Taylen Kinney’s pitch to Tyran Stokes + KU football’s next QB: Kansas Jayhawks Q&A
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Taylen Kinney pitched Tyran Stokes on Kansas, urging a return to play together.
- Cole Ballard currently holds the edge to start quarterback for KU in 2025.
- Rainy conditions favor K-State; KU will rely on run game amid defensive struggles.
According to recruiting experts, the Kansas Jayhawks aren’t the leader to land the No. 1-ranked player in the class of 2026, Tyran Stokes.
That doesn’t really matter to KU commit Taylen Kinney.
Right now, Kentucky is the presumed favorite to land Stokes. But Kinney is looking to change that.
The No. 1-ranked point guard in the class of 2026 (per 247Sports) recently spoke to Stokes about the Jayhawks. The pair played on the same AAU team in eighth grade.
“I just talked to him (Stokes) the other day about it (Kansas),” Kinney told The Star. “I just said, ‘Me and I would be there 10 months together, help each other out. Go to the next level — go to the league, both of us hopefully. Just want to run it back and play one more time with each other.’”
With that, it’s time for another Kansas Jayhawks Q&A. Thanks, as always, for the questions ...
Will I be happy Saturday at around 3 pm? @GrantMetsker
This is an excellent question. I want to say yes, this is the year the Jayhawks finally end the streak.
That said, it’s so hard to tell with these games. Right now, it feels like a complete toss-up; the Jayhawks are only 2.5-point favorites.
Plus, the weather favors K-State.
It looks like it will be wet and rainy throughout all of Saturday, which will lead to less passing by KU quarterback Jalon Daniels and more reliance on the run game. And KU’s rushing attack has looked shaky at times this year.
Even without K-State’s Dylan Edwards playing, it will be a tall task for KU’s defense to limit the running ability of quarterback Avery Johnson. The Jayhawks are allowing nearly 200 rushing yards and almost two touchdowns a game on the ground.
That said, this could be a legacy game for Daniels. It’s his last-ever Sunflower Showdown and I expect him to turn in his best performance yet.
For that reason, you will be happy on Saturday afternoon.
How do you like this new program where the teams actually give their injury reports? @crimson_blu_cru
I actually like them a lot! I appreciate the league’s transparency, but my only complaint would be to show the player’s actual injury as well.
I understand there’s a level of gamesmanship to keeping that close to the chest, but whenever the NFL releases injury reports after practices, they show the actual injury.
Who will start at QB for #kufball next year? @RealJordanC
I think it’ll likely be Cole Ballard. And before KU fans bring out the pitchforks, let me explain my reasoning.
First of all, the coaches rave about freshman David McComb, but I don’t think he wins the job. It would be an uphill battle for him to beat out Ballard and Isaiah Marshall, who’ve been with the program for multiple years.
I believe McComb has the highest ceiling of the three, but I also think it will be at least another year before he starts.
Now, let’s look at Ballard and Marshall. For two straight seasons, Ballard has beaten out Marshall for the second-string job. According to a source close to the situation, he’s the more consistent player in practice.
On top of that, coach Lance Leipold loves him. He’s raved about Ballard and his work ethic/overall improvement since spring ball.
As for Marshall, he offers a higher ceiling than Ballard. The issue is that he’s not as consistent day to day. Not to mention, the things he excels at — like creating plays with his legs or time by leaving the pocket — are skills he can’t showcase as much in practice.
A lot can change in a year, but Ballard has the edge to win the job.
This story was originally published October 24, 2025 at 10:38 AM with the headline "Taylen Kinney’s pitch to Tyran Stokes + KU football’s next QB: Kansas Jayhawks Q&A."
