Lance Leipold says Jalon Daniels doubtful to play vs Texas due to back injury

Kansas starting quarterback Jalon Daniels was a surprise scratch from Saturday’s game against Texas due to a back injury. Daniels was taken back to the locker room during pregame warmups as Jason Bean took reps with the first team and ultimately started the game.

Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold joined ESPN’s Molly McGrath at the start of the second quarter, where he provided an update on the injured quarterback. The coach said Daniels is doubtful to play, but the team is “hoping” for the best.

“He’s in the locker room right now trying to get things worked out,” Leipold said. “It’s questionable to doubtful right now. We’ll see. We’re hoping. Jason’s playing. We’re just getting thrown into this. He’s getting his rhythm. I think you could see him being a little hyped up early. Jason’s played a lot of football for us. We have a lot of confidence in him.”

McGrath reported shortly before kickoff that Daniels reaggravated the injury this morning. The news came as a surprise after the quarterback practiced all week.

“He was expected to start,” McGrath said. “He practiced all week. He came out during their initial warm-up period but he’s been back in the locker room seeking treatment for back tightness ever since.”

The back injury caused Daniels to miss the season opener, though he returned to start the next three games. He has thrown for 705 yards, five touchdowns and an interception this season while completing 74.7% of his passes.

It’s an unfortunate situation for Jalon Daniels, who also missed four games last season due to a shoulder injury. He still finished with a career-best 2,104 yards passing, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions along with 425 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.

Bean led the Jayhawks to a 48-17 victory against Missouri State in Week 1. He finished 22-of-28 passing for 276 yards and a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions. Kansas finished with a 1-3 record last season in the games that Daniels missed.

So far Saturday against the Longhorns, Bean has struggled as he is 2-of-7 passing for 23 yards. The Jayhawks have still managed to stay within striking distance thanks to 117 yards rushing on 8.4 yards per carry. Bean has accounted for 40 of those yards on four carries while Daniel Hishaw leads the way with 44 yards and a touchdown.

Texas currently holds a 13-7 lead on Kansas with 2:20 left to go until halftime.