Report: Jalon Daniels expected to play on Friday vs Illinois

Kansas fans just received exciting news. On Sunday, Action Network’s Brett McMurphy provided an update on Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels.

“Kansas QB Jalon Daniels, who missed last week’s game vs. Missouri State [with] back tightness, expected to play Friday vs. Illinois,” McMurphy wrote on Twitter.

Daniels was named the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after completing 152 of his 251 pass attempts last to amass 2,014 passing yards last season. However, Daniels’ 2022 campaign was slowed down after he suffered a shoulder injury in October. Kansas fans hope to see the standout QB1 pick up where he left off.

Kansas will face off against Illinois on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Greg McElroy names Jalon Daniels Kansas’ 2023 MVP

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy certainly is confident in Daniels. In August, McElroy named quarterback Jalon Daniels the MVP for Kansas heading into the 2023 season. If you tuned in to watch the Jayhawks face Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl last season, McElroy’s reasoning is understandable. 

Daniels broke the KU football record with 544 yards passing and five touchdowns while completing 37 of his 55 attempts. He also added a touchdown on the ground to set a Liberty Bowl record with six total scores. That has many fans excited to see whether he can carry that over into 2023, McElroy included. 

“What he did in the bowl game is just a jumping off point for where they might go this year,” the ESPN analyst said. “Is he gonna average 544 passing yards per game? Probably not. But when you do that and become the first player ever to throw for 500 yards, five touchdowns and run for a touchdown in one of the best performances we’ve seen in a bowl game in recent history, that tells you all you need to know.

“You think about the rhythm that we was in the first five games of the year,” McElroy said. “Got banged up in the TCU game and missed a lot of time. If he can stay healthy throughout the course of the season, I don’t think Kansas is necessarily a Big 12 title game participant. I don’t even know if they’re gonna finish in the top half of the league. But I know they’ll be a problem for everyone they play. 

“If Jalon Daniels is on the field, they’re a problem. You better have that guy circled. That’s who Jalon Daniels is right now. He makes them very dangerous every single week.”

On3’s Chandler Vessels also contributed to this article.