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    Jalon Daniels

    Oklahoma 2023 Schedule Preview: Kansas

    With the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year behind center, the Jayhawks could be poised to improve on their hot start to the 2022 season.

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    Kansas Jayhawks
    Kansas Jayhawks
    Oklahoma Sooners
    Oklahoma Sooners

    As August closes in, AllSooners previews every game on the 2023 schedule.

    Oklahoma’s 12-game regular season schedule features six home games, five road games and the annual neutral-site Red River Showdown.

    Following their contest against Central Florida, the Sooners will travel to Kansas for a matchup against the Jayhawks in the final Big 12 contest between both programs.

    Lance Leipold's team got off to an incredible start in 2022, going 5-0 in their first five games before falling to eventual national runner-up TCU 38-31. 

    Prior to the loss, Kansas was ranked in the AP Poll for the first time in well over a decade, indicating that the program may finally be moving in the right direction after a disastrous stretch following former OU offensive coordinator and Jayhawks head coach Mark Mangino's departure in 2009. 

    In their matchup last season, the Sooners defeated Kansas 52-42 in Norman behind 403 passing yards and three total touchdowns from Dillon Gabriel. Eric Gray ran for 176 yards and two touchdowns while then-freshman Jovantae Barnes also added two rushing touchdowns.

    The Jayhawks, however, were without their starting quarterback against Oklahoma, leaving backup QB Jason Bean to take snaps for Kansas. Bean performed well, throwing four touchdowns and racking up over 300 total yards.

    Despite missing their first string signal caller for over half of the year, the Jayhawks still finished 21st in nation in points per game last season. The biggest issue for Leipold's squad was its defense, which allowed an average of 35.5 points per game, one of the 10 highest totals in all of FBS football. 

    Oklahoma's 2023 Schedule:

    After suffering a separated shoulder last season against TCU, Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels was forced to miss a good chunk of the Jayhawks season. After separating his shoulder in the first half of Kansas' matchup with the Horned Frogs, Daniels was sidelined for four games.

    The Jayhawks struggled with a shoddy defense and their backup quarterback, going 1-3 while Daniels recovered from his injury. 

    Even after their star playmaker returned to the lineup, Kansas couldn't find a way to win, losing their final three contests with Daniels on the field.

    Despite falling to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl, the Lawndale, CA, native threw for a remarkable 544 yards and five touchdowns, adding another score on the ground. Standing at just 6-foot tall, Daniels recorded 2,014 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and only four interceptions in nine appearances as a junior last season. 

    The rising senior also added 425 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Following his impressive performance in 2022, Daniels was named the Big 12 Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year for 2023.

    "Pressure is a privilege," Daniels said at Big 12 Media Days when asked if his preseason accolades put any pressure on the gunslinger heading into this season. "If you have pressure that means things are expected of you. Things weren't expected of me two years ago, so now that I have these expectations, that's good for (Kansas) as a program. But, I don't look at it as pressure. I look at it as, 'the world is finally noticing what you're doing, so now go out there and do it some more'."  

    Despite heading into his senior season, Daniels is only 20 years old, notching his first collegiate start as a 17-year-old back in 2020. The former 3-star recruit's dual-threat ability combined with his youth make Daniels an interesting NFL Draft prospect. 

    The Jayhawks QB isn't their only offensive weapon, though, as Kansas has two tailbacks who have both proven to be productive backs in the Big 12. 

    Junior running back Devin Neal gave the Sooners' trouble last season, racking up 84 rushing yards and one touchdown on just 12 carries. The Lawrence, KS, native finished his sophomore year with 1,090 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns, also accounting for 183 receiving yards and one touchdown. 

    Last year, the 210-pound halfback ran for over six yards per carry, placing him amongst the top 25 backs in the nation in average yards per rush. Gray, a former Sooner and Volunteer, averaged 6.4 yards per carry with OU last season. 

    Moore High School (OK) product Daniel Hishaw is the Jayhawks other skilled running back. The rising senior had injury troubles last year, appearing in only five games but making an impact during his time on the field. 

    As a junior, Hishaw accumulated over 350 yards and six touchdowns on just 47 total touches. If the former high school quarterback is able to stay healthy this season, he will likely be a big part of Kansas' lethal three-headed rushing attack. 

    Get to Know Kansas

    Oct. 28, Lawrence, KS

    • Series: OU leads 80-27-6
    • Head coach: Lance Leipold, 3rd year (8-17, 4-14 Big 12), 8th overall (45-50)
    • 2022 record: 6-7 (3-6 Big 12)
    • 2022 offense: 32nd overall (39th rushing, 43rd passing, 21st scoring)
    • 2022 defense: 127th overall (125th rushing, 108th passing, 124th scoring)

    While the Jayhawks’ offensive outlook is very positive heading into the 2023-24 season, Kansas' defense is where the team must improve the most to be competitive once again this season. 

    In their final eight games of the 2022-23 season, the Jayhawks allowed 35 or more points six times, giving up more than 50 points to Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. 

    Over the offseason, Leipold and his staff made an effort to overhaul the team's defensive unit, bringing in seven players in the transfer portal and enrolling seven defensive recruits from the 2023 class. 

    Transfers like Dylan Brooks, Patrick Joyner, Damarius McGhee, JB Brown, Austin Booker, Devin Phillips and Gage Keys should be able to immediately help fortify Kansas' defense in 2023. 

    Additionally, incoming freshman safety Jameel Croft could find his way onto the field during his first year of college football, as the Detroit native has the size and athleticism to make an impact early on at Kansas.

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