Jalon Daniels didn’t show any rust in his return at quarterback for Kansas football

LAWRENCE — Lance Leipold said Jalon Daniels didn’t show any rust Friday. And, if it was possible, that may have been an understatement from Kansas football’s head coach.
Daniels, the Jayhawks’ junior quarterback, started his first game of the 2023 season that night. After missing Kansas’ season opener the week prior against Missouri State, he led his side to a 34-23 win against Illinois. As Daniels and company moved to 2-0 on the year, he threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns with just one interception.
But, as Leipold pointed out, it’s not just what Daniels did in this non-conference matchup. It’s how Daniels performed against the Big Ten Conference opponent. Because Daniels, who also proved he can still make plays with his feet, picked up right where he left off last season for a team that has its sights set on even more success this fall.
“I mean, I love the game of football,” said Daniels, who helped lead KU to a bowl game in 2022. “So, got to be able to get back out there, be able to compete with my brothers that I’ve working this whole offseason with — felt great. Felt tremendous, honestly.”
Asked postgame what his expectations were for Daniels that night, Leipold noted he wasn’t sure how to answer the question. What Leipold could do, was highlight how well Daniels was feeling when they were doing a walkthrough at the hotel. Daniels, Leipold said, appeared both anxious to play and in command of the calls.
During the game against the Fighting Illini, those premonitions came to pass. Daniels directed an attack through the air that saw nine players each catch at least one pass, and both junior tight end Jared Casey and redshirt junior running back Torry Locklin haul in a touchdown pass. Daniels complimented a rushing attack that went for 262 yards total, and saw junior running back Devin Neal and redshirt sophomore running back Daniel Hishaw Jr. each find the end zone.
On a night with so much attention, with the game on national television in primetime, Daniels and his teammates stepped up. For them to have that opportunity, he explained, meant a lot because of how much they would have wanted to have that kind of attention and notoriety in the past. Now that the Jayhawks capitalized on this chance, they can continue to work to move the program forward in other ways as the season progresses.
Opportunities for even more emphatic victories await, with their Big 12 Conference opener Sept. 23 at home against BYU following a matchup Sept. 16 on the road against Nevada.
On Sept. 30, the Jayhawks are on the road again for a battle against Texas that could be a matchup of ranked opponents. With Daniels playing at the level he’s capable of, Kansas has a right to feel confident in its ability to continue to pick up wins.
“You can’t drink the Kool-Aid,” said Daniels, who came into the year as the Big 12’s preseason offensive player of the year. “Honestly, you can’t drink the Kool-Aid. We’re 2-0, but at the end of the day our mind is 0-0. We’re going into the Nevada week with a chip on our shoulder, and we know that we have to go out there and execute our game plan in order to come out with a win.”