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LAS VEGAS — There’s no need to ask Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels how he is doing. It’s a question he’s answered every day for months.
“I try not to ask Jalon Daniels more than once a week how is he doing because I know everybody asks him that,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “Of course, we keep wearing out a young man with those questions.”
For a player who arrived in Lawrence, Kansas with few offers and little fanfare, adjusting to an entire city obsessing over his nagging back pain was a frustrating experience.
It’s easy to see why fans are so concerned, though. When healthy, Daniels has been a game-changing player at Kansas. During a breakout 2022 season, he scored 25 touchdowns and threw just four interceptions while the Jayhawks reached a bowl game for the first time in nearly 15 years. For his efforts, Daniels was slotted as the preseason Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2023.
Then the back issues started. For months, Daniels kept quiet about his injury as he tried to heal. Back injuries are notoriously fickle. There was no timeline, clarity or understanding, even in-house. One week turned into two. Then three. Eventually, rumors circulated that Daniels was faking, Oor sitting out to redshirt so he could transfer to a bigger school.
“I was probably closer to it than anyone else,” running back Devin Neal told CBS Sports. “It hurt because I wanted to go out and simply say, ‘what you guys are saying is really disrespectful to him, especially because you just loved him.’ I hate when ‘fans’ question people’s integrity on the field when they really just want to play ball.”
Last year at Big 12 Media Days, Daniels sported a flashy chain with a pendant that played his numerous highlights. He was the viral center of…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/after-a-year-of-injury-frustration-kansas-qb-jalon-daniels-eyes-big-12-title-cfp-appearance-in-2024/
Author : Shehan Jeyarajah
Publish date : 2024-07-10 23:56:53
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