Kansas got a little relief on the injury front Thursday, and it came at the one spot the Jayhawks can’t afford to keep patching over.
Isaiah Marshall, who sat out last Saturday’s loss to TCU with a lower-leg injury, was upgraded to probable for Saturday’s game against UCF. That’s a welcome turn after the first availability report of the week listed three Kansas quarterbacks as questionable, along with several other key players.
Marshall had not missed a game all season before the TCU matchup, when backup Cole Ballard got the start under center. Ballard’s numbers were solid enough on paper - 20-for-35 for 285 yards - but Kansas never found much rhythm with him running the offense. Two second-half turnovers changed everything: a pick-6 on fourth down and then a strip-sack two drives later that handed the ball back to TCU and swung the game.
That’s why Marshall’s status matters so much. He’s had the usual growing pains in his first year as a college starter, but Kansas clearly sees the upside. His arm talent and ability to move outside the pocket give the Jayhawks a different gear, and Andy Kotelnicki’s offense is built for a quarterback with that kind of skill set.
The quarterback news wasn’t all good, though. Bam Crouch, who was not on the initial report, was added Thursday and is now questionable.
Breakout defensive end David Santiago also remains questionable. Starting center Kasen Carpenter and backup running back Jalen Dupree are still out.
Kansas has been dealing with injuries all year, and the list keeps growing at the worst possible time. It’s not an excuse for how the season has gone, but it has left the coaching staff trying to piece together a lineup with too many important pieces missing.
In Other News...
Former Kansas Star Kevin McCullar Jr. Just Got Another NBA Shot
Kevin McCullar Jr. is getting another chance to stick in the NBA, this time with the Toronto Raptors on a two-way contract. For Kansas fans, it is another reminder of how far the former Jayhawk has come since his standout college career, and of how his all-around game has kept him on the radar even as he has moved through the league.
McCullar spent the last two seasons with the New York Knicks after being drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 2024 and then having his rights traded to New York. He has shown enough versatility in both NBA and G League action to keep earning opportunities, and now Toronto gives him a fresh path to continue building his career. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas May Have A Trey Kaufman-Renn Problem Bill Self Can't Ignore
The eligibility fight around Trey Kaufman-Renn has become one of the more unusual offseason wrinkles for Kansas, especially with the NCAA now appealing the preliminary injunction that gave the Purdue transfer an extra year. Kaufman-Renns path has already taken a strange turn, with the Minnesota Timberwolves selecting him in the 2026 NBA Draft before he went unsigned and remained without a professional contract, leaving his status in a gray area that has plenty of ripple effects for the Jayhawks.
Bill Self has already moved as if Kaufman-Renn will be part of the roster, but conference rules on professional athletes make this a situation Kansas cannot simply brush aside. Until the appeal is resolved, the Jayhawks are left balancing roster planning with a legal and eligibility question that could force a much bigger conversation before the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces A Troubling QB Question As UCF Gets A Lift
UCF is heading into the matchup with a clearer answer under center, planning to start Alonza Barnett III even as he works back from a hamstring injury. The Knights are also waiting on the status of Keyone Jenkins, who is questionable with an aggravated ankle issue, while the roster takes a hit elsewhere with offensive lineman Owen Spell and defensive tackle RJ Jackson Jr. out for the rest of the regular season.
Kansas, meanwhile, is still sorting through its own quarterback uncertainty. Isaiah Marshall, Cole Ballard and Chase Jenkins are all questionable entering the game, leaving Lance Leipold to stress the need for cleaner execution and better pass protection as the Jayhawks try to steady an offense that may be forced to adjust on the fly. [Read more 🡒]