Kansas football: Predicting the Jayhawks top 4 wide receivers
The wide receiver group is one of Kansas football’s biggest unknowns this year. The Jayhawks return top contributor and senior Kwamie Lassiter, but they don’t return much production outside of him.
And with Andrew Parchment and Stephon Robinson transferring out of the program, it made things even a little cloudier. But that doesn’t mean the Jayhawks don’t have talent at the wide receiver position.
Currently, the Jayhawks have 16 players listed on the roster at wide receiver. And while not all of them will get playing time this year, most of them will at least have a shot at it.
Below, I’ll predict who I think the top four receivers will be for the Jayhawks this year.
Kwamie Lassiter (Senior)
Last year Kwamie Lassiter led the Jayhawks with 43 receptions, 458 yards receiving, and two touchdowns. And he’s likely to be the number one guy this year as well.
Lassiter’s numbers from last year don’t look impressive on paper, but he was also held back by poor quarterback play, which wasn’t helped by the offensive line struggles.
Either way, Lassiter looks to build on his strong season last year and have an even better season this year.
Kevin Terry (Junior)
The Jayhawks brought in several transfers during the offseason, and Kevin Terry was one of those guys. He transferred from Texas Tech, and oddly enough, was recruited to the Red Raiders by the current KU wide receiver coach Emmett Jones.
While recruiting Terry, Jones said of his ability, “We were blown away that it was him, that he was the guy we were looking at on film.” He continued, “First impression, you won’t think he has the ability he has.”
During his time with Texas Tech, Terry didn’t record any catches, but he’s a young talent with a lot of promise. And new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki appears to be a big fan of Terry’s as well.
"I tell you what, grittiness, man. The guy is doing a heck of a job. He’s playing tough. Craftsman in terms of how he’s running routes and everything. He’s got some great wiggle off the line. He’s tough, you know what I mean?"
Steven McBride (Sophomore)
Another talented young prospect, Steven McBride, could potentially have a breakout sophomore season. He only recorded three catches for 17 yards last year but is in place to earn a starting spot which will come with more touches.
Emmett Jones predicts McBride will “make a name for himself in the Big 12 this year” and also said he had progressed so much that he could “blow the roof off the coverage” to help the Jayhawks offense.
Jones continued, “He’s great as far as complementing the route concepts of what we’re running because he can push the ball downfield.”
Luke Grimm (Sophomore)
Last year Luke Grimm caught 19 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns, which lands him the 2nd most productive returning wide receiver behind Lassiter.
Like McBride, Grimm is in a position to have a much more productive season this year. He’s a sneaky fast wide receiver and has a solid route-running ability.
Grimm could see a big-time up-tick in his production if the offensive line doesn’t struggle like it did last year, allowing the quarterback more time to make his reads.
Honorable Mention: