The Kansas football team lost nearly all of its receiving production to graduation this past season, including its top three wideouts (Lawrence Arnold, Luke Grimm, Quentin Skinner) and a pair of tight ends (Jared Casey, Trevor Kardell). It was an area that Lance Leipold zeroed in on in the transfer portal.
While the Jayhawks brought in plenty of talent to catch passes from Jalon Daniels, several players have an opportunity to earn more playing time before the campaign begins. When asked which receivers stood out during spring practice, transfer defensive back DJ Graham named two that caught his eye.
"No. 2, man. Emmanuel Henderson. That dude, he's probably one of the fastest receivers I've ever guarded," Graham said. "He's explosive, but not only is he fast, but he's quick. Keaton [Kubecka] also, I like how shifty he is, he knows how to manipulate and use his body language and speed you up or speed you down. I think our receiving core is great and going to keep getting better, but we have a lot of talent on that side of the ball."
DJ Graham with high praise for Emmanuel Henderson and what he sees from the receivers. #kufball pic.twitter.com/QvOyPUgYCe
— JayhawkSlant (@JayhawkSlant) March 27, 2025
Emmanuel Henderson, Keaton Kubecka named potential breakout candidates
Graham spent three years at Oklahoma and caught one of the best interceptions in college football history, so he knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a great receiver. He thinks that Alabama transfer Emmanuel Henderson and incoming redshirt sophomore Keaton Kubecka will be massive difference-makers for the Jayhawks in 2025.
As a multi-year player in a premier SEC program, Henderson is expected to be KU's top pass-catcher this year. He reeled in four passes for 82 yards, returning a handful of kicks as well. Graham mentioned his tremendous speed and quickness, which is his best asset.
Meanwhile, Kubecka is entering his third year at Kansas despite not recording any stats in his first two seasons. He committed to the Jayhawks out of high school as a 3-star recruit and has been praised by the coaching staff on several occasions for his work ethic. Kubecka, along with newcomers Bryson Canty and Cam Pickett, could see a significant number of snaps.
Kansas may not have many experienced players in its receiving corps, but it is still one of the deepest in the Big 12. The remaining spring practices could signal who will emerge as a key player later in the year.