Freshman Jalon Daniels learning through unexpected emergence as No. 1 QB

By Benton Smith     Nov 2, 2020

Associated Press
Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels throws the ball during the second half of an NCAA football game against Kansas State Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

When Jalon Daniels decided late last year to play football at the University of Kansas, the young quarterback from Lawndale, Calif., saw it as an opportunity to do something remarkable.

“I’ve always wanted to be the guy to turn around a program,” Daniels said.

Even so, the true freshman said he had “no idea” when he arrived on campus that he would get a head start on those endeavors within a few months by becoming the Jayhawks’ starting QB.

Daniels spoke to reporters on Monday for the first time this season — the Kansas football program typically doesn’t make true freshmen available for interviews.

Of course, KU didn’t give Daniels the keys to the offense right off the bat. When Les Miles’ second season with the program kicked off on Sept. 12 versus Coastal Carolina, senior Thomas MacVittie started and rotated in and out of the lineup with junior Miles Kendrick. Daniels was the third QB on the depth chart and made his college debut doing mop-up duty in KU’s home loss to Coastal.

Miles knew at the time that Daniels, who didn’t turn 18 until this past week, couldn’t be asked to take on the task of being a No. 1 QB at that point.

“Entering the season, he didn’t have enough snaps to get him ready,” Miles said. “Period. No matter how you put it.”

In order for a freshman such as Daniels to start right off the bat, he would have to graduate early and play an entire spring practice schedule to get enough reps, Miles said.

But two weeks after this season began — likely out of necessity, with MacVittie hurt and unable to play — Daniels became KU’s starting QB as the Jayhawks opened Big 12 play at Baylor.

Since then, Miles said the 6-foot, 203-pound freshman has matured every week.

“Some of (Daniels’) throws — if you look at them, they’re spectacular throws,” Miles said. “We’re getting him in position to make him be our leader and help him be our leader.”

Daniels’ biggest setback so far came in his second career start, when he suffered an ankle injury in the first half against Oklahoma State. It ended his day early and forced him to miss KU’s trip to West Virginia, too.

This past weekend, he thought for a moment that he had hurt his ankle again in the final minutes of a home loss to Iowa State, when he had to limp off the field. But once Daniels got to the locker room and walked around a bit, he could tell it wasn’t the same type of pain he’d experienced a few weeks before. He’s expected to make his fifth career start on Saturday at No. 19 Oklahoma (2:30 p.m. kickoff, ESPN2).

Daniels’ first season of college football has come with some tough lessons, and it’s been far from perfect. So far, Daniels has completed 56.5% of his passes (61 of 108) for 546 yards, with two interceptions. He’s also been sacked 16 times.

But Daniels said his energy and approach helped him impress his coaches. He’s also been building connections with his teammates. At first, he said, it was easiest to build a rapport with the other freshmen. But the longer he was on campus, the more Daniels bonded with older players, too. And the respect he gained helped him emerge as the starting QB ahead of schedule.

Miles said Daniels’ charisma and the smile he so often flashes also helped him win the starting job. The coach said the freshman can step into a huddle or practice with a smile on his face and go to work, motivating his teammates to do the same.

The Jayhawks (0-6 overall, 0-5 Big 12) will likely need a jump in production from Daniels, as well, if they’re going to find a victory in 2020. The QB said his position coach, offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon, lets him know what aspects of his game need to improve.

One constant piece of advice from Dearmon? “Fire the trigger,” Daniels said.

“As a freshman quarterback you always have that thought in the back of your mind — don’t make the mistake,” Daniels said. “When I come to the sideline, coach Dearmon usually just tells me to pull the trigger. Don’t hold back on throws. Make the throws that you know you can make. And he always has that faith in me that I can make the throws. That’s something that I really need to start working on.”

Daniels, a dual-threat QB, has produced three rushing touchdowns for the Jayhawks, all in the past two weeks. But he’s still searching for his first passing TD at the collegiate level.

“I feel like that also has to do with me being gun-shy,” Daniels said. “I don’t want to make that mistake, so I pull back from making the play I know I can make sometimes.”

KU’s coaches continue to help Daniels along with that and other aspects of his development, Miles said.

“I think you work through reads in the passing game. When he rolls to his left, there’s some concern; the rolls to his right, how he brings the ball across his body — (with) things like that, you work on (them) every day and it comes in bits and pieces,” Miles said. “And you count on it, because that’s how you improve. You take those bits and pieces and make them your game.”

A KU football program that hasn’t won more than three games in a season since 2009 still has a long way to go. But Daniels would like to eventually be one of the players who helps turn it around.

“I feel like I have a chance to do that with my teammates here,” the freshman QB said.

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