Training camp has put Kansas’ quarterback battle right in the spotlight, but the real decision-makers haven’t changed. Lance Leipold and Andy Kotelnicki will ultimately choose the starter, and quarterback coach Jim Zebrowski made that plain while discussing how the competition is unfolding.
The key names remain Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall, and both are getting first-team reps as camp gets going. Leipold said at the start of camp that the job will go to the most consistent performer - the player who gives KU the best chance to win on game days. Zebrowski framed it a little differently, saying the starter will be the quarterback who runs the offense best, beginning in the huddle and continuing through the finish of each play.
As for when the call will come, Zebrowski didn’t pretend there was a set timetable.
"Coach will make a decision when coach wants to make a decision," Zebrowski said. "The good thing is with Lance and Andy is that I'll give input, and then Andy and Lance will decide what's going on."
Leipold has also made it clear that both quarterbacks are expected to play and help out. That’s not new territory for either one. Last season, Marshall saw action as a reserve quarterback and was used on running plays, while Ballard got a few snaps to run and was also called on against Iowa State.
Zebrowski pointed back to that Iowa State game as a reminder of how quickly things can change for a backup. Ballard came in for one play and threw a touchdown pass on play action, a moment Zebrowski used to stress the need to stay locked in.
"Them knowing that's going to happen potentially, I think helps initially," Zebrowski said. "Like they know they have to be ready at all times."
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Now, at 28, Adeniji is stepping away from the league after signing with the Baltimore Ravens, a move that briefly suggested one more chapter in a well-traveled pro career. Instead, his name is already on the reserve/retired list, leaving one of the more respected recent Kansas linemen with an abrupt ending and a fan base left to wonder what led him to call it quits so suddenly. [Read more 🡒]
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Kansas Offseason Plans Now Hinge On Two Major Court Decisions
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For Kansas, the timing matters because the Jayhawks are still waiting on the legal status of possible frontcourt help and on a separate eligibility ruling that could affect another target. One reported option is Michigan State big man Jaxon Kohler, who is not yet in the transfer portal because of his own pending case, while Melvin Councils bid for an extra year of eligibility has been pushed to Aug. 13, leaving the offseason picture unsettled a little longer. [Read more 🡒]