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The 2026 season will be the first time Jalon Daniels has not been a member of the Kansas football team since Lance Leipold took over as head coach a half-decade ago. The California native was recruited by Les Miles but ultimately decided to stick around Lawrence when the last coaching change was made.
Despite dealing with injuries throughout his career, Daniels left the university as one of the most accomplished signal-callers to don the crimson and blue. He ranks second in program history in passing yards, trailing only KU legend Todd Reesing, and helped put the program on the map with an incredible start to the 2022 season.
After exhausting his collegiate eligibility and not hearing his name called during the 2026 NFL Draft, Daniels signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quickly earned the respect of his coaches. "JD6" entered training camp as a long shot to make the final 53-man roster, but a few strong preseason performances quickly changed that conversation.
Daniels ultimately survived cuts and beat out veteran Jake Browning for the backup job. He will serve as Baker Mayfield's second-stringer to open the season, becoming the first undrafted rookie quarterback since Trevone Boykin in 2016 to be the active QB2 going into Week 1.
Everyone in the KU program is proud of what Daniels has accomplished over the past few months. Quarterbacks Isaiah Marshall and Cole Ballard said they reached out to him and continue to keep in touch. Perhaps no one is prouder of Daniels than his former head coach.
When Leipold was asked about Daniels' success and his rise in Tampa Bay, he voiced his pride in the player and man Daniels has become.
"We exchanged some texts early in the week, shortly after the rosters were announced," Leipold said. "Extremely proud of him. Again, what a story. Everything that young man has overcome, he has stayed positive."
"I think he's such a great example for young men that, through the ups and downs of things, he's stayed true to who he is and what he's done," he continued. "He's been true to Kansas and his experiences here. Jalon's a little bit of a throwback in those ways. We're awful proud of him, and we wish him nothing but the best.
Jalon Daniels' underdog story is what sports are all about 👏 pic.twitter.com/Nh3EOGfy4l
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 2, 2026Daniels' path to this point could not have been predicted by anyone, even those who coached him at Kansas. He went from an undrafted quarterback fighting for a roster spot to beating out a veteran for the No. 2 job in Tampa Bay.
When healthy, Daniels was one of the more talented quarterbacks in this year's class. He possesses impressive arm strength, can make difficult throws on the run, and has decent mobility to create plays outside of the pocket. He finally got an opportunity to show the NFL what he could do during the preseason, and he made the most of it.
Now, the hope is that Daniels can hold onto his spot behind Mayfield and continue building a career in the NFL for years to come.
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