Cole Ballard earning respect of teammates, moving up depth chart
When fall camp started there really was not much of a question about who would be handling the top two spots at quarterback. Jalon Daniels and Jason Bean were returning, giving Kansas one of the best duos in the league.
The real competition was going to be at the third spot. Halfway through camp the word started to come out Cole Ballard was taking control of that battle between Ben Easters and Mikey Pauley.
Ballard is a preferred walk-on who arrived on campus in June. Since then, he has quickly impressed the coaching staff.
Lance Leipold said he has earned respect from the players during his three months in the program.
“I know what kind of competitor he is, how smart he is, and how he approaches it,” Leipold said. “His father and I talked about his expectations of his son, about being a good teammate, guy that fits in and what he does and all those things.
“His demeanor and approach to it has been even more impressive than I thought. He doesn't get rattled. He takes hard coaching and works to get better. He knows he's had some tough days out there, and he lines right back up and takes the next rep. And that's what I love about him. I think he has found a way to earn his respect in that locker room very quickly, and the young man has a very bright future.”
Leipold has known Ballard’s father, Chris, for 30 years. The two were on staff together at Wisconsin when Leipold was a GA and Ballard a student assistant coach. Ballard was the Director of Football Operations for the Chiefs before taking the General Manager job for the Indianapolis Colts.
Ballard, who lived four years in Overland Park, Kan., accepted a preferred walk-on position after going through the recruiting process. Wisconsin and Iowa were two of the schools showing interest.
"It wasn't much of a choice," Ballard said. "I kind of knew in my heart that Kansas was going to be the one."
He quickly fit in the quarterback room led by Daniels and Bean.
“I think it's really exciting, especially me coming in, not being a scholarship guy,” Ballard said. “It's been really cool, and I think just the atmosphere in the quarterback room is incredible. Jalon and Jason are always picking each other up, picking me up, Ben, Mikey, and TJ. I mean, we have a great group of guys, so it's easy to want to go in there and have fun every day.”
During camp and recent practices Daniels has been limited, making Ballard the second-team quarterback. He was an all-state quarterback coming out of Westfield High in Indiana. When he arrived in Lawrence, he had something to prove.
“I definitely feel like I came in with the chip on my shoulder,” he said. “I had a lot to prove, and I knew that I knew my film wasn't the best because of what happened. My junior year didn't have film and half my senior year the film wasn't the best. So, I knew what I was capable of, but not a lot of other people knew what I was capable of, so I knew as soon as I got an opportunity, it was really exciting.”
Ballard said one of his best assets is the ability to create when a play breaks down. As a senior he threw for 1654 yards and rushed for 655 yards. He was also an All-Academic selection.
He grew up around football and it was always talked about in his house, especially with his father’s profession in the NFL. He also excelled in baseball with a fastball that touched 90 mph. But it was football that was always in his blood.
"Whenever you're around it from such a young age it's ingrained into you,” he said. “And I feel like that's something that I haven't taken lightly or taken for granted. I've just tried to soak up every moment I can.”