Jalon Daniels Isn't Going Anywhere
Jalon Daniels Isn't Going Anywhere
The QB's payday is just another sign of how far Kansas football has come
EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.
One text I received in the aftermath of Kansas' 3OT loss to Arkansas caught my attention. An assistant coach who provided his thoughts on the final play now had a question for me.
“Curious if Jalon Daniels will stay?" he asked. “Now it’s highest bidder. Tonight might have made him a lot of money somewhere.”
I’ve learned he’s not entirely wrong. The college football world watched Daniels ball out and break records in the Liberty Bowl. Sources are telling me Daniels, has, in fact, earned himself a lot of money.
I’m HEARING Daniels will make big-time money while playing for Kansas next year. Sources suggest Daniels is making “well into six figures” at Kansas.
The breakout QB announced a NIL partnership with Adidas on Sunday. He appears to be in the same earning range as basketball’s 5-star freshman Gradey Dick.1 Put simply: It would shock those around the program if Daniels left. They don’t think he’s going anywhere.
“Tier 1 players are very happy,” one source said.
It’s worth pointing out the assistant isn't the first person to ask about Daniels leaving. There have been Twitter rumors suggesting other programs had interest in Daniels through the last half of the season. The Los Angeles native could’ve been a fun fit for a UCLA program once in the market for a quarterback.
Those rumors quieted down once Daniels returned from injury at the end of the season. And they were squashed even further when UCLA flipped 5-star QB recruit Dante Moore away from Oregon on signing day. The Bruins no longer need a QB — AND Daniels risked injury to play for the Jayhawks.
Daniels likely isn't the only coveted Kansas player this offseason. Lance Leipold has a lot of defense to play right now. His most important job this offseason is retaining talent. So far, it appears he's succeeded. KU’s transfer portal damage has been next-to-nothing so far.
The staff deserves tremendous credit if Kansas keeps its top talent for next season. It would make sense for its players to get plucked into more established programs. Instead, there is a belief growing around the future of KU football right now.
Daniels earning “well into six figures” via NIL programs is further evidence of the University investing in football. More evidence will come in the following weeks as the staff looks to fill its final roster slots.
It's still hard for some to believe the position KU is currently in. The assistant coach seemed skeptical when I told him not to expect Daniels to leave the program.
“If he’s enrolled in second semester, I’ll believe he’s staying.”
His response may say more about college football than it does Kansas. We all know the sport is changing rapidly.
But not everyone knows the Kansas football program is changing, too.2
A Kansas football player making comparable money to a local basketball star is a big deal.
“WE HERE. NEW ERA!” - Jalon Daniels
because I am a KU fan, I like to go down hypothetical rabbit holes that usually lead to complete nonsense. in that spirit, I have to ask: possible for Jalon to do both, pick up a sweet NIL deal and compete for KU next year and then use his final year of eligibility to call his shot elsewhere? I could see feeling satisfied with that.