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Who is Jalon Daniels? Buccaneers rookie quarterback went from undrafted to starting

With Baker Mayfield sidelined for multiple weeks following a thumb dislocation during a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are turning to an unexpected option. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels is set to make his first career start under center in an upcoming game against the Green Bay Packers.

This move makes franchise history as he becomes the first undrafted rookie to start at quarterback for Tampa Bay, while also marking the first time a Kansas product has started an NFL game since Frank Seurer in 1987. The Buccaneers enter this transition holding a winless 0-3 record, putting pressure on head coach Todd Bowles as the team searches for its initial victory.

Before reaching the professional level, Daniels developed his career starting as a three-star recruit out of Lawndale High School in California, where 247Sports ranked him as the country's 61st dual-threat athlete. He initially committed to Middle Tennessee State before shifting his path to the Jayhawks.

As a true freshman in 2020 during a season impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, he made his collegiate debut in the opener and earned his first start in the following game against Baylor at just seventeen years old. That inaugural college campaign saw Kansas finish winless at 0-9, with the young quarterback appearing in seven total contests and completing half of his passing attempts.

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