Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is expected to miss several weeks after dislocating the thumb on his throwing hand during the Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. That means it's Jalon Daniels time in Tampa. The undrafted rookie out of Kansas will be thrown into the starting lineup this Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.
He will become the first Kansas quarterback to start a game since Frank Seurer in 1987, and is actually the first undrafted rookie quarterback to start a game in Buccaneers history, per CBS Sports Research. The Bucs have gotten off to a disappointing 0-3 start, and there's plenty of blame to go around for the issues with this team. With head coach Todd Bowles on what feels like an increasingly warmer seat, can this undrafted player come in and spark the offense against a beatable opponent?
Let's take a look at who Jalon Daniels is. Daniels was born in Lawndale, California, and attended Lawndale High School. As a recruit, 247Sports ranked him as a three-star prospect, the No. 61 dual-threat athlete in the country, and No. 298 overall player from the state of California.
Daniels initially committed to Middle Tennessee State, but later decommitted and pledged allegiance to the Jayhawks. Daniels was one of three Kansas quarterbacks who appeared during the season opener in 2020, which was played in an empty stadium due to the coronavirus pandemic. He got the start for his second collegiate game, and completed 19 of 33 passes for 159 yards while also rushing for 23 yards in a 47-14 loss to Baylor.
Daniels was just 17 years old at the time. It was a tough season for Daniels and the Jayhawks, as Kansas finished with a 0-9 record. The true freshman completed 50% of his passes for 718 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions in seven games played with six starts.
Kansas named Jason Bean its new starting quarterback for the 2021 season, but an injury forced Daniels back into the lineup. That first start came against the hated Texas Longhorns -- who were around 30-point favorites against Kansas. Daniels led the Jayhawks to a thrilling 57-56 upset victory in overtime, in which he threw for 202 yards, three touchdowns, and rushed for 45 yards and another touchdown.
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