How concerned is Lance Leipold as QB Jalon Daniels (back) continues to miss KU camp?
Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels continues to experience back tightness, coach Lance Leipold said at Wednesday’s Kansas football media day, two weeks and two days out of the Sept. 1 season-opener against Missouri State.
A week ago Monday, Aug. 7, Daniels was present at practice but didn’t take any reps. He continues to be limited as of Wednesday, Aug. 16.
“He’s not practicing,” Leipold said. “At the time, he’s doing stuff with the trainers.”
Like last week, Leipold said he isn’t too concerned about the injury long-term, though he previously said — back on Aug. 7 — that it would be a bigger conversation if Daniels continued to deal with the injury.
“If I am saying (this) in a week or so from now,” Leipold said a week ago Monday, “we can probably dive in deeper.”
Added Leipold at Wednesday’s media day: “He’s progressing in a positive way that hopefully (he’ll be back) by the weekend or early next week. ... We expect him to be back.”
Last season, Daniels missed missed four games due to a shoulder injury suffered in a 38-31 loss to TCU. He was also limited some during spring ball.
Daniels threw for 2,014 passing yards with 18 passing touchdowns and four interceptions, while running for 425 yards and seven more touchdowns in nine games last season.
Daniels was honored with an All-Big 12 second-team selection after his stellar season. Daniels led KU (6-7, 3-6 Big 12) to its first bowl game appearance in 14 years, a 55-53 triple-overtime loss to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl.
Earlier in the offseason, Daniels was named Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, marking the first time any KU football player earned that honor. The Jayhawks are projected to finish 9th in the conference according to Big 12 media poll, but Daniels isn’t worried about outside expectations.
“Let them have their opinion,” Daniels previously told The Star. “It doesn’t matter to us. Honestly, the only opinion that matters to us is our opinion. They are not the ones putting in the work inside these doors. They’re not the ones coming in every single day.
“Their opinion, whether positive or negative, we can’t let that affect how we’re going about things.”
This story was originally published August 16, 2023 at 1:28 PM.
