What you need to know about KU’s QBs room
LAWRENCE — The conversation about Kansas football’s quarterbacks room starts, understandably, with redshirt junior Jalon Daniels.
Daniels is in line to once again be the Jayhawks’ starter. For a team with high expectations in 2024, a lot of the responsibility for reaching them seems to be placed on his shoulders. And, as the team makes it way through spring ball this year, Daniels continues to make his way back from an injury that sidelined him for most of the 2023 campaign.
Head coach Lance Leipold told reporters when spring practices in March he was happy with how Daniels threw the ball, and that they’re taking things dayby-day. Co-offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski told reporters later on during spring ball that it’s been fun to see Daniels throw a football again, and that whether Daniels gets a live rep or not Daniels is still learning the offense and they’re moving forward at a good pace. Redshirt freshman quarterback Cole Ballard told reporters whenever Daniels is back to 100%, he wants to be there pushing him to be better.
But there is an air of optimism that seems different, compared to parts of last fall. The conversation wasn’t all about recovery, with Zebrowski mentioning Daniels’ development will include a continued emphasis on decision-making. And redshirt junior running back Daniel Hishaw Jr. aired that optimism well.
“He’s Jalon Daniels,” Hishaw said recently. “So, he’s a great dude. He’s electric. He’s fun to be around. He’s just always stayed the same, been Jalon the whole time.”
Here are a few things to think about with the quarterback position as spring ball continues:
Cole Ballard continues his development
Kansas had to thrust Ballard into action as a true freshman because of injuries to Daniels and Jason Bean, the latter now pursuing a professional career. Ballard acquitted himself well coming in off the bench against Texas Tech, and as the starter against Kansas State. Those games didn’t end in wins, but he certainly played well enough to give the Jayhawks a chance.
Leipold has said this spring Ballard had an outstanding offseason. There’s a maturity that Ballard has that’s beyond his age, and a swagger as well that Leipold loves. It’s part of why Leipold feels great about where the room is heading.
Ballard said his game’s grown in his decision-making. The biggest things he took away from last season were the pace of play at this level of college football, where he needs to place the ball for his receivers and the size and speed of his opponents. In terms of what thought he did well last year, he highlighted extending plays.
Isaiah Marshall joins the team
Isaiah Marshall enrolled early and is a freshman at quarterback for Kansas. A 247Sports Composite three-star prospect out of high school, he arrived on campus with a lot of excitement surrounding his potential in Lawrence. And he’s routinely received praise as spring ball has continued.
Leipold praised Marshall’s composure multiple times. Zebrowski highlighted how important getting these reps in practice is for Marshall, and how intelligent Marshall’s been while learning a complicated offense. Offensive coordinator/assistant head coach Jeff Grimes told reporters early this spring Marshall was held up a little in the offseason due his hamstring, but also mentioned when Marshall is confident in what he’s doing you can see he has what they’re looking for.
Kansas’ quarterbacks could do more under center this season
With the arrival of a new offensive coordinator comes new wrinkles in Kansas’ offense, and one of those wrinkles could be more of an emphasis on the quarterbacks playing under center. Grimes mentioned it’ll be a piece of what they do. It’s something he’s done more or less in the past depending on the personnel of the team.
Zebrowski, who works with the quarterbacks, seemed excited about the prospect of doing it more and noted he’s coached it in the past. He pointed out that offenses at the next level do a lot of different things, including working under center, so this’ll be helpful in the quarterbacks’ development. And while it’ll take time to teach, he thinks the players are excited.
Ballard acknowledged it’s been different because they haven’t done a lot under center in the past, so working with the centers will be important. But speaking generally about Grimes’ arrival, he also used the word excitement. He said he can’t even explain how bought in he and his teammates are to running the new things they well this season.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
MANHATTAN — Kansas State’s basketball team has lost another starter to the transfer portal.
Center Jerrell Colbert, one of the first players to sign with new coach Jerome Tang in the spring of 2022, becomes the third Wildcat and second starter to leave the team since the season ended March 19. He played sparingly the year before as a freshman at LSU.
K-State now has five scholarships available for next year barring any further departures.
Colbert, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound sophomore who redshirted in 2022-23 after transferring from LSU, saw his role increase as this past season wore on, stepping into the starting lineup for the last 13 games. He averaged 2.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.
Colbert is the latest Wildcat to enter the portal, following guards Cam Carter and Dorian Finister. Carter, a twoyear starter and the team’s secondleading scorer, announced last week that he is enrolling at LSU.
With the departure of Colbert, whose biggest game was a 15-point, seven-rebound performance at Cincinnati, the Wildcats need to add some size for next season. Graduate Will McNair, who averaged 8.0 and 5.4 rebounds as the starter before Colbert took his place, is out of eligibility.
K-State entertained former
LAWRENCE — In the early days of spring ball in March, Jeff Grimes spoke with reporters about what he was emphasizing with his players.
Grimes, Kansas football’s assistant head coach/offensive coordinator, first pointed to playing fast. Without pads on, the physical part of the game can’t be as much of the focus. That playspeed, though, is something they always want to show up when they watch film.
Grimes, who’s in his first spring with the Jayhawks, then pointed to playing fearless. He doesn’t want anyone to be afraid of putting themselves out there to make a play. It’s about
playing to win, not playing not to lose.
It’s a mentality Grimes will look for the entire Kansas offense to have, and very well one that could best be found at the tight end position. Grimes is also coaching the Jayhawks’ tight ends. And while the position group has to replace a guy like Mason Fairchild, whose college career ended with the 2023 season, there are pieces in that room that give it the potential to be a valuable one.
Here are a few things to think about the tight end position as spring continues:
Kansas added DeShawn Hanika as a transfer from Iowa State
Whether DeShawn Hanika can be someone who steps up in Fairchild’s place won’t be determined in spring alone, but these practices could go a long way toward showing it for the newcomer and transfer from Iowa State. At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, the redshirt senior and Topeka native certainly brings size to the room. Senior tight end Jared Casey also told reporters in March that Hanika is athletic and fast.
Grimes described Hanika as a willing individual who’s passionate, driven and coachable. Hanika does have to learn a new system, but Grimes didn’t seem concerned about that being an issue. Grimes more so indicated it’s important Hanika isn’t too hard on himself.
This could be a breakout year for Trevor Kardell
Trevor Kardell is a senior tight end for Kansas this year, and another name to watch as a potential breakout candidate. Kardell has played in double-digit games across the past three seasons, but not to the extent Fairchild did — especially as a receiving option. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, Kardell’s size, athleticism and potential as a passcatcher shouldn’t be overlooked.
When Kardell spoke with reporters in
March, he highlighted an appreciation for being able to learn from Fairchild. Kardell mentioned that, toward the end of last season, he started to think about how Fairchild wouldn’t be back and made a point to retain as much of what he has learned. One thing Kardell highlighted was learning from Fairchild about how to be physical in the box.
Jeff Grimes appears excited about Jared Casey’s skillset
Grimes had a little fun when senior tight end Jared Casey was brought up, and mentioned with a laugh that it is generous for Casey to be listed at 6 feet tall. But then Grimes started to talk about all the things he likes about Casey, who’s also listed at 255 pounds, as an individual. Grimes started to talk about how he’s had guys like Casey in the past, and how none of them might be as good as Casey is.
Grimes appreciates the versatility of Kansas’ offense, and alluded to it being all right that each player might not be able to necessarily do everything another can. Guys like Hanika and Kardell might be better at putting their hand in the dirt at the line of scrimmage next to an offensive tackle, or being comfortable splitting out as a single receiver into the boundary in order to get a oneon-one matchup. But Casey, whose athleticism Grimes praised, can do things other players can’t like playing fullback or playing in wing alignments.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka CapitalJournal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.