Five Reasons Why Kansas Football Can Win a Big 12 Title in 2024
The Kansas Jayhawks currently have the third-best odds to win the Big 12 in the upcoming football season, according to all of the major sportsbooks in America. Depending on where you look, Utah or Kansas State are the favorites to win the league. Going into this season, the Jayhawks have the highest expectations they’ve had for a football team in over 15 years. Despite the optimism surrounding the program, are they still being undervalued? Let’s take a look at five reasons the Jayhawks can win the Big 12.
Jalon Daniels Returns as Starting Quarterback
Anyone who’s watched Jalon Daniels play knows he’s a special talent. Now, it’s all about staying healthy. If Daniels can stay healthy, the Jayhawks will have an experienced quarterback who can elevate this team to the next level. Going into last season, Daniels was the Big 12 preseason Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 and was even on some Heisman watchlist about halfway through the 2022 season. Daniels is a playmaker and has the opportunity to elevate this team to the next level this season.
Triple-Threat at Wide Receiver
When all three starting wide receivers announced their return to Kansas, the rest of the Big 12 was put on notice. Seniors Lawrence Arnold, Quentin Skinner, and Luke Grimm are back to help lead the Jayhawks to a Big 12 Championship. There is unfinished business among the group, and they’ve been talking about it all offseason. All three of these guys have the potential to play at the next level, and having them back is critical to the success of the team. Daniels won’t have any problems finding an open receiver with this group. All three players are proven playmakers, and they may be the most talented receiver group in the Big 12 this season. Shockingly, it feels like three players are flying under the radar. If people aren’t paying attention now, they will be by September.
Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Running Back Duo
Devin Neal is the real deal. He’s one of the most talented running backs in the Big 12, and Daniel Hishaw brings a powerful punch off the bench. These two running backs return the most production to a backfield in the league, and there’s no denying what Neal and Hishaw can do to help take the Jayhawks to another level. With Daniels slinging the ball around to Arnold, Skinner, and Grimm, this will open up the running game even more in 2024. That’s not good news for the rest of the league, as Kansas will have multiple ways to attack teams throughout the season. The Jayhawks may have one of the best offenses in college football by the time it’s all said and done.
Cornerback Lockdown
When Mello Dotson and Cobee Bryant announced they’d be returning to Kansas, that wasn’t good news for the other teams in the Big 12. However, two of the top cornerbacks in the league teaming up for one final hurrah as Jayhawks is exciting for Kansas fans. Dotson and Bryant are both playmakers with a knack for helping turn the ball over and either score for themselves or set the offense up with good field position. Having two lockdown cornerbacks is only going to help the rest of the defense as well. Being able to trust two cornerbacks on the outside gives defensive coordinator Brian Borland more opportunities to take chances with blitzes and get after the quarterback. This will be a fun duo to watch this fall on the defensive side of the ball.
Lance Leipold is the Man
Head Coach Lance Leipold has done what no one thought was possible: turn the Jayhawks football program from the laughing stock of college football into a true contender for the Big 12 Championship. Leipold has been rumored for numerous head coaching jobs over the past couple of years, including Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington, and more. He shunned them all to stay at the University of Kansas to continue building this football program. Leading the team from zero wins in 2020, to two wins in his first season at KU, to six wins in year two, and then nine wins last season. The KU football program continues on an upward trajectory, and if the trend continues, a double-digit win season could very well be in play for 2024. The Jayhawks may not be a popular pick to win the Big 12 at this point, but they are worth taking a longer look at, considering the amount of talent they have returning on this team.
