Kansas football is hoping for big things in 2024. With Texas and Oklahoma leaving the conference, the opportunity is there for the Jayhawks to make waves and steal a Big 12 Championship. The Jayhawks' coach, Lance Leipold, has the program moving in the right direction. The Jayhawks have had back-to-back seasons with bowl appearances, and the school returns possibly the best quarterback in the Big 12. The team made some moves in the transfer portal this offseason to strengthen its program, but one in particular is perhaps the most significant.
O LINE PROTECTION
Kansas football quarterback Jalen Daniels is the anchor of this team. The young star has battled injuries the past two seasons, but has won a lot of games while he is in the lineup. The Jayhawks added a key offensive lineman from the transfer portal, to help with protecting Daniels. That player is Darrell Simmons Jr., an offensive lineman who previously played at rival Big 12 school Iowa State.
Simmons brings experience to the offensive line for Kansas. He started more than 35 games at Iowa State, and played in a total of 49 contests while in Ames. While on the offensive line for Iowa State in 2022, the Cyclones put up some outstanding numbers. The team averaged almost 370 yards per game, including 262 through the air. That was good enough for the third-best passing yards average total in school history, per the school. With Simmons on the roster, Iowa State finished 7-6 in 2023.
Simmons also has great size. He's listed at 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, and certainly knows how to push people around. The lineman has one year left of eligibility, and will definitely want to make the most of his final year of college football.
The offensive lineman also started all 13 games for Iowa State in 2021. That year, the Cyclones ranked second nationally in red-zone offense, converting on 96 percent of their trips to the red zone. Simmons' experience and leadership will certainly help Daniels for the Jayhawks' 2024 season. With a healthy Daniels, Kansas has become one of the more potent offenses in the Big 12.
Another valuable asset that Simmons has is his knowledge of the league. The senior has played in nearly 50 games, all of them on a Big 12 conference program roster. He's been to the most difficult places to play in this league, and he most likely won't be rattled by having to go to Morgantown, West Virginia, or Manhattan, Kansas, to play.
Simmons will attempt to help Kansas get even more wins in 2024. In three seasons under Lance Leipold, the team has seen its win total increase each year. The Jayhawks went from two wins in 2021, to six in 2022 before a 9 win season in 2023 and a Guaranteed Rate Bowl victory over UNLV.
Kansas football opens its 2024 season against Lindenwood on August 31. The team also has non-conference games against UNLV and Illinois before starting its conference season on the road against West Virginia on September 21.
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