Previewing the Wide Receivers: 60 Days Until Kansas Football

Much like last year, we are using Sundays in the Countdown to the return of Kansas Football to take a deep dive into one of the 10 main position groups. Each week, we’ll highlight the key players to watch and give you an idea of what to expect from the position this year. This week, we continue our series with more of the offense. It’s another position that fans probably aren’t too worried about this season: the wide receivers. In fact, the situation is very similar to last season.

Previous Positions Covered:

Quarterbacks
Running Backs

2023 Receiving Production

The Jayhawks came into the season last year without a clear idea of who their “#1 receiver” was, or if they even had one on the roster. While Lawrence Arnold seemed to be the most likely candidate, the passing offense the year before spread the ball around enough that it was hard to imagine any one receiver was going to stand out. But early in the year, Arnold was joined by Luke Grimm and Quentin Skinner to form the core of a wide receiver group that would continue to be extremely productive.

Despite the turnover at quarterback, the receivers continued to put together a great season as a group, with nearly every game featuring multiple receivers with 50 or more yards. The big plays came in spades as well, with six players having a reception that went for 49 or more yards on the season. The season ended on a high note for the position as well, with Arnold and Grimm putting on a performance to remember against UNLV, combining for 292 yards and 6 touchdowns on just 10 receptions.

The Jayhawks have a lot of players to try and keep happy this season, with 5 upper classmen who have all put in significant time and could reasonably play a large part of the offensive plan. And that doesn’t even include the tight ends and running backs that could easily take reception opportunities away from the position. Kansas has not had issues in the past with juggling so many options and keeping people engaged. But with so few opportunities available for each individual player, it’s hard to get players into a rhythm.

The big play potential for this group means that the wide receivers are always just one snap away from massively changing the complexion of a game. Skinner, Arnold and Grimm are all back and ready to put together huge games, and Trevor Wilson and Doug Emilien have also made huge strides in the offseason.

That doesn’t even get into the stable of freshmen and sophomores that are waiting in the wings for their opportunity. Keaton Kubecka had a few memorable plays last year, but he won’t be the only guy to step up.

There is no question what the top two options of the depth chart are going to be this season, but there are plenty of questions about who is going to get that third string role. Who fills in there probably won’t have a huge impact on the season overall though, so it might be academic at this point.

WR1: Lawrence Arnold/Trevor Wilson

Arnold’s position in the top spot is all but assured, as he was the most productive and consistent receiver for the Jayhawks last year. His combination of field vision and quick step has helped him to open up opportunities on pretty much every play. That threat even helps in the run game, as he can use that footwork to get good position to seal off his defender on the outside runs.

Wilson got a late start last year but was productive in his time on the field. He has all the tools needed to be successful, and will definitely find himself with a decent amount of playing time. His skill set most closely matches Arnold, so he gets slotted as the backup here.

WR2: Quentin Skinner/Doug Emilien

Skinner is the fastest guy in the receiving room, which sets him up extremely well for big play after big play. He broke out in a big way last season, building on his productive end of the season before to consistently draw coverage away from others with the threat of his speed.

Emilien had a lot of promise going into last season, but it never quite panned out for him. He is another speedy receiver with some good hands, and his improvement during the spring has him poised to expand his role this year.

WR3/Slot: Luke Grimm/Keaton Kubecka

Grimm seems to have a special rapport with Jalon Daniels, and has always been a great slot/possession receiver for this squad. He has continued to impress, and has a shot to be the most productive receiver this year.

Kubecka made an impression during the Spring Showcase, and while I could see him getting on the field, it will likely be in a fairly limited role. But he has the kind of development potential that could give him a real shot this year and give him a leg up on the competition next year.

While Kansas has 12 players at the wide receiver position on the roster this year, there isn’t a whole lot of proven depth. It’s likely that many of these guys will make an appearance on special teams, but there is a huge variety of size and speed potential from the depth that it’s hard to guess who will actually be needed and successful. The main takeaway however is that I don’t expect much to come from outside of the group above.

The wide receivers will once again be coached by Terrance Samuel, who joined the staff last year. Prior to coming to Lawrence, Samuel has spent 24 years coaching in various programs, including Syracuse, Michigan State, UNLV, Arizona and Central Michigan. He previously worked with Leipold at Nebraska-Omaha.

It’s hard to be too worried about this group, as they have a full two-deep of great options and a history of putting together successful units without a stand-out individual performer. But it’s fair to say that all three starters could easily slot in as a WR2 on many other teams in the conference, and the chemistry this group has is a real asset.