Kansas is sorting out its quarterback race by leaning hard into the stuff that usually decides close games.
Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall aren’t being separated by flashy throws or broken-play highlights. Kansas wants to know who handles the ugly, pressure-packed moments best, and that means practice is turning into a test of judgment as much as talent.
Passing game coordinator Jim Zebrowski said the evaluation is centered on situational football, with offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki building practice periods around the kinds of snaps that swing games.
"We talk a lot about decision making," Zebrowski said. "Coach K does a great job in practice by setting them up in positions - those third-down, red-zone, fourth-down, two-minute - and those are the kind of things you grade kids off of.
To see which one comes out. It becomes a lot more decision-making, and critical decision-making in critical times."
That emphasis makes sense given where Kansas struggled in 2025. The Jayhawks converted just 38.1% of their third downs, which ranked 81st nationally, and they scored on only 71.8% of their red-zone trips, a number that put them near the bottom of the FBS.
Those are the exact areas the coaching staff needs to clean up, no matter who ends up taking the first snap.
Ballard comes into the competition with more college experience after playing in multiple games over the last two seasons. Marshall brings a different element, with the rushing ability that gave the offense a boost in limited action last year.
Head coach Lance Leipold has suggested there’s a good chance both quarterbacks will see the field this season, but Zebrowski said the expectation is that each one prepares like the job could fall to him at any moment.
"They know they have to be right at all times," Zebrowski said. "Really, in theory, look at it, the number two guy has got to be ready to roll at any given moment...
There's no excuse whatsoever. They need to be ready to go."
With the season opener less than a month away, Kansas is still grinding through every rep. The staff isn’t just looking for the strongest arm or the best athlete. It’s searching for the quarterback who makes the right call when everything is on the line.
In Other News...
Kansas Just Added Serious NFL Experience To Its Quarterback Room
Kansas added a familiar pro-style voice to its offensive staff with the arrival of John DeFilippo, who will work alongside Jim Zebrowski in coaching the quarterbacks. The move gives the Jayhawks another seasoned evaluator in the room, and it comes with a resume built on years of NFL and college experience, including stops as an offensive coordinator and a Super Bowl ring as a quarterbacks coach.
For Kansas, the biggest practical benefit may show up on the practice field. Zebrowski now has the option to split the quarterback groups, which should let each player get more direct instruction and more individualized attention as the room works through camp and into the season. In a position group where every rep matters, adding that kind of experience can change the daily rhythm as much as the long-term outlook. [Read more 🡒]
Paul Mbiya Adds Another Twist To Kansas' Unsettled Center Rotation
Kansas center picture picked up another layer this week when Paul Mbiya was reclassified as a junior under the NCAAs updated international eligibility model. The change comes after the governing body began weighing age and prior professional experience more directly for athletes who arrive from overseas, and Mbiyas background in France before coming to Lawrence fit into that process.
For Kansas, the label itself may not alter much right away in terms of remaining eligibility, but it does add another wrinkle to a rotation already trying to find its footing in the middle. Mbiyas new standing is a reminder that the Jayhawks big-man situation is still being shaped by both roster construction and the evolving rules that govern international players. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces New Doubt In The Jaxon Kohler Chase
Kansas has been working the transfer and recruiting lanes with a clear need up front after losing Flory Bidunga and with Christian Reeves still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery for a torn labrum. That has kept the Jayhawks in the mix for Jaxon Kohler, a frontcourt target who had also been weighing BYU, Kentucky and Michigan State while Kansas looked for more size and stability inside.
Louisville has now entered the picture as another potential destination, adding a fresh layer of uncertainty to a chase that already carried one major caveat. Kohlers eligibility for the 2026-27 season is still unresolved because of NCAA eligibility rulings, so even as the list of suitors grows, the long-term answer for Kansas remains far from settled. [Read more 🡒]