KU football announces starting QB ahead of opener against Nicholls State

The Kansas football team — for the first time in three seasons — will go into its opening game with a set starting quarterback.

Peyton Bender will begin under center against Nicholls State on Sept. 1, according to a Tuesday afternoon message posted on the football team’s Twitter account.

Bender, a senior, is widely considered to have the best arm on KU’s roster, though his lack of mobility didn’t always mesh well with KU’s offensive line a year ago. He started in eight games last season, completing 54 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Returner Carter Stanley and juco transfer Miles Kendrick also were competing for the starting job. Stanley was KU’s quarterback against Texas during David Beaty’s only FBS victory (over Texas) in 2016, while Kendrick came to Lawrence from San Mateo (Calif.) junior college in the winter.

Beaty has only announced a starting quarterback before his team’s opener one time; in 2015, the coach told Montell Cozart he had won the job over three other competitors.

Each of the last two years, Beaty has kept his starting QB a secret until the first game’s kickoff in hopes of gaining a competitive advantage.

This story was originally published August 21, 2018 at 3:52 PM.