Could Chase Jenkins Overtake Isaiah Marshall Status As Kansas’ Qb1?

For astir of nan offseason, it appeared that Lance Leipold and his coaching unit would not prosecute a backmost successful nan transportation portal. However, that turned retired not to beryllium nan case, arsenic nan Jayhawks landed Rice transportation Chase Jenkins earlier this week.

The dual-threat signal-caller vanished nan 2025 run pinch 1,025 passing yards, 9 passing touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, on pinch 531 rushing yards and 5 much scores connected nan ground. It was an unexpected but intriguing summation that analyzable nan Jayhawks' backmost room.

Right now, Isaiah Marshall is still viewed arsenic nan apical backmost option successful Lawrence. He is much acquainted pinch nan strategy and mightiness beryllium listed supra Jenkins and Cole Ballard connected nan extent floor plan early on.

However, Jenkins has nan imaginable to return distant nan QB1 occupation pinch a beardown capacity successful autumn camp, aliases astatine nan very slightest springiness Marshall a superior tally for his money.

Jenkins' biggest threat is his expertise to beryllium a game-breaking beingness connected nan ground. He averaged conscionable 3.5 yards per carry, but he is highly elusive retired of nan pouch and tin of breaking disconnected large gains, starring Rice's run-heavy dispersed discourtesy and finishing 2nd connected nan squad successful rushing yards.

The Texas autochthonal was not fixed galore opportunities to showcase his limb pinch nan Owls, but erstwhile he did, he made nan astir of them. He threw conscionable 2 interceptions crossed 12 games, bully for an awesome 1.2% interception rate, and completed astir 70% of his passes.

While his limb spot remains a mobility people and he struggles pinch throws 15+ yards downfield, he will beryllium entering an Andy Kotelnicki offense that is quarterback-friendly and built to maximize his strengths.

Ball information and rushing expertise are 2 of nan astir important traits for quarterbacks successful this system, some of which Jenkins possesses. The mobility is whether his accomplishment group will construe against higher-level competition.

Many person already penciled Marshall successful arsenic KU's starter adjacent season, but he is mostly unproven. He has attempted conscionable 3 passes successful his career, each of which came successful garbage clip this season.

Although he flashed his athleticism successful constricted packages, for illustration a 43-yard tally against Oklahoma State, he has yet to play a afloat quarter, fto unsocial a afloat game.

It is besides worthy noting that Marshall grounded to triumph nan backup backmost occupation complete Cole Ballard, a erstwhile walk-on, astatine nan commencement of past play and spent astir of nan twelvemonth listed arsenic QB3. That raised morganatic questions astir whether he is fresh to beryllium a Power 4 starter astatine this shape of his collegiate career.

At nan aforesaid time, Jenkins' resume astatine Rice does not connection definitive answers either, and neither backmost has a guaranteed spot. Jenkins, Marshall, and Ballard will each duke it retired passim autumn campy arsenic Leipold and Kotelnicki measure their options, truthful this backmost conflict should beryllium 1 of nan astir absorbing storylines to travel starring into nan year.