After a slow start to open the 2024 season, Jalon Daniels played probably his best game of the year against Arizona State two Saturdays ago. Daniels threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns, yet the Jayhawks still fell short of a win.

Kansas had the chance to regroup with a bye week and will now take on 2-4 Houston on Saturday. Daniels said the last six games are in the past, and the Jayhawks are focused on finishing the season strong.

“It gave us a chance to be able to flip the page, be able to focus on the last six games of the season,” Daniels said. “I feel like when we came in for the bye week, Coach Leipold had a message basically saying that this is, we're 0-0 again. This is a whole new season. I feel like the guys took that message. I feel like we attacked the bye week and I feel like we've attacked this week and, you know, we're ready to go for game day.”

Daniels built some confidence as he and Quentin Skinner connected on several deep balls. Skinner had a rough start to the season but turned in a 100-yard game with two touchdowns.

“Those deep passes that were not connecting on at the beginning of the season, you know, were able to see us be able to make that connection during the ASU game,” Daniels said. “And I feel like every single game, we've been able to slowly but surely be able to keep on gaining that connection back.”

The Jayhawks’ receivers have had to rebuild their chemistry with Daniels because of the limited time in practice during the offseason as he recovered from injury. Daniels said he and Skinner spent a lot of time outside of practice before the Arizona State game to try and get on the same page.

While Luke Grimm has been a steady target, Skinner and Lawrence Arnold have had inconsistent production throughout the season. Daniels said he needs to do a good job of helping rebuild Arnold’s confidence and put him in a position to succeed.

“I feel like I have to do my job to be able to put him in the position to be able to make the play, and I feel like that's just going to come down to our connection,” Daniels said. “It's not all on him. There's a lot of plays where I've overthrown him, haven't been able to see him wide open. I mean, it's a team effort when it comes to things like that, but I'm sure we'll be able to get him going. I'm sure we're going to be able to keep his confidence up because at the end of the day, your confidence is everything when it comes about making the play.”

It’s not shocking that Daniels has started to click after quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowksi moved back to the sidelines. The two have a strong relationship and his presence has helped keep Daniels confident.

“To be able to have his confidence, his aura around there on the field, being able to see him stay positive on the sideline no matter what’s going on, and being able to have him around the quarterbacks and be able to have quarterback talk, it means a lot because when you’re hearing it through the headset, it’s kind of like yeah I’m hearing it but I’m not feeling it per se,” Daniels said. “When I’m able to go down on the sideline and look at the film with my quarterback coach, it helps you even more.”