Born in Lawndale, California on October 29, 2002, Jalon Daniels is a renowned American football player who plays in the quarterback position for the Kansas Jayhawks. After developing his skills at Lawndale High School, Daniels had initially committed to Middle Tennessee State University but eventually decided to take his football career further at the University of Kansas. Over time, Daniels’ potential caught the attention of teams like Air Force, Army, Louisiana, and Syracuse. However, he chose to stay with Kansas, one of the only two Power Five conference schools to offer him a position.

In his freshman year, Daniels started in six games, although the Jayhawks ended the season without victories (0-9). Nonetheless, Daniels showed promising talent as he completed 76 out of 152 passes, tallying up 718 yards. He managed to score one touchdown but threw four interceptions.

In a significant turn of events, Daniels lost the starting quarterback spot to Jason Bean during the training camp. However, when Bean suffered an injury in a game on November 6 against Kansas State, Daniels got the sweet taste of returning as starting quarterback again. He became Kansas Jayhawks’ star player, leading the team to a spectacular win against Texas – the team’s first victory against the opponents in Austin and only the second since 1938. Additionally, Daniels helped snap many losing streaks that plagued the team, improving the points average from 15.1 to 37.7 in games he started during the 2021 season.

Despite losing his starting position to Bean in the previous season, Daniels proved his worth and secured the starting position for his junior year. The Kansas Jayhawks had a riveting 3-0 start, which was their best initiative since 2009. They even nailed their Big 12 conference opener, a feat they hadn’t achieved since ’09. Daniels’ spectacular performance led him to win multiple player of the week awards, even as the Jayhawks’ performance improved drastically, receiving votes to be ranked first time since 2009. In one of the top-performing games against Duke, Daniels recorded a career-high in yards and passing touchdowns, resulting in speculations of him being a potential Heisman Trophy candidate.

The spectacular season for the Jayhawks and Daniels hit a roadblock when he suffered a shoulder injury against TCU during the sixth game. Although initial reports suggested an end-of-season duration, Daniels refuted those claims and returned for the November 19 game against Texas. The season ended with him being named 2nd team All-Big 12, despite his injury stint. In a historic performance, Daniels set a program record and a Liberty Bowl record for passing yards in a game with 544 yards even as the Jayhawks lost 55-53 to Arkansas in the 2022 Liberty Bowl.

As the 2023 preseason rolled in, Daniels made headlines again as he was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, the first-ever Kansas player to receive the accolade. He was also selected as a first-team All-Big 12 quarterback in the preseason and was named to the watchlists for several prestigious awards, including Davey O’Brien Award, Walter Camp Award, and Manning Award.

However, the triumphant stint was marred by back injury Daniels suffered during the summer camp, causing him to miss the season opener and several subsequent games. Despite the setback, Daniels proved his loyalty to the Jayhawks once again by announcing his return for the 2024 season in November 2023.

Jalon Daniels is undoubtedly an exemplary athlete, demonstrating time and again the heights of determination and resilience that a sportsperson can reach despite the hurdles in their path. His journey so far with the Kansas Jayhawks continues to be an inspiring tale of success, struggle, and an unyielding commitment to his sport and team.