Bean got the final win needed to clinch bowl eligibility
Cause For Concern
Despite the Jayhawks giving up only 12 sacks over the course of the season (less than one a game), Kansas still has an issue with keeping their quarterbacks healthy. And part of that is just the aggressive playstyle, as both Daniels and Bean do not shy away from taking hits when they run the ball.
Add in that Kansas lost a very successful piece of their offensive line in Earl Bostick Jr, and it's possible that there might be a few more hits behind the line this year. And early signs are that Bean will be involved in multiple ways in the game plan, which puts him in the line of fire even if it might take a bit of heat off of Daniels.
Reasons for Optimism
Two words: Liberty Bowl.
Jalon Daniels played one of the best games from the quarterback position that the Jayhawks have ever seen, completing 37 of 55 passes for 544 yards and five touchdowns. He also had another score on the ground as the Jayhawks came roaring back from a deep deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
The combination of that performance and the blistering start to the season that saw him an early Heisman candidate has given plenty of national publications reason to hype him up going into the season. He was listed as the #10 quarterback by ESPN coming into the season, received first-team honors on the All-Big 12 Preseason teams at Athlon Sports, and was tabbed by Phil Steele as a 2nd-team All-Big 12 Preseason selection.
Projected 2-Deep
There is absolutely no reason to think that anything will change here, as the starter and backup are locked in for the upcoming season. But there is some intrigue at third string.
Starter: Jalon Daniels
This is clearly Daniels' team, regardless of how well liked Jason Bean is by the rest of his teammates. To put it simply, Kansas executes better when he is on the field, and his decision making leads to more big plays.
There were only two performances that you might consider to be "duds" from last season, when they faced one of the best defenses in the conference last year in Iowa State and then a downpour in Manhattan. I wouldn't expect many of those this season.
Backup: Jason Bean
Even with the news that Bean is going to be used outside of the quarterback position, I wouldn't expect Kansas to look elsewhere for the backup. Ethan Vasko was the most likely candidate, but he transferred after Spring Football. Ben Easters is a redshirt sophomore and still has a ways to grow to be able to lead the team with any regularity.
And there are a bunch of wrinkles that are possible with Bean taking a more active role. We've already looked at how Kansas can use the dual-QB look next season, but there will be plenty of other ways that the Jayhawks can create confusion and open up possibilities, all of which will help keep Bean involved and fresh for if he needs to take over at any point.
Coaching Staff
The quarterbacks will once again be coached by Jim Zebrowski, who is returning for his third season in that position for the Jayhawks. Prior to coming to Kansas, he coached the same position for four years under Lance Leipold at Buffalo. Prior to joining Leipold at Buffalo, he coached at Minnesota from 2011-2015, at Northern Illinois in 2010, and was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wisconsin-Whitewater under Leipold from 2007-2009.
He has a history of developing quarterbacks successfully at each of his stops, and has been able to help multiple quarterbacks stand out, even in offenses that heavily featured the run.
He has been credited with developing both Daniels and Bean in his time here. And he has been heavily involved in recruiting, with current commit Isaiah Marshall talking about the connection he had during recruiting.
Overall Thoughts
I wouldn't trade the current quarterback situation for the Jayhawks with anyone else in the Big 12, especially given the depth in the Kansas locker room. There is some room for debate about if Quinn Ewers, Dillon Gabriel or Daniels is the best quarterback in the conference, but there is no denying that Bean is by far the best backup (especially if Archie Manning really does sit a year).
The bowl game last season was a great confidence builder for the position, as Daniels got to show a national audience what he was able to do, and the Jayhawks pushed a bigger and more highly-rated group of players to the brink. The injury Daniels suffered didn't end his season, and so he was able to build that momentum coming into the year.
Add in a backup situation with a player that has a ton of confidence if he is called on, plus the ability to affect the game without being the starter. If something were to happen this season, I have all the confidence that Bean can hold the team steady and give them a chance to achieve all their goals.
Obviously the play of the quarterback is heavily affected by the other positions around them. But just like last year, I have a hard time imagining that we will look back after the season and say that the quarterback play was anything other than a huge positive.
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