Week 0 is done and dusted, which gives us hope for the 2025 season to be an absolute wild ride. Close wins, tough injuries, last-minute game-changers: we’ve seen it all. And in these games, we’ve seen some stars own the field, keeping fans excited. One ESPN analyst is raving about one special man from the Week 0 lineup, who stunned audiences with his show.

Some nail-biting games rolled out on Saturday, setting the stage for the rest of the season. However, the Kansas–Fresno State game was an absolute show of dominance from the men in blue. Keeping the Bulldogs to just 7 points, the Jayhawks rolled them to the ground with a whopping 31-point victory. The star of the show, however, was undeniably their veteran QB, Jalon Daniels. In Tom Luginbill’s eyes, he was the best QB of Week 0.

The analyst said in an August 24 episode of SportsCenter, “What an electrifying player. And I think anybody that’s been following this Kansas program over the last few years has been just itching to see Jalon Daniels finish a season completely healthy.” This is the QB’s 6 season in college football, who played a full season only last year. What we witnessed from Daniels in Week 0 was a show of what he can be at his best. Connecting on 18 of 20 passes, he also hauled in 176 yards and 3 TDs. Also adding to that are his 47 rushing yards.

“He is so dynamic and he is such a pressure cooker for opposing defenses, [because] the play is never over,” Luginbill added. Some analysts, including Chip Paterson, Brad Crawford, and others, released their Big 12 rankings for CBS Sports recently. Only Paterson and Richard Johnson had the highest ranking for Kansas, at No. 7. However, this is a unit that beat 3 ranked teams last year, when Daniels pulled his career high record of passing yards (so far).

Kansas fans will know that Jalon Daniels has some serious firepower in him, especially since he was once in the conversation for the Heisman. However, injuries have marred what would have been a great career. A grand start for the QB in the newly opened $450 million David Booth Stadium made a night to remember for the Jayhawks. HC Lance Leipold also had nothing but praise for the QB for his brilliant start to 2025.

Lance Leipold joins in the praise for Jalon Daniels

Jalon Daniels dominated right from the beginning of the game. After kickoff, he showed the Bulldogs what they were up against by connecting with newbie WR Cam Pickett for a 21-yard TD. By halftime, the QB helped the Jayhawks establish a massive lead, with the score being 24-7 then. Fresno State’s efforts brought no results in the second half, as Jalon Daniels added 7 more points to finish the game at 31-7.

“He was in command, he didn’t get rattled, made people miss and made the throws… He just seemed really confident in what’s going on. And that’s what you need out of an experienced quarterback,” Leipold said about his QB. Kansas is yet to make a splash in the FBS ever since he took charge in 2021. But this grand win, and hopefully a full attendance from Daniels, should help change that.

Kansas will return to the field on August 29 against Wagner. Once again, fans will be hopeful for an equally excellent show of fireworks from Jalon Daniels. The seasoned QB1 is going to be the key for Kansas’ odds to upset the conference this season. Starting off on such a big note should amp up the vibe in the Jayhawks’ locker room for the rest of the season. But they’ll have to have a healthy Daniels as the bare minimum to reach their expected turnout.