Jalon Daniels may not have expected to be the starter come Week 13, but the previously redshirted quarterback’s chemistry with the offense earned him the top spot on the depth chart.
Replacing original starter Jason Bean in the driver’s seat against Texas two weeks ago, Daniels sparked the offense into a late rhythm. His past two starts have combined for 457 yards through the air, along with a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Despite the strides the program has seen as of late, Daniels is emphasizing the importance of progression and building this team the right way.
“We don’t really want to take moral victories as a win or anything,” Daniels said. “It’s definitely good to be able to see that we’re making progress but this is something that Coach Leipold has been preaching since he first got here.”
Patience played a factor for Daniels
Waiting his turn for reps, Daniels took light snaps until being called upon during Week 9 against Kansas State, where he showcased his potential after replacing Bean at the half.
Since then, Daniels juggled the duties of redshirting while remaining a backup. After losing Kendrick early against the Wildcats, the California-native’s trajectory shifted.
“I’ve always been confident within myself,” Daniels said.
He continued: “I said before the season, it didn’t really matter to me who was getting reps or anything like that. I knew everything that I needed to work on after last season. There was a lot of stuff on the field that I showed that was evident I needed to progress on so I really needed to just work on my own self progression.”
Daniels also credits quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski for the growth he’s seen this year.
“Coach Z put a big emphasis on turning your head around quickly,” he said. “You don’t know if the pressure is going to come because they might disguise it. That’s something that I’ve also gathered from last season, that’s something I wasn’t able to see.”
Building a bond with Lassiter
Originally recruited by former assistant Brent Dearmon, Daniels arrived in Lawrence at the age of 17 and looked up to senior targets like Kwamie Lassiter II.
The sophomore quarterback shared a story from his freshman season where he joined Lassiter at the local high school to workout together.
“(Lassiter) is the first wide receiver who told me to come out to Lawrence High School and get some throwing reps,” Daniels said. “After my first time throwing with the receivers here, he just texted me after that first session and said ‘Get in that playbook. You have an amazing arm but you’re a freshman so you need to be able to stay in that film room.’”
Daniels has enjoyed watching Lassiter over the past two seasons and the upperclassman has left an imprint on the young Jayhawk during their time together.
“Kwamie is someone who means a lot to me here,” Daniels said. “I feel that he’s helped me build as a quarterback. Just going out there, making plays, and getting the ball in his hands.”
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