LAWRENCE — Even when Jalon Daniels could only watch from the sidelines last season, he still felt that rush on game day.
“You still get the butterflies even when you’re not playing because it’s college football,” Daniels said. “It’s a scene you don’t get to have when you’re outside of college football. So I’m just going to enjoy it and take every game game by game and just enjoy it that way.”
For the first time in nearly a year Daniels will be KU’s starting quarterback when the Jayhawks open their season against Lindenwood on Thursday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas, City, Kan. A back injury ended Daniels’ season after just three games a year ago, but now the senior preseason Big 12 player of the year is healthy for the first time in so long that even he didn’t know when he was healthy last.
“I can’t put a timetable on it, but I’m 100 percent and ready to go now,” Daniels said.
The dual-threat QB started preparing for Lindenwood as soon as the schedule was released. And he said the Lions can pose a problem for the Jayhawks.
“They have the ability to run different coverages and do some stunts with their defensive front,” Daniels said. “Their D-line has the ability to get into the backfield if you’re not 100 percent tuned in with the protection. And those are little things that we’re going to have to stay focused on this week.”
While Daniels and the Jayhawks will be breaking in some new offensive linemen, the veteran wide receiver corps of Quentin Skinner, Luke Grimm and Lawrence Arnold should give Daniels a welcome comfort zone.
“We were already explosive playing with (Jason) Bean,” Arnold said. “And playing with J.D. and having him 100 percent healthy — no nicks or knacks — we’re going to be an explosive offense.
“His energy, every day it’s the same. He plays every play like it’s his last play. He’s screaming and hopping around. He’s been motiving us.”
Daniels, though, doesn’t need any motivation. He’s played in just 12 games over the last two seasons. But KU coach Lance Leipold is expecting Daniels to not miss a beat.
“To see him happy and how hard he’s worked to get back, I’m excited to see him Thursday night just like our fans,” Leipold said.
And now that Daniels is ready to go, he’s just focused on helping the team get better day by day over what he hopes is the course of a long season.
“It’s here,” Daniels said. “I’ve been waiting for it. The excitement that everyone’s been waiting for is here, and we’re ready to go and play some football. I’m not taking it for granted.”
