Kansas will be without backup quarterback Cole Ballard on Saturday in London, leaving the Jayhawks with a reshuffled quarterback depth chart for their Big 12 opener against Arizona State.
Ballard’s status was listed as “out” in Friday night’s Big 12 player availability report, which comes out before every game. The redshirt junior from Westfield, Indiana, was injured in Friday’s 38-21 loss to Missouri and had his right arm in a sling on the sideline in the fourth quarter.
The injury appeared to happen in the third quarter when Ballard was hit while throwing a 6-yard pass to starting quarterback Isaiah Marshall on a trick play. The report did not specify the injury.
With Ballard unavailable, Kansas’ backup behind Marshall is expected to be Chase Jenkins, a 6-foot, 195-pound redshirt-junior transfer from Rice. Earlier this week, KU coach Lance Leipold said of Jenkins: “We feel confident that if called upon he can run our offense and lead our team.”
Marshall has been practicing this week after saying he had a sore arm for nearly the entire Missouri game. He took a shot to his throwing arm on the first KU play from scrimmage in that game.
Against Missouri, Marshall finished 13 of 30 for 168 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 23 yards on 20 carries and lost a fumble.
Jenkins brings a different skill set. He ran the option at Rice, rushed for 531 yards and five touchdowns last season, and also threw for 1,025 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
Kansas also listed tight end Carson Bruhn as “out.” Behind him on the depth chart are seniors Jailen Butler and Carter Moses.
Among the Jayhawks listed as “probable” were wide receiver Cam Pickett, linebacker Bam Crouch and running back Jalen Dupree. Crouch had been dealing with an upper body injury and missed the KU-Missouri game.
Pickett had been out with a leg injury, though he played four snaps against Missouri and caught two passes. Bruhn has an undisclosed injury that forced him out of the Missouri game.
Other Kansas players listed as out included quarterback Jaylen Mason, running backs Kory Amachree and Justin Thurman, and defensive linemen Grady Seyfert and Tre’von McAlpine.
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