

Some chapters end after 3 years in college football. Some end after over 6. Kansas Jayhawks’ Jalon Daniels is suiting up for one last dance and this one isn’t just about stats. After a bumpy ride filled with injuries, misfires, and pressure that could crush most QBs, Daniels is coming into 2025 with a clean slate and a clear mind. How? Well, you might have Ted Lasso to thank for that.
There’s something poetic about a sixth-year senior quarterback with a brace-covered past, walking into fall camp with a grin. A loosened-up mind and just one thought: let it rip. Jalon Daniels isn’t looking for sympathy. He’s just trying to ball out. But that wasn’t always the case. Last season? Jalon was battling his own mind more than the defense. A back injury nagged him all year. The timing was off. The vibes were worse. Kansas tanked a five-game stretch in the middle of the season, and Daniels couldn’t stop pressing. He admits it now. The pressure of being the guy for Kansas was messing with his head.
On July 27, Kansas OC Jim Zebrowski pulled up to the mic and spilled it plain. Jalon’s finally past that mental wall: “It’s the sixth year. It’s whatever it is, kind of last go-round. Learned a lot from last season. I think the biggest thing was him getting through this season, you know, I think that was a big mental hurdle to come over. I think for him to be like, “Okay, now it’s good, and it’s my last go,” you know? And I think he wants to obviously do the best he possibly can. I think he’s excited to kind of show the world that “I’m ready to roll.””
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
View this post on Instagram
Zebrowski, now the sole OC after Jeff Grimes’ exit, has quietly built a rep as one of the sharpest QB minds around. And he knows Daniels isn’t just another stat-sheet chaser. He’s a leader. A film rat. And yeah, maybe a little too intense at times. “(Jalon Daniels) kind of pressed sometimes, maybe in moments, because he cares so much about this school and the football team and his teammates. And not—it wasn’t about him trying to be “I want all these stats.” Like, he wanted to do—he loves this place, you know? I think, um… So I think that’s more—I told him, dude, I tell the offensive staff, I’m like, love is like one of our core—we have core values in the program, obviously.”
That’s where Ted Lasso comes in.
Zebrowski says he’s been pushing a “Ted Lasso philosophy” on the offense: Believe. Have fun. Be you. Football, but with heart. For Daniels, that’s hitting home hard. After spending the last two years taped together with hopes and ibuprofen, he’s walking into 2025 lighter. Mentally, emotionally, and yeah, physically too. Jalon’s healthy now. No back tightness. No knee procedures in the rearview. And for the first time in what feels like forever, he’s getting full-speed fall reps with a fresh cast of teammates.
Zebrowski sees it too: “So, I really have seen it. But I’ve seen the more—he has always been a really smart, like, QB in terms of picking stuff up from the board and drawing stuff up and processing stuff really fast. But I like the confidence he has in being able to do it now.” It’s not just talk. Daniels played all 12 games in 2024, his first full season healthy since… well, ever. But the results were mixed. The Jayhawks opened in the Top 25 but dropped five straight mid-season. Losses to TCU, Arizona State, Illinois. It got dark. They finished 5–7, missing a bowl by one win.
But here’s the twist: They caught fire late. Beat Iowa State, BYU, and Colorado. The run game exploded. The vibes returned.
What’s your perspective on:
Can Jalon Daniels' final season rewrite his legacy, or will past struggles define his career?
Have an interesting take?
And now?
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Jalon Daniels’ Last Dance
2025 isn’t just another season. This is Jalon Daniels’ last dance, and he knows it. He’s calling the shots now, not just on the field but in that locker room full of young bucks and transfers. With veterans like Devin Neal and Luke Grimm moving on, Daniels is the bridge between what Kansas was and what it could be. He isn’t naïve. He knows the tape last year wasn’t pretty: 2,454 passing yards, 14 TDs, 12 picks. Not exactly the Heisman buzz he had after 2022. And yeah, the turnovers stung. The rhythm wasn’t there. But he showed up. Every week. Every snap. For a guy whose seasons used to end in October, that counts for something.
And now? He’s got the cleanest bill of health of his career. ESPN’s SP+ has Kansas pegged for 6 wins. Vegas is more bullish: 7.5 wins over-under. That’s not playoff talk, but it’s not bottom-feeder chatter either. They’re sixth in Big 12 title odds, floating around +1800. Long shot, sure. But that’s exactly how Daniels likes it. “I think that this will be the year that I’m able to put everything together. Last year, I got the chance to play every single snap that they put me out there to play, but I didn’t get the chance to play to the best of my ability, like I think I was able to.”
So what’s the ceiling here? Kansas probably isn’t touching the Big 12 crown… but maybe that’s not the point. Maybe it’s about letting Jalon Daniels write his own ending. Not one filled with doctor visits and what-ifs. One where he finally gets to just play.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Ted Lasso left AFC Richmond with a second-place medal and a team full of heart. Jalon Daniels? We’ll see. But this much is true: the man’s finally free. And that might be more dangerous than any defense Kansas will face this fall.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Can Jalon Daniels' final season rewrite his legacy, or will past struggles define his career?