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Shrine Bowl Taps Two Longtime Big 12 Quarterbacks

Originally posted on Heartland College Sports
By Conner Becker | Last updated Jan 16, 2026 5:02 PM ET

Former Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels has accepted an invitation to the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Daniels, preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft following his sixth and final year of eligibility, is just the second Kansas quarterback invited to the Shrine Bowl since Jason Bean in 2024.

Daniels and former Texas Tech starter Behren Morton, who accepted his invitation roughly a week ago, fill out half of the East Team’s quarterback room (Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones), led by Atlanta Falcons assistant K.J. Black.

Shrine Bowl Value

The Shrine Bowl, typically a haven for mid-to-late round draft picks, is still a valuable measure for Daniels and Morton, as the pair navigate their NFL possibilities. However, the two quarterbacks are coming from enormously different seasons.

Morton, passing for 2,780 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions, battled through an injury to his right leg for all of his senior campaign. He’d reaggravate that leg against Kansas, of all teams, but returned two weeks later at Kansas State. Morton and the unbeaten No. 4 Red Raiders met a swift exit at the hands of No. 5 Oregon with a 23-0 shutout loss in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals in the Orange Bowl.

Daniels, on the other hand, led Kansas to yet another 5-7 finish despite easily the best quarterback play of his career. A Pop Warner finalist, Daniels completed 198 throws for 2,531 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven picks. Daniels finally put two 12-game seasons in the past couple of years after multiple injuries; The Lawndale, California, has appeared in just 25 games for Kansas since first starting as a 17-year-old true freshman in 2020.

Daniels and Morton aren’t mutually exclusive when it comes to their injury worries. Morton powered through the remainder of his senior season, and Daniels ultimately overcame a shoulder separation in 2022 and a back injury in 2023 to return and finish his career.

Accolades-wise, Morton has a Big 12 Championship to his name; Daniels has strung together a few impressive performances (an overtime win at Texas in 2021 and a record-setting performance at the Liberty Bowl in 2022), but Kansas itself hasn’t reached the same highs of the Jason Bean-led, nine-win finish to its 2023 season.

The Shrine Bowl, though, offers both Big 12 quarterbacks a little extra exposure before their respective pro days. Morton’s strong arm and dual-threat ability are well documented, as is his injury history. Daniels, whose run-threat lends him a tremendous upside, faces the same doubts about his recovery and just how much of it ate up his college career.

Both Daniels and Morton are projected to sign as undrafted free agents in the latest draft projection by NFL Mock Draft Database.

The East-West Shrine Bowl kicks off Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. CT on NFL Network.

This article first appeared on Heartland College Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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