KU Jayhawks QB Jason Bean isn’t back for redemption. He’s looking for something more
Throughout last year, Kansas Jayhawks football coach Lance Leipold and quarterback Jason Bean felt certain the 2022 season would be Bean’s last in Lawrence.
And after the backup QB’s pass sailed out of bounds in the Jayhawks’ 55-53 triple-overtime thriller of a loss to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl, most would’ve packed up and left town.
But Bean is back for a fifth and final year of college football — and not for redemption.
He said Wednesday that he returned because of the bonds he has built with KU’s coaches and players.
“That was one of the main things for me was, you know, just to be around the guys for another year,” Bean said. “I would’ve been leaving myself short, you know? I feel like I would’ve been looking back and regretting things later during life.”
After the 2022 season, Bean reached out to a couple of his teammates and members of his support system back home to get their thoughts about whether he should leave or stay at Kansas. Bean said it was a tough decision, but the team’s camaraderie won him over.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Trevor Wilson was one of the people with whom Bean spoke during his decision-making process. Wilson admitted that it wasn’t easy getting his teammate to come back, but instead of focusing the conversation on football, they talked about the possible relationships and opportunities still available to him at KU.
Wilson said he believed those topics hit home with Bean.
Both Leipold and Jayhawks offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki have been impressed by Bean’s choice to return for another year, and more importantly, the improvements they’ve seen in his game.
“Just watching everything that he’s done and the confidence that he does it with is really, to me, special,” Leipold said. “His growth and maturity and leadership has taken leaps and bounds from January to where we are at now.”
Kotelnicki said Bean has had a great camp. At Wednesday’s team media day, Bean agreed that he feels more poised and comfortable. And physically, he believes he’s gotten bigger, stronger and faster.
Kotelnicki said Bean embodies the KU program’s core values of daily improvement, buying into the process and getting 1% better every day.
“When you look at Jason Bean, when he first stepped foot in this program … and how he is now, (he) embodies everything that we’re talking about,” Kotelnicki said. “How many teams have starting quarterbacks at the Power Five level that have won games? Right. Have two on their roster? What a blessing.”
Leipold said on Wednesday that starting quarterback Jalon Daniels continues to experience back tightness, allowing Bean to take first-team reps.
In 2021, Bean started the first nine games of the season before suffering an injury in KU’s 35-10 loss against Kansas State. In 2022, he started in four contests following Daniels’ right-shoulder injury in Kansas’ 38-31 loss to TCU.
But starting or not, Bean’s goals this season include helping the team win and be the best it can be.
Leipold credited Bean’s growth and ability to face the criticism he received after the bowl loss and said he is already proving the progress he’s made.
“We see quarterbacks now that are on school four around the country. This young man stayed here, and I admire that,” Leipold said. “It’s a great story and I’ll always remember even, you know, when his days are done here, because the growth of Jason Bean — not just as a quarterback, as a young man — has really been fun to watch.”
