Kansas still doesn’t have its quarterback answer, and Lance Leipold made that much clear when he was asked what will decide the job.
For now, the battle appears to be centered on redshirt junior Cole Ballard and redshirt sophomore Isaiah Marshall, with Rice transfer and redshirt junior Chase Jenkins seemingly behind them. But Leipold’s latest comments made it plain that nothing is settled yet, and that the final call will come down to who gives the Jayhawks the best shot to win.
“Who's gonna give us the best chance to win on Saturday? Right and with that, though, who's going to be most consistent during camp?
“Isaiah's probably a little faster. Both are capable runners, and again, who's gonna give us the best chance to be effective in the pass game as well?
That’s the lens Kansas is using as it tries to move past the Jalon Daniels era and find its next starter. The competition has been the biggest question around Lawrence for months, aside from Bill Self’s future and whether Tyran Stokes would choose KU.
Ballard and Marshall both got limited work last season, but each flashed enough to stay in the mix. Marshall was used in specific packages and finished with 15 rushes for 160 yards, while also throwing for 28 yards on three passes. Ballard, meanwhile, completed 10 of 22 passes for 108 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and added 92 rushing yards on 15 carries.
Leipold also pointed to a key factor that has shaped the competition: Daniels never got a full spring, which gave Ballard and Marshall more chances to stack reps over time.
Kansas needs the answer to come quickly after a 5-7 season that left the Jayhawks out of a bowl game for the second straight year. The offense finished 77th nationally with 368.8 yards per game, including 211 passing yards per game, which ranked 88th. The scoring output was better, with 26.5 points per game placing Kansas 68th in FBS, but last fall still ended as a disappointment on most fronts.
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