Kansas’ quarterback picture is still unsettled, and that alone is enough to keep Jayhawks fans uneasy heading into next season.
There’s no hiding what the position means. If a team doesn’t know who its QB1 is yet, the questions start piling up fast. For Kansas, that uncertainty is very real, with redshirt junior Cole Ballard and redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall both in the mix to open the year.
Ballard has been the more common pick in preseason projections for the Sept. 4 opener against LIU, so he gets the nod first in the conversation. Last season, he completed 10 of 22 passes for 108 yards and one touchdown through the air. He also added 92 rushing yards.
Marshall is heading into his second year with the program after logging just three pass attempts for 28 yards. On the ground, he finished with 160 yards.
He was frequently used in designated running packages last season, which says plenty about how much the staff trusts what he can do with his legs. The problem is the passing side of the equation is still almost completely untested, and that’s a major concern.
If experience is what you want, redshirt junior Chase Jenkins is the name to know. In 2025 at Rice, he threw for 1,025 yards with a 69.2% completion rate, along with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 531 yards and five scores, averaging 44.3 rushing yards per game.
Jenkins spent three seasons at Rice, though his sophomore year included a switch to wide receiver. Even then, he appeared in only two games and caught one pass.
At this point, Jenkins looks like the third option, which leaves the real battle between Ballard and Marshall.
That said, Kansas does appear to feel good about where things stand. The Jayhawks brought in only one quarterback through the NCAA Transfer Portal, and that move points to confidence in one of the two returning options. Both Ballard and Marshall bring mobility, but neither has logged much meaningful experience at the power-conference level.
Overall Grade: C-
The one major boost for Kansas is the return of Andy Kotelnicki as associate head coach and play caller. His previous run in Lawrence produced two strong offensive seasons before he left for Penn State to become offensive coordinator.
During that stretch, Kansas earned back-to-back bowl trips. In 2022, Kotelnicki’s offense ranked 33rd nationally and averaged 432.8 yards per game in a 6-7 season.
The next year, the Jayhawks improved to 439.9 yards per game, good for 21st in the country, and finished 9-4.
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Self also left the door open to adding another big man if the right fit surfaces, which says plenty about how much depth still matters inside. Kansas has three exhibition games on the schedule next month, and those tune-ups should offer the clearest look yet at whether the current options are enough or whether the Jayhawks need one more answer in the paint. [Read more 🡒]