Kansas Jayhawks QB Jason Bean will start Saturday’s football game vs. UCF, per report
Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jason Bean will make his third start of the season against UCF on Saturday, Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported Thursday.
The report comes after starting quarterback Jalon Daniels, who missed the Jayhawks’ season opener against Missouri State and last Saturday’s game against Texas with a back injury, missed another practice on Monday.
“He’s still working with the trainers and doctors,” KU coach Leipold said Monday.
When asked about Daniels’ status, Leipold said only that there was some concern when the Jayhawks’ starting QB missed the first day of prep for UCF. Leipold had downplayed the severity of Daniels’ back ailment at times during preseason camp.
“It’s a day-to-day situation right now, according to the staff, and we’ll see where that goes,” Leipold said. “I know he’s working at it (recovery). He and I had multiple conversations yesterday and today already. And (we’ll) see where it takes us.”
When asked about Daniels’ status Wednesday, KU offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnick referred to Leipold’s message Monday, indicating nothing had changed since then.
After KU’s 40-14 loss at Texas, Leipold said, Daniels re-aggravated his back injury during the pre-game walkthrough at the team hotel.
“I was not aware of it bothering him to this extent until we got here (to the stadium),” Leipold said Saturday. “Our medical staff tried to do different things to try to help him. We thought maybe we could get him out there after the game had started, and it just didn’t happen.”
In Daniels’ absence, Bean went 9 of 21 for 136 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He said he learned he was starting 30-45 minutes before kickoff.
“It’s tough, really tough,” Bean said. “It’s just sometimes how life goes, and you’ve got to be ready to execute.”
It was first reported on Aug. 7 that Daniels had missed a practice. In the days that followed, Leipold said limiting Daniels’ practice activities was a cautionary measure.
“We are giving him as much work as we can in many different ways,” Leipold said near the end of camp. “He’s been getting work and he’s been doing things.
“... Unfortunately for him, it is something that he’s gone through a little bit before, getting mental reps and doing things (with) where he’s at. But I think we are in a really good spot.”
On Monday, Leipold shot down a question about whether the coaching staff was worried that Daniels might be forced to sit out the rest of the 2023 season.
“Not at all,” Leipold said Monday. “That’s never been brought up.”
This story was originally published October 5, 2023 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Kansas Jayhawks QB Jason Bean will start Saturday’s football game vs. UCF, per report."
