In this Hearings newsletter:

The Jalon Daniels situation and two other things to watch for against Missouri State.

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EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

KU vs. Missouri State: 3 Things to Watch

The opening line: Kansas -27.

Check out Action Network’s betting preview for the game. Missouri State is an experienced team that finished 5-6 last season.

First of all: Happy Gameday. We made it through the long, long offseason. Let’s go watch KU win a football game!

Before getting into Jalon Daniels, I want to share I’ve Heard really positive things about the team this fall. There’s optimism that the defense is improved, and the offensive continuity has allowed them to really expand the playbook. All of that, of course, depends on…

1. The Jalon Daniels Situation

While I can’t say it for certain, I’m currently not expecting QB Jalon Daniels to play today due to a lingering back injury that kept him limited throughout much of fall camp. If he does get game action, I think it’ll be rather limited.

Kansas has been coy about Daniels’ status the last few weeks. It sounds like back tightness that keeps flaring up. My understanding is that most of the team isn’t even sure about his status or seriousness of the injury.

As far as I can tell, the staff is being cautious and making sure he’ll be ready for week 2 vs. Illinois. Let’s hope so, at least.

Also of note: no reporter has come out and said Daniels won’t play today. KU football diehard and insider Bryson Stricker shared his take on Twitter last night.

For now, I consider Daniels week-to-week.

2. Jason Bean’s Decision Making

If Daniels is out, then we’re gonna see a lot of Jason Bean. There’s been a lot of chatter this offseason about Bean’s improvement as a player, and now is the time to see if the talk is legitimate.

I’m really hoping we see more confidence in his pass-run decisions today. His athleticism should be unmatched against Missouri State.

It’s a perfect opportunity for him to gain confidence before the schedule really picks up.

3. The Defensive Line

This is my No. 1 area of concern for the Jayhawks.

Last season, the Jayhawks finished No. 113 in team sack percentage. It got worse throughout the year, as the team ranked in the bottom 10 over the final three games.

If Kansas is genuinely going to take a step forward next season, the defensive line must show serious improvement. We should get a decent idea today if there’s a chance of that happening.

I’ll be watching to see if the line dominates up front. It just may be the key to the season (outside of Daniels’ health).

ICYMI: Major KU Hoops Recruiting Weekend

I sent a VIP-only post for paid subscribers on Thursday night in advance of basketball’s massive recruiting weekend. I hope to have an update for everyone next week.

The Jayhawks are chasing 2024’s No. 1 recruit, Cooper Flagg, and the No. 2 recruit in Dylan Harper.

Paid subscribers can read the update here.

Reminder! Last Week for Autographed Footballs

Two subscribers will win a KU football autographed by either Lance Leipold or Jalon Daniels! You must successfully refer at least one person to KUHearings by September 5 for an entry.

• 1 referral = 1 drawing entry

• 3 referrals = 5 entries

• 5 referrals = 10 entries

• 7 referrals = 15 entries! And so on…

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