ESPN Analyst Disappoints Jayhawks Fans with Low Opinion of Kansas Football Offense
The Kansas football offense has thrived over the past two seasons, averaging 35.6 points per game in 2022 and 34.8 points per game in 2024. Quarterbacks Jalon Daniels and Jason Bean have led a dynamic passing attack, while star running back Devin Neal and a strong offensive line have supported one of the nation’s top rushing offenses.
While head coach Lance Leipold’s team often faces concerns on the defensive side, scoring points has rarely been an issue when they are at full health. Heading into the 2024 season, Daniels, Neal, and the top three wide receivers are set to return. Despite this, ESPN analyst Adam Rittenberg is less optimistic about the Jayhawks’ offensive future in his college football future offense power rankings.
### Kansas Football Ranks No. 20 in ESPN’s Future Offense Power Rankings
“After a nine-win season in 2023, Kansas has its sights set on a Big 12 title push. To do so, the Jayhawks must ride an offense featuring plenty of familiar names but bringing in a new play-caller in Jeff Grimes from Baylor. The unit has more questions after 2023, while the major short-term unknown is the health of quarterback Jalon Daniels, limited to just three games last fall because of a back injury. When healthy, Daniels is one of the nation’s most explosive quarterbacks and can propel a Jayhawks offense that returns veteran running backs Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr., as well as an excellent receiving corps of seniors Lawrence Arnold, Quentin Skinner and Luke Grimm. A Daniels-led offense could be one of the nation’s best this fall, although Kansas will have a lot to replace in 2025 and 2026.”
– Adam Rittenberg, ESPN
Rittenberg points out that offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has left for Penn State, creating uncertainty for the offense’s future. Additionally, Daniels’ history of back injuries, limiting him to just three games last season, raises concerns. Despite these points, many question ranking Kansas’ explosive offense below teams like Miami, Mizzou, SMU, and Penn State.
While Daniels may enter the NFL Draft after this season, Kansas has promising prospects at quarterback. Three-star recruits Isaiah Marshall and David McComb are both higher-rated than Daniels was coming out of high school and could be the future signal-callers in Lawrence. Leipold might also look to the transfer portal for an experienced quarterback to bridge the gap.
Replacing key players like Neal and wide receivers Lawrence Arnold and Luke Grimm will be a challenge, but Leipold and his staff have earned the trust of Jayhawk fans. Most KU supporters would argue that the offense deserves a higher ranking than No. 20 on this list.
