Kansas football coach Lance Leipold explains signing QB Jaylen Mason
Check out some of what Kansas football coach Lance Leipold had to say Wednesday about why the Jayhawks signed quarterback Jaylen Mason.
LAWRENCE — If anyone was still wondering what the next step was for Jalon Daniels, after the end of his Kansas football career, he put that to rest Wednesday.
Daniels, KU’s starting quarterback in 2025, announced in a post on the social media site X that he is declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. One of the faces of the rebuild under coach Lance Leipold in Lawrence, Daniels will be attempting to make the jump to the professional ranks. His college career began with Kansas with the 2020 season.
“Rock Chalk Nation!” Daniels said, in part, in a statement. “First and foremost, I want to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to be in the position that I’m in today and for carrying me through every high and every challenge. I want to give all the love and credit to my mom, Star Daniels. Your strength has been my foundation and your perseverance is what drives me every single day. Seeing you fight through every obstacle taught me how to keep going no matter what. Because you never stopped, neither will I!”
Daniels continued: “To my family, friends, high school coaches etc who never left my side, thank you for never letting me fight any battle alone. To every teammate that I’ve been on this journey with, thank you for trusting me, competing alongside me, and holding me accountable. From the early mornings in the offseason, to game days in Memorial Stadium, the bonds we built will last a lifetime. To the coaches, trainers, and staff at the University of Kansas — thank you for believing in me and fully investing in my growth. You helped shape me not only as a quarterback, but as a leader and a man. The lessons I learned in this program will stay with me forever.”
Daniels continued: “Rock Chalk Nation, thank you for standing by me through every moment. From the energy on game day, to the support during adversity. Representing this university and wearing the crimson and blue was an honor I will always carry with pride. With that being said, the time has come for me to take the next steps in my career and DECLARE FOR THE 2026 NFL Draft.”
Daniels added: “Once A Jayhawk, Always A Jayhawk!”
Daniels served as Kansas’ regular starting quarterback in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons, as the Jayhawks finished 5-7 in both. He was also a key member of the teams in 2022 and 2023 that reached bowl games, although injuries limited his playing time in both campaigns. He also saw the field at times in 2020 and 2021, including helping Leipold and company to a signature win on the road at Texas in 2021 in Leipold’s first season at the helm at KU.
As Daniels’ pre-draft process plays out, in Lawrence, the Jayhawks will be evaluating which quarterback they’ll look to as Daniels’ replacement. Should Kansas stick with the players on its roster, the two names to know will be Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall. Ballard was a redshirt sophomore this past season, and Marshall a redshirt freshman.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.