KU redshirt freshman QB Cole Ballard watching Jason Bean’s growth in Indianapolis
Redshirt freshman Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Cole Ballard will be watching Thursday night’s NFL exhibition game between the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals with great interest.
It’s not only the third and final test of the preseason for Ballard’s favorite pro team — his dad, Chris Ballard, is the Colts’ eighth-year general manager — it’s also last opportunity for quarterback Jason Bean, a former KU teammate and close friend, to make a splash as roster cuts near.
“I can’t wait to see his name on the roster. That’s going to be such a cool thing,” Cole Ballard told The Star on Tuesday during KU Football Media Day festivities at the Jayhawks’ football practice facility.
Ballard, a 6-foot-2, 220pound native of Westfield, Indiana, threw for 286 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 75 yards on 20 carries in four games as Bean’s primary backup during the 2023 season. (Injured No. 1 QB Jalon Daniels played in just three contests last year.)
Ballard claims no inside knowledge regarding Bean’s chances of securing a spot on the Colts’ 53-man roster or 17-player practice squad. He’ll not be interfering with his dad’s job responsibilities, and instead will be cheering loudly from Lawrence for the 6-2, 195-pound Bean.
Bean, 25, threw for 2,130 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for 280 yards and three TDs in leading the Jayhawks to a 9-4 record and bowl game a year ago.
“His development has been incredible,” Cole Ballard said of Bean. “To be able to watch that … seeing him here, and being able to hear things coming out of training camp there, I hope for the best for him because he’s like a brother to me. He took me under his wing last year. I hope for the best for him.”
Bean completed 7 of 9 passes for 94 yards with one interception and rushed four times for 14 yards and a 1-yard touchdown last Saturday as Indianapolis beat Arizona. He threw a TD pass on Aug. 11 in a loss to Denver and is being mentioned as a possibility for Indy’s No. 3 QB job behind the locked-in Anthony Richardson and longtime veteran Joe Flacco.
Joining Bean in the mix for spots on the Colts’ roster or practice squad are former Texas QB Sam Ehlinger, a sixth-round pick by Indy in 2021 who is familiar with coach Shane Steichen’s system, and rookie Kedon Slovis out of BYU.
One thing that could help Bean stick around is the fact that the Colts have also considered using him at wide receiver.
“I think from what I’ve seen he’s played really well at quarterback,” Ballard said. “It’s hard to move a guy whenever he’s playing so well at his position. That’s been really cool to see.”
Bean’s sheer speed has a lot to do with the chatter that he could perhaps play wide receiver.
“It’s legit,” Ballard said of Bean’s elite running ability. “It doesn’t matter where he’s at, he’s going to be the fastest person in the room.”
Bean was called “the most interesting player at Colts camp” by Indy Star columnist Gregg Doyel. Bean has also received positive reviews on social media site X by fans and media alike.
“He deserves it,” Ballard said of the publicity. “He deserves everything. He works so hard. He’s come such a long way. Just to be able to see he’s finally getting the recognition is really cool.”
BALLARD SAYS KU OFFENSE ‘DYNAMIC, EXPLOSIVE’
At KU, meanwhile, Ballard is a leading contender to be the primary backup for Daniels this season. The Jayhawks’ also have a highly touted freshman QB in Isaiah Marshall, as well as redshirt junior Ben Easters.
Ballard said he’s thoroughly enjoyed both summer drills and official preseason camp. He has thrown to a talented group of targets that includes Quentin Skinner, Lawrence Arnold, Luke Grimm, Trevor Wilson, Torry Locklin and Jared Casey.
“I think all of them have the potential to be NFL receivers, All-Big 12, AllAmerica receivers. I can’t put one above the other. I think they are all equally as great,” Ballard said.
“We will be dynamic and explosive,” he added. “I think we can put up points on any defense in the country.”
NEW COORDINATOR FITTING IN NICELY
KU has a new offensive coordinator in Jeff Grimes, who worked at Baylor the last three years. He’s actually a co-offensive coordinator with Jim Zebrowski, who is in his third season at KU and also serves as the Jayhawks’ QBs coach.
The two are sharing offensive coordinator duties following Andy Kotelnicki’s departure to Penn State.
“I think they do a lot of things differently, but I think they have the same mindset,” Ballard said of Grimes and Kotelnicki. “I think we are going to put a lot of stress on the defense. Coach Grimes does a good job with that. He is really pushing the envelope, seeing what we can do in camp.
“We’ve risen to the challenge and really been able to do everything coach Grimes has asked of us, which has been cool.
“We have a lot of similarities,” Ballard added of the offenses of 2023 and 2024. “Being able to retain a lot of the offensive staff was a big deal. Being able to bring in coach Grimes’ ideas and his philosophy also has been really cool. We’ve been able to add different things to the offense to make us really dynamic.”
The season begins at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29, when KU plays host to Lindenwood at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. The Jayhawks’ home stadium is being extensively renovated this season, so home games are being played in KCK and at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.