Kansas has picked its quarterback, and the job goes to Isaiah Marshall.
A KU spokesperson confirmed to the Journal-World that the redshirt sophomore won the training camp competition, with ESPN first reporting the news. Marshall edged out former walk-on and fourth-year Jayhawk Cole Ballard, as well as incoming transfer Chase Jenkins, who arrived at Kansas after three seasons at Rice.
Marshall’s case was built on more than just camp. In 2025, he and Ballard both saw action in relief of former longtime starting quarterback Jalon Daniels, but their production came in very different ways.
Ballard completed 10 of 22 passes for 108 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Marshall threw only three passes, but he completed all of them for 28 yards and made a much bigger impact as a runner, piling up 160 yards on 15 carries, including a 43-yard burst against Oklahoma State.
That dual-threat skill set has been part of Marshall’s profile since high school. He was a three-star prospect in the 2024 class according to ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals, and he drew interest from several Power Four programs, including Michigan, Kentucky and West Virginia, before committing to Kansas.
Ballard, meanwhile, had been recognized in another way just days earlier. On Wednesday night, he was named a team captain along with left tackle Calvin Clements, defensive tackle Blake Herold, linebacker Trey Lathan and long snapper Rino Monteforte.
Marshall and the Jayhawks open the season on Friday, Sept. 4 at home against Long Island University.
In Other News...
Kansas Rebuilt Backfield Is Already Bringing New Pressure
Kansas footballs retooled backfield is already drawing attention before the season even kicks off. Dylan Edwards and Yasin Willis landed on the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list, putting both Jayhawks running backs in the national conversation for the sports top back and underscoring how much the offense may lean on that group this fall.
Edwards arrives after stops at Colorado and Kansas State, while Willis comes in from Syracuse, and their different paths point to a backfield built with more than one style in mind. For Kansas, the bigger question now is not whether the room has talent, but how quickly that revamped group can turn preseason recognition into production when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Still Has A Roster Problem It Can't Afford To Carry
Kansas is still working the phones as it looks to strengthen a roster that has room to get better, but the shape of the team remains unsettled in a way that matters as the season creeps closer. With two open spots available, the Jayhawks have been trying to add another piece, and the need is obvious enough: depth remains a concern, especially in the middle, where every option carries more weight than it should this time of year.
Mihailo Muiki has been part of the conversation, but his path is tied up in NCAA eligibility issues that leave his status cloudy for now. And while Kansas would love clarity on any front, it does not have much of it, with possible help still dependent on ongoing eligibility questions and legal matters elsewhere on the board. For a team that wants its rotation settled, the wait itself has become part of the problem. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Has Sky High Hype But One Risk Fans Can't Ignore
Kansas is already being treated like a national storyline for 2026-27, and it starts with the familiar presence of Bill Self on the sideline and the kind of recruiting haul that usually sends expectations into overdrive. The Jayhawks are bringing in two five-star freshmen, headlined by Tyran Stokes, and that alone is enough to make people talk about championship upside before a game has been played.
The caution flag is the same one that tends to shadow young, talent-heavy rosters: experience. Kansas has only three true upperclassmen on the roster, which leaves a lot of the burden on freshmen to settle in fast and carry meaningful minutes in a demanding Big 12 grind. ESPNs projection range makes the point clearly enough, with a path that looks solid if the newcomers are merely good and another that gets much more ambitious if they become something closer to immediate difference-makers. [Read more 🡒]