Jalon Daniels' National Recognition a Sign of Progress for Jayhawks
When is the last time you remember seeing a national writer mention a Kansas player during the football season that didn't also include a backhanded compliment or a mention of the Texas Longhorns?
I spent a while trying to find the an example, and it was VERY difficult. And while Kansas has had great individual players in the past, their compliments usually include a "but". Kyron Johnson was dominant last season, but he wasn't able to pile up stats without help. Steven Sims was a fantastic wideout, but he didn't have a quarterback who could get the ball to him consistently. And of course the countless quarterbacks who left Kansas, got an offensive line, and played REALLY well.
But this year, we are starting to see recognition come early to Kansas players, and it's without the surprise and jokes we usually see. Lonnie Phelps won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week last week. Cobee Bryant won the same award this week.
And now Jalon Daniels is getting noticed in multiple ways. He was tabbed as part of the Davey O'Brien Great 8 for this week's performance. He was also added to the midseason watch list, which makes him eligible to win the Davey O'Brien Award at the end of the season, given to the best quarterback in college football. According to Pro Football Focus, Daniels has the 2nd highest overall rating among Big 12 quarterbacks.
And on Monday, Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports mentioned Daniels on a list that most Kansas fans wouldn't expect to see any time soon.
Yes, that's right. Even though it's only week 2, Daniels is already getting hype from a national writer for the Heisman award. Is it at least somewhat related to the Jayhawks greatly exceeding expectations so far? Sure. But it's impossible to ignore how effective Daniels has been. He was the leading rusher for the Jayhawks against West Virginia, and his decision making and ability to extend plays has been a real asset.
Is it possible that this is the last that we hear about Daniels as a Heisman contender? Of course. Staying in that conversation will require great performances every week, and the Jayhawks will need to accumulate more wins.
But the point here isn't that Daniels is going to be a Heisman Finalist. No, it's that national media members are discussing it as a real possibility, not a joke to pile on another dismal Kansas team.
And the increased visibility for Daniels will bring more eyes to the team as a whole, giving other Kansas players the opportunity to get recognized for their contributions instead of just being "the one good guy" for Kansas.
Talk about progress.
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