[2024] Jayhawks fans look into the QB Crystal Ball

[Bundy]

The Kansas Jayhawks have had a consistent aura of "doubt" at the QB position since CFB's inception, going through QBs Jeff Maeda, Ian Morgan, Tyler Summers, and Aaron Diaz across 3.5 seasons. Maeda was the Jayhawks first ever starter, but was benched following the inaugural Kansas contest in favor of Morgan, who went 5-6 as a starter in his 11 games of 2021. In 2022, Kansas turned to redshirt freshman Summers, who started 3 games, with 0 TDs and 6 INTs, and then turned back to Maeda, who led the Jayhawks to their first ever bowl game and win. Last year, Summers returned as the starter, but amid turmoil between the QB and the coaching staff, was benched for the Oklahoma game - a game that the fan base, nor coaching staff, nor Aaron Diaz, would ever like to be brought up again. Summers finished out the year and won a bowl game, and over this past offseason, it appeared the Summers- @Bundy relationship had been mended.

In 2024, Kansas has started Tyler Summers for every game, and while it hasn't been pretty, the Jayhawks sit at 3-4. after having beaten unranked Clemson and Montana to start the year, losing to currently-ranked #17 Arizona State, #25 Houston, #12 TCU, and #1 Baylor, before rebounding with a win over unranked Colorado. Through 7 games, Summers has passed for just 590 yards, but has a 6 TD: 3 INT ratio, and has been asked to feature much more in the rushing attack (774 yards, 8 TDs) than doing the things he can not (throw the ball efficiently). 

Summers actually appears slated to be the first Kansas QB to start a full season of games, although Dustin Benintendi and William Abshire have received some reps throughout the season. But there's still the looming elephant in the room of what do the Jayhawks do at QB post-2024? Kansas graduates superstar RB Cody Casspi, and it's clear that someone will need to step up, with, for the first time ever, no clear apparent heir to the offensive face of the Jayhawks.

Tyler Summers

The easiest answer would be to just keep Tyler Summers in the QB1 role for another season. He's a redshirt junior currently, and has started 22 games across 2022-2024. He's thrown for 2,327 yards, 14 TDs, and 23 INTs, which of course, inspires no one when it comes to passing. TE Alex Atkins did eventually get drafted to the Indianapolis Colts this past NFL Draft, but he went from 1,187 yards as a SO in 2021, to a team leading 678 yards in 2023, and watched his draft stock plummet. So while the Jayhawks have produced draft picks in the receiving game (J****r O***h in Round 1 of 2022, Trenton Adam in Round 3 of 2023, Atkins in R5 of 2024), they're not a "high profile" receiving school, and thus, have been unable to attract receiving recruits - until the 2024 cycle, where one can speculate as to "what kind of offense" is being pitched to the recruits. 

However, like stated above, Summers can contribute in more ways that "we have a guy taking snaps from the center". In his first 15 starts, he tallied 960 rushing yards at 5.82 yards/carry, with 3 rushing TDs. And he's since added 774 rushing yards and 8 TDs in 7 games through 2024, which would put him at firmly 3rd in Kansas' career marks for rushing yards (behind Casspi and Bene' Humber), and 3rd in rushing TDs, behind those two and 1 ahead of FB Marcell Maysonet. 

Joseph Perkins

The first ever blue chip QB recruit to Kansas (that wasn't an initial roster player like Summers), Perkins is a 6'3", 207 Balanced QB who saw some time in spring action in 2024. He committed to Kansas late in the 2022 cycle, and redshirted for 2023, but could potentially offer more than Summers when it comes to the passing game. However, Perkins hasn't been able to get on the field in 2024 due to scheming, sitting behind (SO) Dustin Benintendi and (FR) William Abshire on the official depth chart, with (FR) Robert Lemberger also reportedly receiving more practice reps. Perkins would need to take a massive leap this offseason without game time experience.

Jeffrey Eagle

Eagle is a currently redshirting freshman by way of Alabama, committing in the 2023 recruiting cycle over offers from in-state Crimson Tide. A 6'3", 218 pocket QB, Eagle could be the face that many KU boosters desire when it comes to the QB position - someone who can sling it. Eagle is entirely untested at the CFB level, though, and committing to him for 2025 would likely mean another Summers-like cycle of "young QB who is underdeveloped struggles for 2-3 seasons before a strong final push to his CFB career." 

Someone else currently on the roster?

Benintendi (2021 ⭐⭐⭐, scrambler), Abshire (2022 ⭐⭐⭐, scrambler), Lemberger (2022 ⭐⭐⭐, scrambler), and Michael Ryan (2023⭐⭐⭐, scrambler) all came to Kansas as moonshot recruits, all in the Summers-style mold of "controlling the football on the ground", but with Kansas missing out on 2023 5-star RB Frank Joliffe (Tulane) and 2023 5-star FB Rolando Cantu (Wisconsin), it remains hard to see Kansas sticking with the gameplan that they've ran for the better part of 4 seasons. They did sign a 4-star RB last year in Nathaniel Rudebacher, but with the other Big 12 teams loading up on talent, it might be hard to trust any of these 3-stars long-term. Benintendi especially seems destined for the upcoming Transfer Portal.

A recruit, perhaps?

Kansas was in early on Michigan-born 4-star Kurt Siblings this year, but he quickly committed to in-state Michigan. They were then linked to North Dakota 4-star Darrell Vaughan, but he appears headed to Wisconsin, where he has family in the Madison area. Kansas returned to Michigan on the recruiting trail, signing ⭐⭐⭐⭐ James Williams - a scrambler - who had previously held a solid offer from Southern Mississippi. 

 

[tsweezy]

Perhaps a car salesman is the answer

[Bundy]

46 minutes ago, tsweezy said:

Perhaps a car salesman is the answer

dont ruin the next planned media 😂