Kansas Jayhawks Q&A: KU football spring game details & 2024-25 basketball roster

The Kansas men’s basketball team had a rare ‘rest week’ with one week between games.

No. 9 Kansas (20-6, 8-5 Big 12) will return to action to play Texas on Saturday.

KU has five games left in the regular season as the Big 12 race is heating up. KU is currently tied for third in the conference with Texas Tech and Baylor.

It’s not impossible for Kansas to win the Big 12 title, but the Jayhawks must be perfect at home and somehow win on the road against Baylor and Houston.

It’s a tall task for a team that’s 2-5 in road conference games. Plus, you factor in that Kevin McCullar won’t be fully healthy, and it’s very hard to see Kansas pulling it off. That said, it’s hard to count out any Bill Self team. So, never say never.

Anyway, let’s get into another Kansas Jayhawks mailbag. Thanks as always for the questions!

When and where is the spring game going to be played? — @JibriJelani1

A source close to the program told The Star that KU football’s spring game will likely be played at Rock Chalk Park on either Apr. 12 or 13. It hasn’t been quite finalized, but it’s looking like the likely location and official information should come out relatively soon.

Of course, while construction continues David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, the Jayhawks will play their home games in the 2024 regular season at Children’s Mercy Park — home of Sporting KC — and GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium — where the Chiefs play.

Is there any information on Agpalsa and his potential OL coaching role. How does that affect the relationships with this incoming class? — @ELindison

Kansas is expected to hire Daryl Agpalsa as its new offensive line coach, with the official announcement coming in the next few days. He and coach Lance Leipold have quite a bit of history.

Agpalsa worked under Leipold as an offensive line coach at Wisconsin Whitewater (2012-13) and Buffalo (2014-18). Before his time at Whitewater, he was a graduate assistant at the University of Minnesota.

At Northern Illinois, his offensive line was paramount in helping one of the nation’s best rushing attacks in the 2021 season — Northern Illinois averaged 241.1 yards per game. Plus, his offensive line only gave up 13 sacks.

As for KU’s offensive recruits coming in, I don’t expect anything to change from what I’ve been told at this point.

How is JD’s recovery? What is QB room like next year? — @MrJaKaRa

Kansas QB Jalon Daniels is recovering well. A source close to the program told The Star he looked great in workouts. I think the expectation/hope is he will slowly progress back to normal on the football field as spring football starts soon.

His likely backup will be former third-string walk-on Cole Ballard, who played well in his two real game opportunities last season. The fact that KU didn’t add a transfer quarterback shows the trust the program has in Ballard, in the case he has to start due to a Daniels injury.

I expect incoming freshman Isaiah Marshall to be KU’s third-string quarterback.

There’s a lot of optimism and hype around the incoming Marshall — from the KU coaching staff to even the players themselves. Last season, one prominent KU player told The Star that he came away very impressed by Marshall’s tape.

For now, he projects at the QB of the future.

Kev, Braun and Timberlake are gone, Furphy’s almost certainly gone, KJ and Clemence are back next year, what are things looking like for the others? Will Dickinson and Juan use their COVID years? Will Marko and McDowell transfer? --- @JonnyOrlansky

A couple of things: I’d be a little surprised if Zach Clemence comes back next year — especially if Hunter Dickinson is back. Between Dickinson, KJ Adams and incoming recruit Flory Bidunga, KU’s big man rotation is a little crowded.

There could be a role for Clemence, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets an opportunity for more minutes elsewhere and enters the transfer portal. Getting better and then potentially transferring out is part of the reason why he came back.

At this moment, I expect Dajuan Harris and Dickinson to return. Unless Dickinson is sick of school, there’s no real reason for him to leave — he’s not even projected as an NBA Draft pick in most mock drafts.

He makes good money with NIL at KU and branding-wise, he’s never going to be more popular than he is right now. It doesn’t matter whether he’d end up in the G League or overseas; Dickinson’s popularity while playing for KU dwarfs both scenarios.

It’s too early to say if Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell will transfer from KU.

With the new 5+7 CFP adjustment and OU and Texas gone to the SEC, is there anything standing in the way of a Kansas playoff appearance? — @nikghayal7

I like your optimism and hope Barbados/medical school is treating you well, pal.

The two most significant issues for KU are ultimately Jalon Daniels’ health and schools like K-State, Arizona and Utah, which will all challenge Kansas for a Big 12 championship.

I don’t think the CFB playoff is out of the realm of possibility for Kansas, but Daniels needs to stay healthy and Kansas can’t drop many conference games.

Luckily for the Jayhawks, their conference schedule this season is relatively easy. There’s a real chance KU will only have 1-3 conference losses, but that depends on Daniels’ health.

If KU can get to the Big 12 championship game, there’s a great chance Kansas will make the playoff.