Year 3 of the Lance Leipold-Jalon Daniels marriage sets high expectations for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2024. But will the lack of a home stadium this year disrupt things?
Lance Leipold has seemingly done the impossible – turn the Kansas Jayhawks into an annual contender in the Big 12. After back-to-back bowl berths and a 15-11 record the last two seasons, Kansas is safely in the contender conversation for 2024. The Jayhawks return much of what made them great, including a star backfield tandem of QB Jalon Daniels and RB Devin Neal.
After taking his lumps in a 2-10 season, Leipold sent Kansas bowling in one of the year's best stories in 2022. But in 2023, Kansas turned into an actual contender. Despite star QB Jalon Daniels missing most of the season, the KU offense hummed, thanks to backup Jason Bean. The senior posted top-20 numbers in QB rating and average depth of target, leading the Jayhawks to a 3-3 record as the starter.
However, Kotelnicki is not and neither is Bean, the best insurance policy in college football. The former took an open offensive coordinator job at Penn State and prompted Leipold to promote QBs coach Jim Zebrowski to co-OC with ousted Baylor OC Jeff Grimes. Fundamentally, this offense should operate the same as it did the past two seasons.
Even moderate improvement from the stop unit could vault Kansas into 10-win territory. The defense finished 93rd in points per drive allowed and, in losses, KU allowed 40, 39, and 31 points. Just one defensive stop could have spared the Jayhawks from the 39-32 loss to Oklahoma State or 31-27 loss to Kansas State. Either would have made KU a 10-win team last season.
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