Is Jalon Daniels Playing Tonight? Latest Injury Update and Impact on Kansas vs. Illinois Showdown

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels spent the summer transforming his body, sharpening his leadership style and reminding anyone who would listen that “unfinished business” is the fuel for his sixth year under center. Less than a week before the Jayhawks host Fresno State in the nationally-televised Week 0 opener, the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year candidate is healthy, confident and already collecting accolades. On Aug. 19 the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award committee placed Daniels on its 2025 watch list, a nod historically reserved for the sport’s most polished senior passers. The recognition arrives after an injury-marred 2024 campaign in which a knee scope forced him to miss spring practice and limited his mobility early in the fall. Despite the setback, he still threw for 2,454 yards and 14 touchdowns while rushing for eight more scores, prompting head coach Lance Leipold to call him “the heartbeat of our locker room.” Daniels says the difference this August is the freedom to attack every rep at full speed. “Last year I was rehabbing while game-planning,” he told local reporters after Tuesday’s practice. “Now I can focus on timing, protections and making sure our new receivers understand the standard.” That standard includes sustaining the momentum of KU’s first back-to-back bowl appearances since 2008 and pushing the program into the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff conversation. Teammates insist his revamped demeanor is contagious. Senior tackle Dominic Puni credits Daniels’ vocal presence in film sessions, while sophomore wideout Lawrence Arnold calls him “a coach on the field who isn’t afraid to correct me if my split is six inches off.” Their observations echo what strength staffers witnessed: the 6-foot, 220-pound Californian trimmed body fat and added core strength, posting personal bests in both squat and clean during July testing. Analysts are equally bullish. ESPN’s metrics project Daniels to be one of only three Big 12 quarterbacks with a preseason Total QBR above 80, and several scouts have slapped a mid-round NFL draft grade on him if he can string together a healthy season. The Kansas City Star reports that Daniels declined transfer portal inquiries from multiple SEC programs in December, opting instead for continuity with Leipold and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. The immediate task is Fresno State, a Mountain West power that finished 10-4 and boasts the league’s top pass-rush rate. Daniels remembers throwing three interceptions against the Bulldogs as a freshman in 2020. “That tape is still on my phone,” he admitted. “It’s a reminder of how far both the program and I have come.” Kansas will unveil a fast-tempo wrinkle designed to maximize Daniels’ dual-threat skills and stress defenses horizontally. Expect running-back-by-committee looks featuring Devin Neal and four-star freshman Bryson Donelson, whose ability to motion into the slot creates favorable match-ups for Daniels on RPO concepts. Beyond Week 0, circled dates include a Sept. 6 trip to Missouri—the first Border War in Columbia since 2011—and the Oct. 25 Sunflower Showdown versus Kansas State, where Daniels seeks his first win against the in-state rival. Achieve those milestones and the senior quarterback could find himself in both the Heisman and playoff debates. For now, Daniels remains laser-focused on Saturday. “I returned to rewrite the ending,” he said. “Everything else will take care of itself if we stack wins.” Jayhawk fans—along with award voters and NFL scouts—will be watching closely.