The Kansas Jayhawks have been without star quarterback Jalon Daniels for a large portion of the 2023 season. What’s the latest on Daniels’ status, and is he on track to return to the field soon?
How Severe Is Jalon Daniels’ Injury?
Ever since the Jayhawks’ Week 4 contest against the BYU Cougars, Daniels has been out with an injury. He missed the first game of the season due to a back injury and re-aggravated that same back injury ahead of the team’s Week 5 game against the Texas Longhorns.
Since then, he’s been unavailable, working his way back. During Monday’s press conference, Kansas head coach Lance Leipold expressed optimism for Daniels’ long-term outlook but also skepticism for his immediate availability against Oklahoma in Week 9.
“Still progressing,” Leipold said. “I remain very encouraged. I’ll leave it there. I think it’s still in the doubtful area, doubtful or questionable, and those things. But I remain very optimistic.”
In Daniels’ place, the Jayhawks have started veteran backup QB Jason Bean. Bean has performed well, most recently with a 410-yard, five-touchdown outing in a close loss against Oklahoma State.
Bean will likely be the Jayhawks’ starter against the Sooners, and Daniels’ timeline in 2023 is still unclear.
Past Oklahoma, games against Iowa State, Texas Tech, Kansas State, and Cincinnati remain.
Daniels a Polarizing 2024 NFL Draft Prospect
When he’s been on the field, Daniels has drawn intrigue as a 2024 NFL Draft prospect. In 2022, he completed over 66% of his passes for 2,014 yards, 18 touchdowns, and just four interceptions.
MORE: Top QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft
The problem with Daniels, however, is that he can’t consistently stay on the field. He missed four games in 2022 due to a shoulder injury, and the nagging back injury that’s plagued him since the offseason is still a concern.
Daniels has eligibility remaining if he wishes to return to school in 2024, in a bid to finish his career with a full season of production. But these injury concerns haven’t gone away, and they could stick with him as his career progresses.
Looking past the injuries, Daniels has appeal as an NFL Draft sleeper whenever he ultimately declares. In his scouting report of Daniels, Ian Valentino said the following about the Kansas QB’s profile.
“Seeing Daniels’ ability to learn from Year 1 to now has been a great sign for his future outlook. He’s overcome a limited supporting cast while increasing his average target depth and avoiding mistakes. His path to the NFL is similar to Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s.”
Mobile, competitive backup quarterbacks are always in demand at the NFL level. Medicals will be big for Daniels, but if a team is willing to bank on him in spite of that, he could reward them with long-term security.
