LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels is one of 90 college student-athletes named to the Watch List for the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award on Wednesday.

The watch list was announced by the college Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) in association with The Associated Press (AP) and the Fiesta Bowl Organization. Since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances. At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. 

This is the third preseason watch list of the offseason for Daniels, who has honored by the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Award leading into the 2024 season. Daniels is back for his redshirt junior season after being limited to three games by injury in 2023. In limited time, Daniels led Kansas to a 3-0 record while throwing for 705 yards and five touchdowns in 2023.

Daniels led a breakthrough campaign in 2022, as he helped the Jayhawks to a 5-0 start and the program’s first bowl game appearance since 2008. He was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection after completing 66.1 percent (152-of-230) of his passes for 2,014 yards and 18 touchdowns. Daniels capped off his sophomore season with a record-setting performance in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, when he completed 37-of-55 passes for 544 yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing for a touchdown.

From Lawndale, California, Daniels enters the season ranked No. 9 in school history with 4,297 passing yards and No. 5 with 31 passing touchdowns. At his current career completion rate of 63.6 percent (365-of-574), Daniels would surpass the previous school record of 63.3 percent, set by Todd Reesing from 2006-09.

2024 Kansas Football Preseason Watch Lists:

Maxwell Award – QB Jalon Daniels, RB Devin Neal

Patrick Mannelly Award – LS Luke Hosford

Bronko Nagurski Award – CB Cobee Bryant

Paycom Jim Thorpe Award – CB Cobee Bryant

Allstate Wuerffel Trophy – TE Jared Casey

Walter Camp Award – QB Jalon Daniels

Doak Walker Award – RB Devin Neal, RB Daniel Hishaw Jr.

Comeback Player of the Year – QB Jalon Daniels