The quarterback position quickly became a leading storyline at Kansas Jayhawks fall camp, and it appears junior Isaiah Marshall officially outbid fourth-year challenger Cole Ballard for the starting job, according to a new report by college football insider Pete Thamel.
Historically, Thamel is one of the best in the business when it comes to this sort of report, and, while a QB battle brewed throughout fall camp, a name was bound to emerge from somewhere, whether from the media or a handheld depth chart, in the week leading up to Kansas’ Week 1 home opener against Long Island.
Lance Leipold and Kansas are going with the speedy, dual-threat option in Marshall, who shares similar upside to that of Jalon Daniels, who, despite plenty of turmoil through his six years in Lawrence, managed to impress the Tampa Bay Buccaneers enough to sign as an undrafted free agent.
Marshall, standing just two inches short and 10 pounds lighter than Ballard, the son of Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard, is the apparent starter entering that Week 1 contest, with an all-too-important Missouri game quickly following on Friday, Sept. 11. Throughout camp, Leipold gave every indication that the QB battle wouldn’t be decided until gameday at the latest, and he also hinted that both quarterbacks could see compelling snaps throughout the season.
Both QBs saw a bit of action last season. Marshall completed three different passing attempts and tallied 160 yards with his legs in a variety of designed run packages. Ballard, who started the Kansas State loss in 2023, also saw the field in eight games for 10 passes, 108 yards and a touchdown pass vs. Iowa State.
With former OC Andy Kotelnicki back from Penn State, the Kansas QB job becomes all the more interesting with his brand of playbook and the stresses his offenses have put on the opponent. It’s Kotelnicki’s directing that put the Jayhawks in winning scenarios in 2022 and 2023 before he departs for the Big Ten.
Should Kansas stick with Marshall, it signals another Kotelnicki offense full of multiplicity, creative alignments, and, of course, scheming their quarterback into green space. The Jayhawks are looking to improve from consecutive 5-7 finishes, including several fourth-quarter disappointments since 2024.
